Spring is here in Texas! That means it’s time for bluebonnets, barbecue, and rosé on the patio.
As Texas wine superfans, we’re always on the lookout for new wines to taste and new places to visit. Here are the five Texas wine stories that broke through the noise in the first quarter of 2026.
Story #1: Ron Yates plans May 2 opening for new tasting room.
Texas winemaker Ron Yates has new digs in the Hill Country: An 8,800-square-foot tasting room on a 17-acre property in Hye, Texas. The new build represents a significant investment in hospitality for the award-winning winery. Official tours, private tastings by appointment, and expanded food offerings are planned for the future.
The grand opening event is scheduled for May 2, 2026. It will feature live music by Austin’s Ghostland Observatory and the release of two new boxed wines from Ron Yates’ groundbreaking “The Get Together” project. Tickets ($60) are available here.
Story #2: Texas wine cleans up at the SF Chronicle Awards.
The results from the 2026 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition have been announced–and we did good, y’all! Texas wines impressed a prestigious blind-tasting panel at the largest competition of North American wines. A total of 22 Texas wineries took home at least one Double Gold, and eight wineries won a coveted Best in Class medal.
While we’re happy for all of this year’s winners, this Dallas gal has to give a shoutout to the two North Texas wineries with Double Golds (both for Tempranillo): Messina Hof and Eden Hill.
Everybody knows that Texas Tempranillo is bomb–but it’s not the only variety that stood out on the winners’ list. Cabernet Franc, Mourvèdre, Viognier, and dry rosé also showed up strong in their respective categories to win top honors. Texas Wine Lover has the full list of Texas medalists.
Story #3: Portuguese varieties get a moment in the sun.
The buzzy grape of the moment is Touriga Nacional–a highly aromatic, blue-black variety that is often considered Portugal’s finest. At a recent TEXSOM event sponsored by Texas Wine Growers, we tasted Touriga in red and rosé form. One standout was a floral-yet-structured single-vineyard Touriga from Portree Cellars.
Why are Texas winemakers falling for Touriga? Touriga is no stranger to Texas heat, and its thick skins help it withstand sunlight and drought. Its tiny berries and low-yielding vines create wines with intense flavor concentration. Some Texas winemakers are also finding success with other native Portuguese varieties including Souzao and Verdelho.
Story #4: 290 Wine Castle purchased by Republic Boot Company.
You spot it driving between Fredericksburg and Johnson City, the crenelated towers emerging on the horizon like a strange mirage. Is that…a medieval-style castle out in the middle of nowhere? Yes. Yes it is.
The Wine Castle opened in 2019 and operates as a winery and hotel. In January 2026 (as reported by Texas Wine Lover), the Houston-based Republic Boot Company got the keys to the kingdom. The 10.6-acre complex was previously listed for $3,850,000.
Amenities on the property include 14 guest rooms, a resort-style pool, a turreted tasting room, a Wine Barn, and (of course) a dungeon. Views from the rooftop and patio look out over Wine Road 290, the US highway rapidly becoming known as a wine-tourism hub.
The Wine Castle was never a fine-wine destination–more of a slightly silly place to drink sweet rosé with a chauffeured van full of your pals. But the new owners of the estate have big plans for it. Those plans include producing wine from 100% Texas grapes and upgrading the existing wine club. “We are working on creating the finest Texas wine ever made,” their website reports.
The Republic Wine Castle is open during renovations, which they expect to complete in summer 2026.
Story #5: The Drink North Texas event returns to Dallas.
And now, some wine news that isn’t from the Hill Country: North Texas Wine Country‘s annual showcase is returning to Dallas’s Frontiers of Flight Museum on May 30, 2026.
Taste sample pours from 12 North Texas wineries, sway to a live jazz band, and gaze up into the rafters at an epic collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft. Last year’s event was a soaring success, and we can’t wait for the 2026 edition. Early-bird tickets start at $31.64 and are on sale now.
See previous Texas Wine News stories here.
Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this article. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.
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