Wimberley Area
Vineyards
The rocky hills, ancient oaks and clear streams mingled with the semi-aired Wimberley climate would seem familiar to even the most seasoned of Italian vintners. So it was only a natural evolution for wineries to spring up in the Texas Hill Country. Increasingly, the wineries of the Wimberley Valley and surrounding area are producing fine, award-winning selections that are attracting accolades from even the most jaded of connoisseurs.
Mandola Estate Winery
One needs only to look to world-famous chef Damian Mandola as proof positive of this truth. For Mandola, quality is everything, including his ventures into the world of wine. A culinary genius, restaurateur and PBS cooking show host is creating superb wines with partner Stan Duchman at Mandola Estate Winery at its vineyard in Driftwood, which is now serving wines from its first crop of grapes harvested this year. The Mandola Estate Winery, just off FM 150, features a stunning structure, constructed with a Mediterranean influence reminiscent of the land that gave berth to some of the world’s greatest selections.
Mandola Estate Winery’s vineyard and neighboring restaurant, nestled in the surrounding hills could easily have patrons thinking of Tuscany, particularly when immersed the elegance of the winery’s tasting room, under a 20-foot vaulted ceiling. Mark Penna is the vineyard’s winemaker.
“I know this has been a dream of Stan’s and Damian’s for years,” Penna said. “I was very lucky to have hit the timing just right and connected up with them.”
The complex and vineyard stretches out on a slope above Onion Creek with 20 acres of grape vines soaking up the warm sun and cool evening breezes. The climate echoes the warmer drier climes of Southern Italy and Sicily.
The vines planted include popular varieties such as the rich Montepulciano, sweet Moscato, smoky Barbera, and noble Sangiovese. But lesser known grapes like the fruity Vermentino, hearty Nero d’Avilo, and the aromatic Aglianico are also thriving.
“These grapes do well in hot climates,” Penna said. “They are perfect for our area. And they make nice wines.”
The restaurant, Trattoria Lisina, is a casual, family-run Italian eating establishment just like the small trattorie that dot the Italian countryside and cities. The restaurant also shares the warm, rustic, Tuscan country feel like the tasting room. Lisina has an extensive Italian wine list and also features the Mandola wines from the estate. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday 5-10 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The Mandola Estate Winery is at 13308 FM 150 west of Driftwood. It’s open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Visit http://www.mandolawines.com or call 512-858-1470.
Driftwood Vineyards
Just walking into vintner Gary Elliott’s Driftwood Vineyards, one can’t help but being struck by the California-cool that permeates the atmosphere. It isn’t any wonder. Elliot comes from a family rich in the California grape industry.
When he first laid eyes on the grounds and owner decided to sell his the cattle and start a new enterprise, a winery seemed like a tasty idea.
Driftwood Vineyard’s tasting room blends of the elegant tastes of oenophiles with the rustic spirit of Texas. It sits on the edge of an escarpment overlooking 14 acres of vines that create a canopy of lush greenery when they are in full bloom. The place is reminiscent of the enchanted feel of California’s legendary Napa Valley — with a decidedly Texas Hill Country twist.
Gnarled mesquite trees are part of that twist. They somehow manage to simultaneously appear graceful and weathered as they arch together to cast a veil of shade off the popular picnic area overlooking the vineyard.
Driftwood Vineyards produces seven different wines from eight varieties of grapes. Most of the grapes are Mediterranean berries that flourish in hot weather climates. His flagship red wine is created from the syrah grape which is a fruity and intelligent wine that patrons are sure to enjoy.
The viognier grape is the one Driftwood Vineyard uses to craft its most popular white wine. It is a sophisticated offering and is accepted among winemakers as among the best in the nation, according to Elliott.
And he knows what he is doing, garnering more awards than he can keep track of. Elliott attributes his success to the unique climate of the Wimberley Valley. He said the French call it the terriore.
“It’s the climate, the soil, the way the sun hits the grapes, the water in the ground-all those things affect the terriore,” Elliott said. “The terriore in this area has been proven to produce award-winning wines.”
Driftwood Vineyards is located six miles south of U.S. 290 on Ranch Road 12 between Dripping Springs and Wimberley. Open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Friday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.
For directions or information about events and tours, call 512-692-6229 or visit them on-line at www.driftwoodvineyards.com.
The Bella Vista Ranch
Sip Mediterranean-influenced wines and drizzle olive oil on homemade bread. Welcome to Bella Vista Ranch.
Nestled in the hollows and peaks of the Wimberley Valley, the good folks at Bella Vista Ranch grow their own grapes and olives and provide visitors with an intimate view of the wine and olive oil making processes.
Enjoy a guided tour of the ranch and traverse the olive orchard, the vineyard or the berry patch during harvest season. Tours wrap up at Bella Vista’s Tuscan-inspired tasting room where guests can kick back and enjoy a glass of wine while considering which of the many fine products they would like to take home from Bella Vista Ranch.
Designed to reflect a traditional Italian farm, the ambiance of Bella Vista’s tasting room measures up to the highest of standards. Just close your eyes in the bucolic tasting room and you can almost hear the sounds of old world Italy.
This is a working ranch and olives are pressed on the premises. Visitors can even sample the finished product in the tasting room and then take one of their reasonably priced selections.
Bella Vista’s wines are created from the hot weather grapes of southern Italy and Spain. The Texas Hill County climate is similar to those Mediterranean areas and grapes native to that area seem to thrive in this region’s soil. The results of their hard work are great country wines that can make you yearn for a life with a slower pace.
Bella Vista Ranch offers something for everyone and visitors will leave with plans of their next trip back.
