The Wine Fairy

It was an exciting day for wine producers from Texas and beyond: Medal day! After a one-day qualifying round, the Lone Star International Wine Competition judges reconvened on Thursday morning to choose the best of the best. There were still dozens of wines in the running, and many potential medals to be awarded: Gold, Double Gold, and the coveted Best in Category and Grand Star titles.

Now in its 42nd year, LSIWC is the oldest wine competition in Texas. It’s organized and produced by the Texas Wine & Grape Growers Association. The purpose is to recognize and celebrate quality winemaking in Texas and the rest of the world.

Entries came from 60 companies and included more than 300 individual wines. Although wines from any state or country are eligible for entry, in practice a large percentage are from Texas producers.

Thursday’s judging panel (there were 18 in total) were diverse in their skills and realms of experience. There were sommeliers, buyers, winemakers, writers and podcasters, and other veterans of the wine industry.

Then there was me–Texas wine blogger and incurable wine nerd. This competition was my wine-judging debut. When invited to participate, I eagerly said yes!

But before I share my story of the day, let me offer my congratulations to the 2025 Lone Star medalists. The Best in Category and Grand Star winner lists are now available on TWGGA’s website. I’ve highlighted the Grand Star honorees (and their producers) later in this post. I’ve also included some humble observations about what’s currently standing out to me in the world of Texas wines.

As always, this blog reflects the personal opinions of a wine enthusiast (me) and is not published or endorsed by any other organization.

Wine? At This Hour?

Judging at LSIWC takes place over two days. The medal-qualifying round was Wednesday (June 11), and the top prizes were decided on Thursday (June 12). I was only available on the second day so I didn’t taste any of the wines that were eliminated in the first round–a fact that my fellow judges endlessly ribbed me about.

There’s also a Label Design contest at Lone Star. The label art is judged independently from the bottles’ contents, and the winners are chosen by a separate team of commercial design specialists.

I arrived at the Grapevine Convention Center early in the morning. I was on my best wine-tasting behavior, trying to make sure nothing got in the way of perceiving the wines accurately: No coffee (ugh), no lipstick (double ugh), chugging water in the car to try and stay hydrated.

After a quick breakfast, it was time to get down to business. 9 AM rolled around and the horseshoe-shaped bench of judges took our seats. Meanwhile, volunteers from the Grapevine Wine Pouring Society took their places in a back room, setting up each wine flight for the panel of judges.

It takes an army of people to get through hundreds of wines in a timely manner. Carts were rolling through every corridor and burgundy-vested helpers were in every corner. The room was a swarm of activity: People rounding up glasses, emptying dump buckets, counting ballots, and opening bottles backstage.

Judges were provided with plenty of still and sparkling water, snacks, and a catered breakfast and lunch. And crackers…lots of crackers. (Tasters and pourers take their breaks separately to help maintain the integrity of the blind tasting.) At the end of the day, I also got a grab bag of Silver Medal bottles that I will be uncorking and writing about here on the blog.

Every year there are a few hundred wines in the running at Lone Star. Entrants choose the most relevant category for their wines, and bottles are grouped by general style. They’re shipped to a climate-controlled wine locker in Southlake, Texas and stored securely until the day of the competition. Judges taste white wine with other white wine, reds with reds, same/similar varietals together.

There’s a scorecard for each group of wines. Columns for each entry give the variety, the percentage (if it’s a blend), the alcohol percentage (ABV), and the residual sugar in grams. These last two bits of info are really helpful for preparing your palate for what you’re about to taste. It’s hard to notice much else about a wine when it’s way sweeter or way different in alcohol strength than you expected it to be.

As judges, we evaluate each wine without knowing the region of origin, the producer, or the price. (Or the vintage–but medals are a marketing tool for producers, so you can bet that they will enter their most recent bottlings.)

Judging is fast. You have to stay focused and sober as you sample from glass after glass. There is math…more mental arithmetic than I’ve done since grade school.

As this is Day 2 (the medal round) there are no really bad wines on the table at this stage. But there are assertive wines and clingy wines. You have to find a moment to reset your palate and keep going.

