Podcast appearances and mentions of william chris

Send us a textWhat began as an acquaintance as winemakers in the Hill Country became a collaboration between William “Bill” Blackmon and Chris Brundrett; one that's based on a shared winemaking philosophy and a vision for what the Texas wine industry is capable of. We get to sit down and talk to Zinn Brown and Carol Blackmon about the legacy that William Chris is making on the Texas Wine IndustryWilliam Chris

Mentioned in this EpisodeConnect with the Podcast: Facebook: @texaswinepod Instagram: @texaswinepod Email: texaswinepod@gmail.com Visit www.thisistexaswine.com Help the Show: Subscribe to the newsletter. Donate virtual Texas wine or join the podcast membership at the Gold Medal, Silver Medal, or Bronze Medal Level! Leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Texas Wine In the NewsTWGGA Award RecipientsTexas Wine Auction 2025 Wineries, claim your listing and consider membership at Texas Wine Lover - Signup PageRootstock 2025 is on April 6! Featuring wines from Spain! LINK for tickets. Use code SHELLY for 10% off!Toast of Texas 2025 is on June 8! Visit Wine & Food Foundation for ticket and membership information.Rhone Rangers Visit Texas! LINK for tickets to the consumer event on April 6 at 12:30 PM in Hye at William Chris Vineyards.Rhone Rangers winemaker panel and tasting on April 6 at 10 AM at Halter Ranch in Fredericksburg TICKETSRhone Rangers Trade and Media Day is in Austin at Wanderlust on Shady Lane on April 8. LINKLearn more about the Rhone Rangers HERELarry Schaffer of Tercero Wines is president of the board of directors of the Rhone Rangers.Interview with Dr. Bob Young of Bending Branch Winery Bending Branch Winery Tickets for June 7 tasting event in Comfort Demerit and Gold Star NA Special ThanksNeed lodging in Fredericksburg? Check out Cork + Cactus! Find Cork + Cactus and many more great rentals at Heavenly Hosts.com! Thanks to Texas Wine Lover for promotional help! For the latest information on Texas wineries and vineyards, visit Texas Wine Lover. Don't forget to download the Texas Wine Lover app too!Wine & Food FoundationI'm so happy to be part of the community of wine and food lovers at The Wine & Food Foundation! Get more information about upcoming events, wine education classes, and membership options here.

Send us a textWhat happens when you show up at William Chris and pretty much land a job there? Well you become one amazing wine maker with some Stellar wines!Tatum Cellars

San Antonio Rodeo International Wine Competition ResultsWine Glass Marketing Coming to TexasNew Wine Labels from William Chris and Messina HofFermentation Vessels

Mentioned in this EpisodeConnect with the Podcast: Facebook: @texaswinepod Instagram: @texaswinepod Email: texaswinepod@gmail.com Visit www.thisistexaswine.com Help the Show: Subscribe to the newsletter. Donate virtual Texas wine! Leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Texas Wine In the NewsVinePair: The States With the Most Wineries in 2023Fritz Westover won the The 2023 ASEV-ES Distinguished Service Award! Press ReleaseFritz Westover's podcast: Vineyard UndergroundTina Danze for the Dallas Morning News: 4 Texas wines, beers and ciders we're drinking this summer. (possible paywall)Uplift Vineyard Aglianico wins Silver at Decanter Wine Awards - Press ReleaseJoin me for a Texas Wine Club Blind Tasting Experience in Dallas! RegistrationSouthern Living: 4 small Texas towns that go big on wineVinePair includes CL Butaud Ramato in The 15 Best Orange Wines for 2023Texas Wine Lover Tempranillo Tasting ResultsCongrats to Slate Theory and William Chris for inclusion on the Vine Pair list “The 30 Best Rosé Wines of 2023”Finger Lakes International Wine Competition ResultsTexas Wine Club discount code: use code THISISTEXASWINE to get $100 off your first shipment!Interview with Evan McKibbenFind Evan here: -Pedernales Cellars -Broken Grape - Texas Wine and Agricultural Experiences -Agricultural Experiences at Lost Draw at Johnson City Special ThanksThanks to Texas Wine Lover for promotional help! For the latest information on Texas wineries and vineyards, visit Texas Wine Lover. Don't forget to download the Texas Wine Lover app too!Wine & Food FoundationI'm so happy to be part of the community of wine and food lovers at The Wine & Food Foundation! Get more information about upcoming events, wine education classes, and membership options here.Need lodging in Fredericksburg? Check out my home Cork + Cactus! Find Cork + Cactus and many more great rentals at Heavenly Hosts.com! 

