Text and photos below provided by Kristen O’Brien, Public Relations Manager Big Thirst Marketing: Texas Hills Vineyard, originally founded by Gary and Kathy Gilstrap in 1995, was purchased by entrepreneurial brothers Jim and John Mueller […]
Comments below from Wedding Oak Winery’s winemaker Van Johnson were provided by, Jennifer Swanson, Public Relations Manager, BIG THIRST MARKETING: The 2024 wine harvest season is underway for Wedding Oak Winery in Texas, and we’re […]
A couple weeks ago, I was driving through Comfort, Texas, and to my left I saw an old friend. It was a friend that I first met in 2008 at the Newsom family’s Rock’n-N B&B […]
About a decade ago, Duchman Family Winery and its winemaker Dave Reilly made quite a statement with a wine that was made from a nearly unknown grape to most Texans – Vermentino. It was grown […]
Out of the bottle and in the glass, this Sangiovese quickly shows its color and medium-plus density, and then releases its red cherry, dusty earth, green herbs and toasted oak aromas. It’s complex and I have even tasted it yet. On the palate it is crisp and lively, with clean acidity and flavors of dried red cherry, cola and a sauté of wild mushrooms. […]
We also discussed how to identify some of the more common Texas native grape varieties in the wild. Now, we are moving on to the roles of Texas native grapevines in history up to modern day, and finishing with how to grow them. […]
In the wild, grapes can hang on the vine between June and October, and in some cases, can remain on the vine into winter. They are moisture and sugar laden and an energy-rich food. Native grapes like European varieties can be consumed by wildlife & humans. Their juice provides a refreshing drink, pleasing jellies and jams, and can also be fermented to make wine. The taste of native grapes varies from what you might expect from European wine grapes, but their role in viticulture is important especially today in Texas. […]
With this year’s hot weather grape stomping time in the Texas hill country is coming a bit early. So, get your “feetsies” ready to do some stomping at these already scheduled events. […]
Denise says, “‘It’s a cruel, cruel summer.’ The song got it right this year with the sweltering summer heat doing a number on the vineyards. Thankfully, a cooler-than-normal and wet spring got things off to a great start for our vineyards across the state. […]
From memory, the Texas Hills Vineyard story as first told to me by Gary Gilstrap was punctuated with this… “We have many hills but only one vineyard.” This is how I always remembered that the name of the Gilstrap’s winery was Texas Hills Vineyard and was NOT Texas Hill Vineyards. […]