With the help of volunteers from the Grapevine Wine Pouring Society, the judging panel turned into a coordinated wine-tasting machine. The wines came out in groups of three to eight. As judges, our task was to smell, swirl, taste, spit, and score. Each wine was graded on five dimensions of quality: Appearance, Aroma, Body, Taste, and Finish.

We powered through about ten flights of wine (I lost count after I turned in my score sheets). We took a quick break for lunch, then returned for three more flights. All the hard work was done by just before 2 PM.

When the tasting concluded, the scores were aggregated by the record-keeping panel, with minimum scoring thresholds assigned to each medal class. The “grape counters” instructed the judges to stay put in case we needed to re-taste any wines to resolve a tie. (Although on this occasion there weren’t any ties in the final round.)

All About the Wines

Without talking about scoring directly, I can say there were very good wines in all of the categories. The Cabernet and red blend flights were particularly competitive, with many strong entries this year. I tasted a lot of blended dry whites and herbal, savory rosés from Rhône varieties, which are definitely emerging trends in Texas winemaking.

Judging across so many styles–many of them idiosyncratic Texas styles–is challenging. It’s nothing like doing, say, a regional tasting or a vertical tasting, where the wines are more similar than they are different and all you need to do is notice the differences.

In contrast, Lone Star International has dozens of varieties vinified in very disparate ways, from sweet to dry to just plain quirky. You’re looking for typicity while also keeping your mind open to originality. You’re sipping and sniffing for defects–but absent any faults, you’re searching for that elusive thing called quality. Sometimes it’s hard to define.

Yeah, I was nervous. Especially at the start of the day. I was in the company of many experts and well-established members of North Texas’s wine community. And although I had wine pals in the room, my heart was beating hard as I took my seat in front of my badge and three-ring binder.

I’ve been studying and writing about wine for a little while now, but helping hand out medals was a whole ‘nother level. I worried: Will I recognize the varieties and styles well enough to judge them fairly? Will I blend in with the industry pros? Will I be able to use the spit cups without wine dribbling down my chin?

As far as I can tell, the answer to all three ending up being “yes.” Everybody was gracious and helpful. The judging began, and I hit my stride as the endless carts of wine glasses continued to rattle toward me throughout the morning.

The score cards were turned in. The results were tabulated. A short time later, a partition slid back in the conference center’s ballroom and the winning bottles were unveiled.

An hour-long reception followed with the judges, the Wine Pouring Society, and members of the local press finally free to mingle. We re-visited wines and advocated for our favorite winners (and runners-up). We sipped and sparred jovially over this wine’s merits or that one’s.

I had the opportunity to taste the Gold Medal and higher wines twice: First (blind) during the judging portion of the day, and again (non-blind) after voting was closed.

It’s a joy to recognize a wine that you scored highly while tasting it for a second time, from the winners’ table. It’s also fun to circle back to a winning wine that didn’t initially dazzle you, and try to be persuaded by what someone else sees in it.

The Lone Star panel had the pleasure of awarding lots of medals: 7 Grand Star, 28 Best in Category, 5 Double Gold, 79 Gold, 201 Silver, and 27 Bronze, to be exact.

However, there was no freakin’ way I was able to take notes on all of those, so I’ve limited my comments here to the seven top prizes (six wines + label design).

Here’s details and pricing (where available) for each of the Grand Star bottles from Lone Star 2025:

Grand Star White: Duchman Family Grape Growers BBQ White (NV)

Yep, Texans love their BBQ (and BBQ wines)! The judges’ favorite white wine was revealed to be an unoaked dry white blend from the Hill Country’s Duchman Family Winery. Grape Growers BBQ White is a crisp, versatile table wine with notes of citrus, peach, light minerality and florals. This was a stunning repeat victory for BBQ White, which also won the Grand Star White award in 2024. 100% Texas grapes, proprietary blend of Mediterranean varieties. $24

Grand Star Red: McGrail Vineyards A Jó Élet “The Good Life” Cabernet Sauvignon (2021)

The field was crowded with solid reds, but a California Cabernet prevailed to take home the top award. “The Good Life” Cab hails from McGrail Vineyards in the Livermore Valley, an AVA that sits in between the San Francisco Bay Area and the Central Valley.

