3 Must-Visit Wineries For Your Next Texas Hill Country Adventure
When I went to the University of Texas (Austin) in the early 1970s, you could count the Texas Hill Country wineries on one hand.
Today, there are more than 100 with more added every year. It seems like everyone wants a piece of the action, especially along HWY 290 between Johnson City and Fredericksburg. Here are three that we find ourselves coming back to often.
So go ahead – book your visit to the Texas Hill Country. To see our cottage availability, explore our booking page and then head west and start sampling the best wine Texas has to offer!
1. William Chris Vineyards
Address: 10352 US Highway 290, Hye, Texas
Two friends – William "Bill" Blackmon and Chris Brundret – founded the winery in 2008 and each year the wines get better. Unlike many of the Hill Country wineries, William Chris uses only grapes grown in Texas.
The property is large and beautiful, you can walk through the vineyard, check out the chef-tended garden, or simply sip wine in the outdoor pavilion. There is live music in the pavilion Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
We are Hye Society Members, which allows us to book no-charge tastings in their gorgeous member’s tasting room, so if you’re a regular winery visitor, this quickly becomes a great deal. We wait for a sunny day to drive the convertible and pick up our shipments, having a tasting while we’re there. There is also a tasting room for the general public.
The cheese board is excellent – we prefer having something to nosh on while wine-tasting. They also have special events that include wine-pairing dinners, the annual Goat Roast, and a Spring Concert.
The drive from Canyon Peaks is beautiful if you follow the route to Hye, Texas through Blanco and then follow the Blanco River on FM-1623. Just before Albert Hall, turn right on Hwy 206.
🐶 Pets welcome outside, on leash.
To view William Chris’ current hours and contact information, please visit: https://www.williamchriswines.com/
2. Signor Vineyards
Address: 362 Livesay Lane (entrance on Hwy 290) Fredericksburg, TX 78624
This recent addition to Texas Hill Country wineries opened in 2018, but you’d never know it from the looks of this gorgeous 200-acre property.
This is a winery that could easily compete with the best that Napa has to offer – it’s simply gorgeous, filled with flowers, and looks like it’s been there 100 years. Two friends started the winery – John Weisinger, who founded his first winery in Oregon in 1988, and Clay Signor, who began growing grapes in Texas in 2015. Grapes are grown on 17 acres of the property, but the wine is made from a mixture of grapes from Oregon, West Texas, and the high plains.
Wines are offered by the glass and bottle, and Charcuterie Boards for sale as well. Joanna’s Market is a few steps from the winery and offers an assortment of gifts and food, similar to what you’d find at the Napa wineries. Reservations are not required, but club members get priority seating. There is live music on the patio most weekends, and it’s simply joyful to sit under the enormous oak trees sipping wine and listing to live music.
🐶 Pets welcome outside.
To view Signor’s current hours and contact information, please visit: https://www.signorvineyards.com/
3. Grape Creek Vineyard
Address: 10587 US-290 Fredericksburg, TX 78624
Grape Creek was founded in 1983 and stakes the claim as the oldest winery on HWY-290. They make our list for a couple of reasons: they have two member-only restaurants to sit down and eat, which is rare for Texas wineries, and they offer an experience to see first-hand, behind-the-scenes winemaking with a flight of wine at the end.
You’ll load onto a golf cart that seats about 12 people and take a ride across the entire estate to view the working vineyards, tour their production facilities, and taste aging wine from three types of barrels. Nice — and just $45/guest. Regular wine tastings are $30/guest.
🐶 ADA service dogs only.
To view Grape Creek’s current hours and contact information, please visit: https://www.grapecreek.com/visit/
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