New Braunfels Edition | March 2023

GUIDE

A noncomprehensive guide to wineries and bottle shops in Comal and Hays Counties

Navigating

Wines Hill Country

Duchman Family Winery

Fall Creek Vineyards

Texas ranks fth in the United States for wine production, said Colleen Miles, specialist of Texas wine and Texas State University professor. Estimated at $13 billion, the industry in Texas brings in tourists to its approximate 4,500 acres of vineyards. The Dripping Springs area, known as the gateway to the Hill Country, has become a travel destination thanks to wineries with tourists visiting vineyards, hotels, and local businesses. The Hill Country is an American Viticultural Area, a wine-growing region designated by U.S. Department of Treasury. The area was designated in 1991 and serves as a tourism hub for Texas. The grapes grown in this area are typically harvested in early summer due to being unable to survive the Texas heat. Geographically, the area is characterized by its hills, which feature limestone and sandstone outcrops, several types of soil and moderate rainfall. The rst vineyard planted in the Texas Hill Country was Fall Creek Vineyards in 1975, according to the winery. However, grapes were rst grown in Texas in 1682, planted by Spanish missionaries near El Paso about a century before California. To determine what is a Texas wine, there are four designations that a bottle can be labeled with. For the AVA label to be listed on the bottle, it must have used at least 85% of local grapes. For a vineyard to use its own label, 95% of grapes must have come from the vineyard. To label the bottle as a Texas wine requires 75% of the grapes to be from Texas.

ELLE BENTCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Hamilton Pool Vineyards

Dry Comal Creek

COURTESY HAMILTON POOL VINEYARDS

COURTESY MIRANDA LAINE PHOTOGRAPHY

DRIFTWOOD 1 Driftwood Estate Winery 4001 Elder Hill Road, Driftwood Hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. daily Established: 1998 www.driftwoodwine.com 2 Duchman Family Winery 13308 FM 150 W., Driftwood Hours: Mon. noon-6 p.m., Tue.-Thu. noon-7 p.m., Fri.-Sat. noon-8 p.m., Sun. noon-7 p.m., closed Wed. Established: 2004 Sun. noon-5 p.m. Established: 1975 www.fcv.com 4 Wimberley Valley Winery 2825 Lone Man Mountain Road, Driftwood Hours: daily 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Established: 2010 www.wimberleyvalleywine.com DRIPPING SPRINGS 5 Bell Springs Winery 3700 Bell Springs Road, Dripping Springs Hours: Wed.-Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m., www.duchmanwinery.com 3 Fall Creek Vineyards 18059 A FM 1826, Driftwood Hours: Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-7 p.m.,

6 Hamilton Pool Vineyards 25711 Hamilton Pool Road, Dripping Springs Hours: Thu.-Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m., closed Mon.-Wed. Established: 1999 www.hamiltonpoolvineyards.com 7 Hawk’s Shadow Estate Winery and Vineyard 7500 McGregor Lane, Dripping Springs Hours: Thu.-Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.,

Hours: Thu.-Mon. noon-6 p.m. Established: 1998 www.drycomalcreekvineyards.com 12 The Grapevine 1612 Hunter Road, New Braunfels Hours: Sun.-Thu. 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Established: 1995 www.grapevineingruene.com

13 La Cruz de Comal Wines 7405 FM 2722, New Braunfels Hours: Sat.-Sun. noon-6 p.m. Closed Mon.-Fri. Established: 2004 www.lacruzdecomalwines.com 14 Winery on the Gruene 1308 Gruene Road, New Braunfels Hours: Mon.-Thu. 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. noon-6 p.m. Established: 2010 www.gruenewinery.com SPRING BRANCH 15 Kai Simone Winery 7590 Old Spring Branch Road, Spring Branch Hours: Sat.-Sun. 1 5 p.m. Established: 2019 www.kaisimonewinery.com 16 Pontita Vineyard and Winery 11490 Rebecca Creek Road, Spring Branch Hours: Thu.-Fri. 6 8 p.m., Sat.-Sun. noon-8 p.m. Established: 2013 www.pontitawine.org

closed Mon.-Wed. Established: 2010 www.hawksshadow.com 8 Henly Vineyards

La Cruz de Comal Wines

ERIC WEILBACHERCOMMUNITY IMPACT

1171 Windy Hills Road, Dripping Springs Hours: Sat. 11 a.m.-6 p.m., closed Sun.-Fri. Established: 2012 www.henlyvineyards.com 9 Solaro Estate Winery 13111 Silver Creek Road, Dripping Springs Hours: Sun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Thu. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.,

WIMBERLEY 17 Hill Country Wine Shoppe 114 Wimberley Square, Ste. B, Wimberley Hours: Sun.-Wed. noon-5 p.m., Thu.-Fri. noon-8 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Established: 2008 www.hillcountrywineshoppe.com 18 Limestone Terrace Vineyard 101 Rocky Meadow Lane, Wimberley Hours: Thu. 3 6 p.m., Fri.-Mon. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Established: 2016 www.limestoneterrace.com 19 Seventh Son Vineyards 5424 Fischer Store Road, Wimberley Hours: Sat.-Sun. 1 6 p.m. Established: 2022 www.seventhsonvineyards.com

closed Tue.-Wed. Established: 2009 https://solaroestate.com

10 Summer Revival Wine Co. 665 W. Hwy. 290, Dripping Springs Hours: daily noon-7 p.m. Established: 2022 www.summerrevivalwineco.com NEW BRAUNFELS 11 Dry Comal Creek 1741 Herbelin Road, New Braunfels

closed Mon.-Tue. Established: 2010 www.bellspringswinery.com

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