This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon stood out to me during judging and I was happy to splash it into my glass at the reception. Full-bodied and deeply expressive of Cabernet, it’s a real mouthful with vibrant dark berries, powerful structure, and exotic spices. Past vintages saw ~30 months in new Hungarian oak and that may be the case here, too. The only real flaw I can find in this Cab is that it’s not from Texas. $59

Grand Star Rosé/Blush: Augusta Vin “Ver Tempore” (Spring) Rosé

The lightest and brightest from Augusta Vin‘s Four Seasons Rosés collection. There are four seasonally-inspired wines in the series, ranging from feather-light to dark and spicy. Very dry on the palate, Ver Tempore (Spring) exhibits fresh strawberry, citrus, and a hint of tropical fruit.

According to their website, Augusta’s rosés are mostly produced via the saignée method. (Thus, the grape varieties used are the same as in their reds and may include Counoise, Tempranillo, Aglianico, Grenache, Sangiovese, Malbec, and Montepulciano.) Augusta Vin also received Best in Category medals for their Tannat and their Albarino.

I reached out to Augusta Vin for pricing and availability for the Ver Tempore Rosé. It is exclusive to the winery store and currently only sold as part of a bundle of all of the Four Seasons Rosés ($120).

Grand Star Dessert: Bruno & George Other Than Standard Raisin Wine (NV)

A traditional raisined wine from a generations-old Sicilian family recipe. Bruno & George have been making this unique unfortified dessert wine for more than two decades. (Think Tawny Port, but fruitier.) Gorgeous intense marigold color. Golden raisin, apricot, and candied orange aromas give way to wild honey, cereal grains, and a short, lightly spicy finish. At 16.2% ABV it’s plenty sweet but not cloying.

Dried fruit wines were illegal to make in Texas for many decades. (Under federal statute, they still must be labeled “Other Than Standard” or “Substandard” wines if the alcohol exceeds 14%). For a nifty nugget of Texas wine history, read about how Bruno & George proprietor Shawn Bruno successfully petitioned for the repeal of the state ban on raisin wine in 1999.

While technically a non-vintage wine, every bottling is subtlely different and this year’s Raisin Wine stood out as an extra-special batch. The judges have spoken and declare this dessert wine anything but “substandard”!

Bruno & George’s Raisin Wine is available at their Sour Lake, Texas tasting room. (Appointments recommended–message them on Facebook for current hours.) Some of their wines are also stocked at Spec’s Liquors stores in and around the Houston area.

Grand Star Fruit/Other: Barefoot “Fruitscato” Peach (NV)

There are surprises at every competition and this was one of them. A Millennial-pink, lightly sweet, peach-flavored still wine was placed in front of the judges, and enough of us rated Barefoot Peach Fruitscato highly for it to take the top prize in the “Fruit/Other” category.

At $8, it’s an entry-level wine (to put it kindly). But the peach flavor is not egregiously artificial and it’s got lots of pretty florals from the Moscato base. Many of us sheepishly admitted we would drink this Gallo guzzler on the patio on a hot day (Well-chilled, mixed in a spritzer, or served over ice, of course.) The Apple Fruitscato–another medalist in the “Fruit/Other” field of play–is decent, too.

Grand Star Sparkling Wine : Carter Creek Winery Sparkling Tempranillo (NV)

Texas Tempranillo ascended to the top of the podium at Lone Star–but only in rosé form. The winning sparkler was a focused, effortlessly enjoyable tank-method rosé of Tempranillo.

Carter Creek Winery‘s Tempranillo Rose is bottled at 1.3g residual sugar–which is bordering on bone-dry and comparable to Brut Nature champagne in sweetness. It shows clean red berry against a backbone of high acidity and tickly bubbles. It’s made from whole-cluster Tempranillo (100%) without a trace of oxidation or off flavors.