The ranch is at 3101 Mt. Sharp Road and is open Thursday through Saturday and Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
For additional directions or more information, call (512) 847-6514 or visit Bella Vista Ranch online at www.bvranch.com.
Fawncrest Vineyard at Canyon Lake
Just off the shores of Canyon Lake is a quaint boutique winery with a vision — to remain a small family-owned business makes fine-quality wine at reasonable prices. You have arrived at Fawncrest Vineyard, where co-owners Wayne and Patricia McNeil welcome wine lovers with open arms.
The McNeil’s planted their first vines in April of 1999, and by 2005 had produced an impressive harvest where BRIX readings were a spectacular 23-24. BRIX is a system of measuring plant juice density for grape juices. A low reading, like eight on the BRIX scale, comes from sour tasting grapes produced in bad soil. Higher readings, like Fawncrest’s are indicative of sweet full-flavored grapes grown in good soil.
Patricia’s brings years of winery experience in the California Bay Area to her Texas Hill Country digs. Fawncrest tends to specialize in Bordeaux-style wines, also known as Meritage here in the New World. Additionally, Fawncrest also produces three other fine wines — Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and a Chardonnay.
According to Wayne, Chardonnay can be difficult to produce due to the unpredictable Texas weather. Yet Wayne is determined that Fawncrest will meet the challenge.
“It is our quest to make first class Chardonnay,” he declared. While the Chardonnay may be a work in progress, Fawncrest’s other selections are up to Wayne and Patricia’s exacting standards. The Meritage is a full-bodied wine that has been aged in oak and is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet grapes. The Merlot is 25 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc and 75 percent Merlot. Aged in French oak, it has retained a nice fruity flavor and is a little lighter than the Meritage. The Cabernet Franc is light, dry, and has retained nice fruit flavors from the aging process as well.
Resting in a residential area of Canyon Lake with a scenic view of the reservoir overlooking the vineyard, Fawncrest is separated into two plots — one north and another to the south. Visitors can enjoy samples of the wines as they sit in a covered breezeway enjoying the vista, which makes for a cool experience eve n in the heat of the summer. Wayne said they hold no secrets and the whole facility is open to visitors. The winery only produces about a couple of thousand cases per year, but Wayne said that is how they like it because they are literally able to keep their hands (although not their feet) in the process.
According to Wayne, the name for the vineyard came to them as they were clearing the land. He said a fawn came onto to the property and the rest, as they say, is history. Fawncrest is located on the north side of Canyon Lake at 1370 Westside Circle and if you are following the Hays-Comal County Wine Trail you are in for a little adventure.
From RR 12 go south to the Junction and turn left onto Ranch Road 12 heading west. After about five miles, take a left on Highway 484. About two miles down on FM 484, it will stop at a “T” at FM 306. There turn left on FM 306 heading west for about 1.5 miles where Cranes Mill Road will be on the left. Taking a left onto Crane’s Mill the road will wind down about a mile and on the left just past storage rental facility is Canyon Shores Road. Taking a left onto Canyon Shores Road, follow it about a tenth of a mile (this is the tricky part) where it will loop back at Cattail Drive and turn into Westside Circle. Once on Westside Circle, the winery is down the hill on the left after a couple of curves and has banner sign hanging on its fence.
For additional information, Fawncrest Vineyards can be reached at 830-935-2407 or by visiting their website at www.fawncrest.com.
Dry Comal Creek Vineyards
Found on the southern-most point of the Hays-Comal County Wine Trail is Dry Comal Creek Vineyards. Franklin Houser, a San Antonio lawyer by trade, founded this picturesque locale in 1998. Dry Comal specializes in Texas-style wines.
Winery business manager Gayle Dalton says there are some vineyards that try to mimic European, Mediterranean or Australian wines, and that’s great when they are successful. “But we’re in Texas,” she said, observing the obvious. That is precisely why Houser has taken the time to cultivate his vineyard, which is called Bonnie’s vineyard after his wife, to suit the Texas climate. The fruit of his labor is a native Texas grape called Black Spanish.
Black Spanish came to Texas by way of Spain through Mexico. Missionaries brought cuttings from Spain in the 1500s and grew the grapes to make Communion wine. Two forays in 1581 and 1598 brought the grapes to what is presently known as Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and crossed over into El Paso. Over the years the grape has matured and adapted itself to the area and grows along the Rio Grande River. Dry Comal Creek Vineyards has turned this well-cultured grape into a rich, dark, fruity, mellow, award-winning wine with “a great mouth feel” that goes down smoothly.
This is another winery that has made the grade. Dry Comal Creek Vineyards boasts a number of award-winning selections. At the 2004 Lone Star International Wine Competition, their Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot all took bronze medals, and their Black Spanish was awarded a silver medal. Aside from the awards, their bone-dry French Colombard was featured in the San Francisco Chronicle.
In December 2005, the vineyard broadened its palate and produced its first port wine˜1096 Port. Already an award-winning port, this wine is much sweeter in taste with a higher alcohol rating and is fortified. The “1096” in the name refers to the number of days it was aged.
The vineyard is in the Texas hills just west of New Braunfels at 1741 Herbelin Road off of Texas 46. The winery hosts several events through out the year, like the Grape Stomp in August and the Red, White and New event in July where they introduce their new wines. All of the events are by reservation only, but the winery is open and offers tastings and tours seven days a week from noon to 5 p.m.
If following the Hays-Comal County Wine Trail, take U.S. 281 and travel south. Exit on Texas 46 and head east, about seven miles, Herbelin Road will be on the left. Once on Herbelin Road, the winery will come into view.
For additional directions or more information about events and tours, call (830) 885-4121 or visit them on-line at www.drycomalcreek.com