Your Hill Country wine trip: A wine lover's guide to tasting Texas

Planning a Texas Hill Country wine trip? There’s so much exciting wine being made in Texas, and the choices can be overwhelming.

The Fredericksburg and Johnson City area features over 50 wineries and tasting rooms along the 30-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 290. In total, the greater Texas Hill Country region is home to over 100 wineries. With all that volume and variety, a little planning makes the difference between an exhausting weekend and a memorable one.

Texas wine pride in downtown Fredericksburg.

As a native Texan, certified Texas Wine Ambassador, and working wine server, I’m thrilled to see our state’s wine scene grow and thrive. I’ve visited dozens of Hill Country wineries (and learned a few lessons the hard way). In the process, I’ve come up with six tips to help you get the most from your trip.

Rather than listing hotels and tasting rooms, I’ve put together a collection of practical advice that will serve you no matter which spots are on your list. This article touches on where to stay, what to pack, which local styles to try, and how to get around.

Most importantly: Don’t worry about seeing everything on your first trip. The Hill Country isn’t a wine region you finish–it’s one you keep coming back to.

So, howdy! ¡Salud! Safe travels–and here’s to Texas wines!

Tip #1: Enlist a driver–or stay nearby.

Texas, as they say, is big. And many of the best Hill Country wineries are only reachable by car. So you’ll need to secure some safe wheels in order to check off every spot on your list.

The best options are to make friends with a non-drinker, plan a multi-day trip and take turns, or hire a professional van driver or guide. Uber and Lyft operate in the area, but driver availability isn’t a sure bet in rural parts. And prices can spike during periods of high demand.

Increasingly, Texas Hill Country wineries are investing in resort-style lodges and cabins with proximity to the vines. It’s an appealing option if your budget allows it–but you’ll still need private transportation if you want to visit multiple wineries.

Prefer to hoof it? It’s actually possible to plan a wine trip centered around downtown Fredericksburg–and increasingly, Johnson City–without venturing out into the countryside. Fredericksburg has 10+ “urban” tasting rooms (bars and breweries, too!) clustered around Main Street. You can stay in a hotel or vacation rental and walk between tasting rooms with relative ease.

Those downtown stays can be an excellent option for mixed groups. If some of your friends are really into wine and some are not, there are lots of choices for shopping, dining, and non-wine entertainment. Drop ’em off at the antique shop or the driving range and all y’all can meet up later.

A word of caution for those who are allergic to the bachelorette crowd: Downtown gets rowdy, especially on good-weather weekends.

Despite Texas’s wine-quality renaissance, Fredericksburg’s drinkers still tend toward sweet wines, slushies, and beer. If your priorities are vineyard views, attentive wine tasting, and plenty of time to talk with the people pouring, you’ll generally have better luck just outside town.

Some will call this an oversimplification, but locals know that I’m right. It’s Main Street for the bar crawl, Highway 290 for the “serious” wine-tasting experience.

Tip #2: Try the bubbles!

Hot Texas weather and crisp sparkling wines go together like chips and salsa. Sparkling styles have enjoyed a surge in the last few years. Summer visitors love them, and winemakers are increasingly working together to share bottling equipment and techniques to create their own bubbles.

Upon arrival at a Texas winery, you may be offered a glass of pét-nat (pétillant naturel)–a lightly fizzy wine that can be unfiltered and lower in alcohol than conventional bubbly. In Texas, they’re often made with black grapes including Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Cinsault. The result is a pink-hued, refreshing pour to prime your palate for a long day of wine-tasting.

A welcome drink at Lost Draw (Johnson City, Texas).

Lost Draw‘s highly acclaimed pét-nat of Pinot Meunier is a notable example. (It recently won top honors at the TEXSOM Awards.) Other producers worth seeking out include Elisa Christopher, who specialize in traditional-method wines from 100% Texas grapes, and Rebecca Caroline, a stylish new sparkling-wine brand with a tasting room in historic Johnson City.

Tip #3: Prepare for the weather.

Texas is hot. Did we mention it’s hot? Most of the year, it’s hotter than a stolen tamale out there–and many places have limited indoor seating. The wine tasters who make it through the day are the ones who stayed cool and hydrated.

Fortunately, Texans are an informal bunch, and shorts and sandals are acceptable in most establishments. A nice-casual outfit will take you from dawn to dinner, no problem.

