October is Texas Wine month so it’s the ideal time to hit the Texas Wine Trail. Marika Flatt, lifestyle editor for Texas Lifestyle Magazine, has a special blend of wineries for you to visit this weekend.
Texas Fine Wine is a little known group of four highly respected wineries recognized for making quality wines from Texas appellation vineyards, setting the highest standards in the Texas wine industry. Jeff Ogle general manager at Duchman Family Winery – one of the four – explains the high bar set for these wineries saying, “Our goal isn’t to be a good Texas wine its to be a world-class wine.” Those in the Texas Fine Wine group compete at an international level.
From Central Texas, head towards Driftwood and visit Duchman, an attractive Mediterranean-style winery located just down the road from the famed Salt Lick. Duchman is really about making quality over quantity. It is the largest 100 percent Texas-grape winery, with most of their grapes coming from the high plains.
After a tasting there, head down highway 290 towards Fredericksburg. Pedernales Cellers owners Julie and Frederick Kuhlken saw the vision and the need to feature Old World tradition mixed with modern innovation.
4.0 Cellars off of Highway 290 features wines from three vineyards including Brennan, and offers a Texas cheese and wine experience.