I found the Sparkling Tempranillo a simple and refreshing summer bevvie–though the bold and velvety beauty of Tempranillo doesn’t really come through in a rosé, IMHO. The grapes come from Lahey Vineyards near Brownfield, Texas (Texas High Plains AVA). $35

Grand Star Label Design: Long Cork Merlot (2022)

The judges’ favorite label was a vertical cork design that adorns Long Cork Merlot (from Walla Walla, Washington) and mirrors the wine’s extra-long natural cork closure. The winning entry was created by Sara Nelson Design.

Three Takeaways from Lone Star 2025

Milling around the conference center with other Texas wine enthusiasts, there was a palpable sense of excitement in the air. Something is happening with Texas wines…but we don’t know what it is just yet.

There was speculation. There were friendly debates. Money and talent is pouring into the wine business here–we can all see that.

But a lot will depend on what consumers want…and that’s arguably harder to predict than what industry folks want. We’re still waiting to see what will become the emergent and defining wine styles of Texas.

The suspense is killing me. And so, when I’m at a Texas wine event, I’m always trying to taste the wind as well as the wine–looking for trends that just might grow into something more. Here’s my snail’s-eye view of three patterns that may affect the future of Texas wine:

Tannic reds on the rise: I’m a longtime fan of Texas Sangiovese and Tempranillo, and a handful of each did appear in the finals. However, a bunch of the best wines in the 2025 entry pool were Cabs and Bordeaux-style reds.

Petit Verdot did some heavy lifting, with generous doses serving to ratchet up acidity and tannins in the blends. Texas-grown Tannat had a lot of advocates among the judges. And keep your eye out for heat-tolerant, thick-skinned varieties from Portugal and Southern Italy as blending partners in Texas wines. (These can help compensate for the early picking of international varieties that’s necessitated by our climate.) Souzão, Touriga Nacional, and Nero d’Avola had cameos as important components of various red-wine entries.

Will Texans lose their taste for soft, sweet, and fruity reds? Eh, probably not. But a lot more producers are playing around with strong tannic structure and it’s kind of exciting.

Blend, baby, blend: Blending is such an important part of the winemaker’s craft. It’s often necessary in order to add complexity and overcome imbalances in a wine. Single-varietal wines have a certain clarity and romance about them–but if it doesn’t taste great in the glass, then all bets are off.

That goes double in Texas, where the weather is crazy unpredictable from year to year. On the second day of the competition, a sizeable number of the dry wines were blends of three or more types of grapes. Many of these blends showed layers of flavors that can be harder to achieve with just one variety. Among white wines, the top prize went to a non-vintage blend of multiple white grapes from the Texas High Plains.

Yes, consumers often shop by variety and trust varietal wines. Varietal wines are good at delivering the expected. But as wine education becomes more accessible, more producers may feel good about experimenting with blended styles–both new and classic–that can nonetheless be sold at premium prices.

Chillin’ and grillin’: Wine in Texas is often a casual thing. Wine competes with beer and margaritas. We like our wine sippable, shareable, and unpretentious. We fill washtubs with ice and bottles at barbecues and picnics, we drink Pinot Grigio and Picpoul out of tumblers by the pool.

Heavy, ageworthy, and concentrated styles tend to do well at wine competitions all over the world. Certainly, LSIWC judges are capable of appreciating those. But as the 2025 results demonstrate, Texas wine tasters favor elevated acidity, a balance of fresh fruit flavors, and food-friendliness.

At least four of the seven Grand Star wines could be slotted into the “patio pounder” category: Chillable, not-expensive wines that are good for casual gatherings. Summer is here, after all–and sometimes the very best bottle is the one that you can easily pop open to enjoy with all your friends and family.

Acknowledgements

I’m grateful to TWGGA for giving me a chance to serve as a judge. (Shoutouts to Michael and to Tom for advising me well.) Also, a big thanks to the Grapevine Wine Pouring Society and Grapevine Convention Center staff for all your hard work! It was a privilege to taste the entries and be a part of selecting the top wines at this year’s Lone Star International Wine Competition.

Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this post. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.