Enjoy Spring at Your Favorite Texas Winery
May is moving forward with wonderful weather, just perfect for enjoying Texas Wines at your favorite Texas Winery. Start off with wine along the Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail with special wine trail events for the entire month of May. Each of the eleven wineries along the Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail will offer ticket holders three 1.5 ounce wine tastings for each adult ticketholder. Tickets are available only online at www.TexasBluebonnetWineTrail.com at $30 per adult or $54 for an adult couple. When visiting the first winery, you will receive a special wine glass and a gift (while supplies last). Wineries along the wine trail include:
• Bernhardt Winery by Plantersville
• Blue Mule Winery near Fayetteville
• En Gedi Vineyards and Winery by Calvert
• Golden Oak Micro-Cellar by New Waverly
• Messina Hof Winery in Bryan
• Perrine Winery in College Station
• Tempe Creek Winery near Livingston
• Texas Star Winery in Chapel Hill
• Teysha Vineyards near Huntsville
• Threshold Vineyards near Navasota
• West Sandy Creek Winery by Richard
Plan ahead since some wineries are closed on Mondays. Concerts are sometimes held at these wineries over the weekend. It does pay to plan ahead. The Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail wineries remind you to drink responsibly and designate a driver. Per TABC regulations, anyone appearing to be intoxicated will not be served and may be asked to leave the premises.
For a change of pace, take Thursday off to travel to the Texas Hill Country for a four-day weekend. Most of the wineries are dog-friendly with several Inns and Motels like LaQuinta being dog friendly. The number of wineries in this area is zooming upwards with lots of travelers focusing on the Fredericksburg area. I suggest going to either Comfort or Kerrville on I-10, west of San Antonio and only about 25 minutes south of Fredericksburg. You won’t find the crowds and waits like Fredericksburg. Consider visiting Bending Branch, Singing Waters and Newsom Tasting Room in Comfort or go to Kerrville Hills Winery in the Texas Hill Country Art Colony of Kerrville. You will find outstanding wines with Bending Branch (Dr. Bob Young-winemaker) and Kerrville Hills (John Rivenbaugh-winemaker) using Flash Détente’ extraction process to pull fruits and tannins from the grapes for inclusion into their wines for wine enhancement. Both wineries have some exciting reds to rave over.
Wine and Food Week in The Woodlands Returns
Reserve June 5th thru 11th for an outstanding week of wine in The Woodlands. For wine and food lovers, this is the not to be missed event. Period. Fan favorites are back including Wine Around the World Wednesday; Rose’ Way, A Sweet Soiree at The Peach Orchard Venue; Ladies of the Vine Tasting, Luncheon, & Panel Discussion, at The Club at Carlton Woods, and Sips, Suds & Savor. The week culminates with the grand dame—the elaborate Wine Rendezvous Grand Tasting & Chef Showcase at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Ballroom where acclaimed chefs compete for the coveted Chef of Chefs Award presented by Goya Foods and a $5,000 cash prize. Tickets are available online at www.WineandFoodWeek.com.
Texas Restaurants Serving Texas Wines
The Gristmill River Restaurant in New Braunfels started in 1977 serving great steaks and local foods. It has evolved into a quality eatery with loads of Texas wines on its wine menus. Wines from McPherson Winery, Llano Estacado, Fall Creek, Becker, Gruene, and other Texas wineries pair great with this iconic restaurant’s epicurean eats. Enjoy the foods, wines, atmosphere and friends in this true Texas GEM!