Must-pack items include:

👟 Flat shoes and a hat if you plan to walk the vineyards.

🚰 A water bottle to refill throughout the day. Many wineries have chilled urns of the local limestone-filtered well water–delicious!

🪭 A handheld or battery-powered fan.

😎 Sunglasses. All that white gravel and stone can burn your eyes–we call it “Texas snow-blindness.”

☔ And an umbrella, for those random afternoon downpours.

Tip #4: Three wineries is a full day.

We’ve talked about distance, and we’ve talked about weather. Now I’m going to say a few words about endurance.

Ahem: Most tasting rooms open late in the morning and close at sundown. Pours are often not small. Please resist the temptation to cram six or seven wineries into a single day.

Two or three well-paced visits will always be more enjoyable than racing from tasting room to tasting room. You’ll remember the conversations–and the wines–far better.

A proper Texas brisket sandwich: Point cut, smoke ring, sauce on the side! Pickles and onions optional.

Plus, slowing down allows you to space out your reservations (more on that in a bit) and to grab a mid-day meal. Forget trying to survive on tired-ass charcuterie boards all day. You won’t want to miss stuffing down a plate of the Hill Country’s famous barbecue or Tex-Mex.

Tip #5: Discover a new grape variety.

In the 1990s, when Texas wine was still finding its footing, growers focused on a few grape varieties that were already household names: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. The results were often far from impressive.

Now that drinkers are more adventurous and Texas’s climate is better understood, winemakers are working with lesser-known varieties. Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian grapes are on the rise. The results have been stunning: High-quality, distinctive Texas wines are enjoying much-deserved acclaim.

So the next time you’re in a tasting room, consider trying a variety or style that’s new to you. Or ask the person pouring your wine which bottles they’re most excited about. Tasting room staff often have a wealth of information and can help you find your next favorite Texas wine.

Tasting Texas High Plains Picpoul at William Chris Vineyards (Johnson City, Texas).

For instance, Picpoul (a high-acid white variety that originates in southern France) is currently making waves in Texas as a patio-friendly pour. (On our last Hill Country trip, it seemed like everyone was offering a recent-vintage Picpoul.) The black grapes Touriga Nacional and Souzão–once known mainly as blending components for Port–are finding their way into dark-fruited Texas reds with beguiling notes of florals and spice.

Tip #6: Reservations are recommended.

Gone are the days when you could stroll up to a counter, throw a fiver in the tip bucket, and chat for an hour with the winemaker and their cat. The proliferation of multimillion-dollar, amenity-filled tasting rooms means that winery access has become a more exclusive, more formal affair.

Wish you were here? A scenic overlook at Carter Creek Winery Resort and Spa.

We recommend getting reservations for all Hill Country wine tastings. Even if you’re traveling solo or as a couple, even if the winery says they accept walk-ins.

Otherwise, you might be met with a blank stare from a hostess. Or be shut out in favor of wine club members. Or be seated at that weird wobbly table in an anthill behind the band’s speakers. Trust us, it happens.

Yep, our little wine region is all grown up–with prices and occasional snootiness to match. Expect to pay about $25-$45 per person for a guided flight of wines. Double or triple that if your visit includes food pairings, a vineyard or cellar tour, or a hands-on experience like a blending workshop.

On comps: Some places will waive a tasting fee if you buy several bottles or sign up for a membership, but this is not a universal practice. Preparing an itinerary and a budget before you go is sound advice.

Texas wine has evolved dramatically over the past decade, and is still transforming before our eyes.

Sure, we grumble about some of the changes. But truly, there’s never been a better time to explore the Hill Country region. Every time we visit, we’re wowed by the can-do spirit of our state’s winemakers, and by the understated natural beauty of its hills and scrubland.

Whether you’re getting deep into Tempranillo barrel samples or just want something to sip while you gaze at blue skies and wildflowers, the Texas Hill Country has something for you. So slow down, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to taste something you’ve never heard of before.

Cheers, and happy wine trails!

About the author:

Michelle Gruben is a wine writer and WSET Diploma student based in Dallas, Texas. She holds the Level 3 Award in Wines and is a certified Texas Wine Ambassador through the Hill Country Wine Academy. Find out more on the About page, or get in touch here.