North Texas wines took flight last Saturday with a special showcase of 12 local producers. DFW wine fans, you came and saw and sipped. From bold reds to crisp aromatic whites to only-in-Texas oddball blends, there was wine aplenty for all y’all Texas wine lovers.
The host was the North Texas Wine Country trade organization. The venue was the Smithsonian-affiliated Frontiers of Flight Museum, just a short hop from Dallas Love Field. In the cool, cavernous hangar–once the original terminal for 1970s startup Southwest Airlines–drinkers sniffed and swirled under the wings of over 30 historic aircraft and spacecraft.
Texas doesn’t export much wine out of state–not because it’s no good, as some have spuriously suggested–but because Texans are a proud lot and we’re happy to drink almost 100% of the state’s total production. If you’re new to Texas (or to Texas wines), industry showcases like this one are an efficient way to get an overview of local styles.
Some of the participating wineries are already well-known to DFW winos. Landon Winery and Messina Hof have multiple locations, including in nearby Grapevine. I was also happy to see Eden Hill, who delighted us on a recent visit to their Celina winery and who now have a tasting room at the Dallas Farmers Market.
Other Texas winemakers came from further afield, including the edges of the Metroplex and reaching up toward the Oklahoma border. The most recently formed Texas winegrowing region (Texoma AVA, 2005) was represented by a whole cluster of emerging wineries: 4R Ranch, Blue Ostrich, Rancho Sereno, 5 Fifty-Five, and Red River Wines.
A Wine Warrior Starts Early
I was there bright and early when the doors opened at 10 AM. I had pre-ordered tickets via Eventbrite ($38). In the vestibule, I grabbed my wristband, souvenir glass, and badge (which was also the tasting ticket). Each pass was good for 24 tastings–two per winery–and a BBQ bite from Ten50. Additional pours were available for sale by the glass and bottle.
All-day wine tasting requires strategy. Well, it doesn’t technically require strategy–but strategy is advisable. We took a Lyft to the museum, ate a light breakfast, and hydrated to make sure we’d have the fortitude to get through all the wines on Saturday’s lineup.
I like to begin with whites and rosé, then move on to reds and dessert wines. (This necessitates visiting every booth twice–but that’s easy to do when you get an early start.) I also keep a section in my notepad for each winery, so I can remember what I tasted and where. My notes didn’t survive totally unscathed (there may have been a mid-day swirling mishap), but I’m confident that I got the info I needed and kept it reasonably organized.
Helpfully, Drink North Texas provided a standardized menu for each winery. These were displayed on easels to the side of each booth.
The signs expedited service immensely when things got busy. Not too much “Do you have reds or whites, are they sweet or dry, how much is a glass?” chatter at the front of every line. Just read the list, figure out what you want, get it poured, step aside and enjoy. It was a brilliant way to keep the wine flowing. (And it made note-taking a breeze, too.)
Another fun wine-tasting hack? Booth attendants were using spray bottles to rinse glasses. I hadn’t seen this before–but in a crowded space it’s a great way to get a clean pour without risky swirling or filling up the dump buckets too quickly.
Let’s Taste North Texas
But that’s enough about processes–how about the wine? With the exception of a couple of sparkling wines, all of the bottles at Saturday’s tasting were from 100% Texas grapes. Styles were varied and every producer showed both red and white wines. The Texas High Plains AVA is the most important grape-growing region statewide, but there were also some estate-grown North Texas wines in the mix.
Albarino (in Texas it’s often–but not always–spelled without the ñ) was a top contender for Grape of the Hour. Eden Hill’s excellent expression ($29), backed up by solid versions from 4R Ranch and Edge of the Lake, makes the argument that this refreshing, fragrant wine should be your go-to summer white.
Other white grapes to watch: Texas Viognier is getting better all the time. Picpoul Blanc has made its debut at some of the wineries. And the white Rhône grape Roussanne seems to have found its niche in Texas as a neutral, food-friendly alternative to dry Chardonnay. (Not a cloud nor a Chard was in sight on this sunny Saturday.)
Tempranillo, the heat-tolerant Spanish variety that’s found a second home in the Texas panhandle, was also showing strong. Almost every producer had at least one Tempranillo on deck. Noticeably–encouragingly–consumers seemed both familiar with and accepting of this promising grape.
