The Wineslinger Chronicles: Are You Ready for Artificial Intelligence To Pick Your Texas Wines?
Russ Kane, VintageTexas.com
An age old question that I’ve been asked throughout my three decades of wine writing and talking to the public about Texas wines is… What are the best Texas wines? People asked me this even though they realize that I have not tasted every Texas wine there is to be tasted. Now, like it or not, we are entering the age of Artificial Intelligence. Or, as nearly everybody now says, AI. I was wondering how AI might influence the quest to find the best Texas wines.
I started my quest by asking ChatGPT simply, “What are the best Texas wines in 2025?”, and this is what I received in return. It first asked back, “Looking for the standout Texas wines of 2025? And, then ventured off with “Here’s a curated list of award-winners and a few local favorites gaining buzz.” Please note that I have included a few comments from VintageTexas and also added photos and the links myself.
Here are the Top Award-Winning Texas Wines of 2025 as selected by ChatGPT:
Singing Water Vineyards – Best Cabernet Sauvignon (USA)
In a historic first, Singing Water Vineyards—just north of San Antonio—was named the best Cabernet Sauvignon of 2025 by the San Francisco Chronicle, surpassing renowned California producers. This oak-aged blend represents a major milestone for Texas wine.
VintageTexas – Just to provide some background to this ChatGPT selection, this award winning wine was not made from Texas grapes. Its grapes came from Alexander Valley, California. So, I’ll leave it is up to you if you want to call this a Texas wine or a California wine. Nevertheless, their winemaker, Patrick Johnson, is the real deal. Patrick has made some of the best, if not The Best, Texas Cabernet Sauvignon that has ever been made while winemaker at Blue Mountain Vineyards in Fort Davis in the 1980s and early 1990s.
If you want to score a bottle of the award winning wine from Singling Water if it still exists, you’ll have to join their wine club or visit Cypress Grille or Peggy’s on the Green in Boerne, or you might find it at Kirby’s Steakhouse and Chama Gaucha Brazilian Steakhouse in San Antonio. Plan on dropping a C-note or thereabouts on this wine.
Kiepersol Winery – Top Texas Winery at Rodeo Uncorked!
Kiepersol Winery earned the prestigious “Top Texas Winery 2025” title at the Houston Rodeo Uncorked! Competition. Their medal haul:
- Gold: 2020 Barrel No. 33 (Reserve & Texas Class Champion), 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon (Texas Class Champion)
- Silver: 2018 Power, 2020 Syrah
- Bronze: 2023 Flight, 2023 Steen
VintageTexas – Kiepersol’s wines are definitely first rate and come from their estate winery in an unexpected place… Tyler, Texas. Personally, I tend to like their Syrahs and, of course, their Barrel No. 33. This category in the Houston Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition is not scored based on a specific point system for the winery itself. Instead, it is awarded based on the performance of the winery’s wines in the competition. The winery with the highest number of medals and/or the highest-scoring wines across all categories is typically recognized as the “Best Texas Winery”.
Duchman Family Winery, Pedernales Cellars & Spicewood Vineyards – San Francisco International Competition
At the 2025 San Francisco International Wine Competition:
- Duchman Family Winery: Double Gold for their 2023 Roussanne and Vermentino; Gold for Aglianico and Montepulciano .
- Pedernales Cellars: Gold for 2020 Canted County Tempranillo Reserva; multiple Silver medals, including for GSM, Viognier, and Rosé .
- Spicewood Vineyards: Gold for Red Label Tempranillo and Cinsault Rosé .
VintageTexas – These wineries make up 3/4 of Texas Wine Fine Group that collectively market as Texas Fine Wine organized by wine expert and marketing maven, Denise Clarke. Don’t forget to include the other 1/4, Bending Branch Winery. Lots to savor here. More information at: www.texasfinewine.com. If these wines don’t make you stand up and shout “Texas is the Mediterranean of the USA”, you just aren’t a lover of fine wines.
FireSky Vineyard – Multiple Accolades
FireSky Vineyards claimed several medals: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition 2025: Double Gold for their “Kate” red blend and Picpoul Blanc; Silver for Tempranillo; Bronze for “Susan” red blend . Local recognition: Winner of the People’s Choice Award at Lubbock Uncorked .
VintageTexas – You might not be familiar with this relatively new winery started by Jeff Ratliff and Bret Jackson grew up in Arizona. Their careers brought them to Texas. Once here, recognizing the quality of wine that has developed over the years in Texas, they decided to a make career change with the goal to create premium Texas wine from Texas’s finest grapes and winemakers.
Community Wine Favorites & Emerging Gems
- William Chris / The Grower Project (“The Source” Sangiovese 2019)
A Redditor praised it for its compelling profile:
“Black cherry, dried herbs, vanilla and tomato leaf on the nose. Cherry, pomegranate, cinnamon and cedar on the palate. Medium plus body, high acid, high tannin.” - Pedernales Tempranillo vs Hill Country vs High Plains
Reviewers note compelling contrasts across AVAs—earthy, leathery, and complex in the High Plains; juicier, fruit-forward in Hill Country . - Texan Cabernet Treasures
- Regional Picks
Across Reddit threads, users continue recommending:- William Chris for consistency,
- Bending Branch for tasty reds ,
- Pedernales, Signor Winery, Perissos, Hilmy, Saint Tryphon, and Calais for quality and distinct varietal wines.
VintageTexas – This last listing of wines and winery from ChatGPT cuts a large swath across the Texas wine scene and hits on some of the best in the business today.
For more information on CharGPT, click here.
Lead image is from https://deepdreamgenerator.com/tags/wine
Be the first to comment