3 Texas Wine Towns You Can't Miss

Photos by Gary Crow

Texas wine has come of age. Ranked fifth in the country in production, both the wine and the wine tourism business have evolved tremendously in the past decade. The welcome mat is out and the pours are worthy of a winery road trip.

Grapevine

The appropriately-named town just seven miles north of DFW International airport is home to the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association and the upcoming GrapeFest 30th annual celebration of all things wine. The festival includes the largest consumer-judged wine competition in the nation, according to Lee Lyons with the Grapevine Convention and Visitors Bureau. Wines available for sampling during the four-day event will also include varietals from California's Central Coast and from Australia's Barossa Valley. The festival runs from Sept. 15-18.

Even if you can't make it to GrapeFest, Grapevine is still a smart first stop on your Texas wine tour. Besides easy access to the airport, Grapevine offers a diverse downtown shopping area, with an interesting assortment of antiques and specialty shops like Dr. Sue's Chocolate, where you are encouraged to indulge for the sake of your health. Food choices include Mac's on Main for delicious steaks and seafood and Tolbert's Restaurant and Chili Parlor.

Beyond the wine, there is food. Lots of food. From gourmet burgers to pizza to Texas barbecue, the choices are mind-boggling. A stop at Opa's Smoked Meats is an almost obligatory event when visiting Fredericksburg. Have a sandwich between wine tastings or just stop for sausage to take home.

The favorite non-food or wine activity in the area is a stop at Wildseed Farms where you can shop for everything from apparel to garden décor.

From Fredericksburg, it's an easy hour and half to Austin's Bergstrom Airport or four hours back to DFW along Highway 16 and U.S. 281, where you'll find some of the state's best barbecue-but that's a whole other story.

---

For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.

Topics From This Article to Explore