Texas winemakers love to experiment, and no two Tempranillos tasted the same. Chill it, blend it, barrel it (or not)–let’s pull all the levers and see what happens! Ingenuity shone in the Bourbon Barrel Tempranillo ($65) from 5 Fifty-Five, and the short-maceration, light-bodied “Krista’s Red” ($32) from Red River Wines.
Other reds? There was some good Cabernet Sauvignon scattered around the room, along with single-varietal Tannat, Petit Verdot, and Monastrell. Lone Star Cellars brought the oldest wine in the room, the 2016 “Big Red” (reserve Cabernet, $69) that was starting to show some yummy dried fruit and leather. Among the new reds, our tastebuds perked up for a smoky, Rhône-ish 2023 Estate Grenache ($41) from Edge of the Lake, and the fruit-forward dry “Ranch Red” blend ($29) from 4R Ranch.
Hybrids were sparse, but one producer (Wintergrass Vineyard) was pouring a Lenoir ($15.60) with appealing fresh black fruits and spice. (Maybe I could be accused of rooting for the underdog too much, but I like the taste of this scrappy Southern grape. I’d love to throw this bottle as a joker into a blind tasting–a Syrah tasting, maybe–and see what people have to say about it.)
The biggest surprise was arguably found among the rosés. There were lots of easy-drinking, chilled pink wines–it’s summer in Texas, after all. But the one that captured my wife’s heart was a floral and tangy chimera of a rosé from Wintergrass ($27). It’s a blend of Sangiovese and Gewurtztraminer–a concotion that the winemaker cheerfully admitted was created by mistake when two barrels got mixed that nominally shouldn’t have been. Oopsie!
As we sipped and strolled, podcasters from We Know Texas Vino were live-casting interviews with winemakers and founders. Vendors of local honey, jewelry, flowers, and chocolates were peddling their wares. As the afternoon continued, the room filled up and a jazz band began to play.
Representatives from Texas’s office of the Agriculture Commissioner were in the house with themed bottle openers, pens, and pamphlets (“ag swag”). I grabbed a couple of things including a cute canvas tote and some informative booklets. The pamphlets are full of details about Texas soil, climates, grape varieties, wine pairings…definitely gonna curl up with those and nerd out when I get a little free time.
There was so much happening on the ground that it was hard to remember to look up! But the entry ticket included access to all the Frontiers of Flight Museum’s ground-floor and second-floor exhibits. The museum’s historical aviation treasures include rare examples of military and commercial aircraft, and provide a unique backdrop to cultural events.
Messina Hof understood the assignment and brought along several of their World War II-themed Museum Collection wines, including “Operation Iceberg” ($30). A proprietary white blend, it expresses citrus, tropical fruit, and honeyed florals with a crisp, lightly grassy finish. It was our favorite Messina Hof pour alongside their reliable semi-dry Muscat Canelli ($25) and their almond-flavored sparkler ($35).
See You Next Time
Drink North Texas was a fun and friendly weekend event in a nifty local venue. Open from 10 AM to 8 PM, the festival offered ample time to chitchat with winemakers and sample the best wines our region has to offer.
Whether you’re in the wine trade or an enthusiast, it’s hard to beat the convenience of tasting all of these diverse Texas wines under one roof. Drink North Texas is new-ish to Dallas and we’re excited to see it so well-attended. Grab your calendar: Their next North Texas event is the Gainesville Wine & Country Festival slated for November 22, 2025 in Gainesville, Texas.
I should add that the North Texas Wine Country association also organizes a Spring Wine Trail! This is a month-long, self-guided tasting event during which you can drop in on your favorite wineries and sample their spring releases. The 2025 Spring Wine Trail wrapped up on June 1, but you can bet we’ll be reporting on it in 2026.
Each participating winery’s website is posted below, in case you’re feeling inspired to pay them a visit. (Psst…while you’re there, why not play some Texas Winery Bingo?)
Until next time, cheers y’all! 🍷
Participating wineries (alphabetical):
5 Fifty-Five Vineyard and Winery
Blue Ostrich Winery and Vineyard
The Vineyards at Rancho Sereno
What: Drink North Texas Wine Festival (May 31, 2025)
Where: Frontiers of Flight Museum, 6911 Lemmon Ave, Dallas, TX 75209
How much: $38 advance, $48 day of event
Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.
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