Chris Brundrett is the Co-founder of William Chris Vineyards, leading the team with his good friend, Bill Blackmon. Chris acquired experience in the winery and the vineyard while earning a bachelor's degree in horticulture from Texas A&M University. Aside from managing his winery, Chris is the Co-founder of Texas Winegrowers, a former board member of Texas Hill Country Wineries Association, and a Yes We Can Wine Co-partner. In this episode with Chris Brundrett Finding out what a win is like for your business will pave the way to discovering your intent.  Your intention guides you toward your goal, no matter what it is. For some, it can come in the form of high profit, while for others, it is to give raises and benefits to their employees. People confuse a good idea with an intention. Good ideas are easy to come up with, but without a plan to put them into action, they are meaningless, and it's not an intention. In today's episode of the Legends Behind the Craft podcast, Drew Thomas Hendricks hosts Chris Brundrett, the Co-founder of William Chris Vineyards, to share his experience from serving tables to running his winery. Chris also talks about their vision of sharing with people what the amazing areas of Texas taste like and having a welcoming environment for working people.

Episode 340."The Midnight Club"Actor: William Chris Sumpter.You can currently find Chris as "Spencer" in the deeply moving in the popular Netflix and Mike Flanagan's "The Midnight Club". Spencer is like a big brother to the group. He is the one who gives Ilonka a tour of the place and introduces her to everyone. His family is extremely conservative, which forced him to leave home after they discover he is gay.He is diagnosed with AIDS and is very cautious about preventing his blood from coming into contact with anyone else's. Having grown up as a devoted catholic, Spencer now finds himself hating the idea of god and religion as it ruined his relationship with his loved ones.An absolutely wonderful and moving performance. Welcome, Chris Sumpter.Instagram: Monday Morning Critic Podcast.Facebook: Monday Morning Critic Podcast.Twitter:@mdmcriticEmail: Mondaymorningcritic@gmail.comYouTube: Monday Morning Critic Podcastwww.imdb.com/title/tt12597724/www.mmcpodcast.com

Our wine mystery keeps traveling the world to Dubai, Hong Kong, Bordeaux and Portugal uncovering motives and phylloxera intrigue. Malcolm, Corvina and Brian uncover a remedy developed for a phylloxera outbreak before the outbreak breaks out. Tres suspicious! There are also shadowy investors buying patents for this remedy that would have no value until those nasty little aphids are put into action destroying the vineyards of the world. Can our heroes get to the root cause and save the world's wine from phylloxera? Listen to this second podcast to find out. What we can tell you without spoiling the novel, is that when phylloxera actually decimated wine crops around the world in the late 1800s one Texas man, Thomas (T.V.) Munson, was hailed as the conquering hero for developing over 300 disease resistant grape rootstocks that were grafted into the world's grapevines to make them phylloxera resistant. He is truly an unsung hero, so we lift our glasses to him today…filled with lovely Texas wine of course! We are saluting Munson's passion for viticulture with two more William Chris wines: a 2020 Artist's Blend Red, made with four single vineyard Rhone style grapes, and Black Jacques, a red dessert wine made in the Madeira style. The Artist's Blend brings the character of all the grapes combined to create a peppery, smoky, fruity red that coats the drinker's mouth. The Black Jacques, on the other hand, is sweet, caramelly and balanced, like a heat-soaked version of an ice wine. Enjoy! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

When flying winemaker Corvina Guerra visits a vineyard in Italy that is burning its vines due to a phylloxera outbreak among its roots, she makes it her mission to figure out how the aphids got there and investigate just how far the infestation had traveled worldwide. As an outbreak could contaminate her family's vineyard and end her own career, she is determined to figure things out. Corvina partners up with Bryan Lawless to travel to vineyards around the world to research and share their findings. Texas has its own hurdles to winemaking, harsh sun and significant frost among them. William Chris has taken on this challenge and leaned into hearty grapes that can not just survive, but thrive in these stark conditions. Today we are tasting a 2020 Roussanne and a 2018 Mourvèdre from the vineyards in the Texas high plains. The Roussanne is a white wine made for red wine drinkers because it has dry, hearty depth and coats the drinker's mouth much like a red. The Mourvèdre is a red variety made with the grapes of 6 different local vineyards creating a complex layered flavor and a smoky/peppery finish with the added bonus of extended maceration of the grape skins to add to the mouthfeel. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

Chris Brundrett, co-founder of William Chris Vineyards, is a force to be reckoned with in the Texas wine scene. His winery, its growth, and his vision for Texas wines are as big as the state itself.Check out our William Chris Vineyards at: http://www.WilliamChrisWines.comVisit our website at www.VitiCulturePodcast.com, and don’t forget to share with your friends via all major social media platforms @VitiCULTUREPodVisit Bellangelo Winery and Missick Cellars at www.Bellangelo.com and www.MissickCellars.com.Our show today was recorded in the gorgeous Wine Club tasting room at William Chris Vineyards, along the 290 Wine Trail in Texas Hill Country.  Chris Brundrett, co-founder of William Chris Vineyards, is ubiquitous in the Texas wine industry.  From his personal and political push to ensure wine labeled as Texas contains 100% Texas fruit, to his efforts to promote elevated service and wine education amongst industry members, to his charitable and philanthropic efforts to aid communities in Texas.  Chris seems to be everywhere at once.  He’s also done a great job presenting the many faces of Mourvèdre that are grown in Texas, via his numerous single vineyard and cuvee bottlings of the varietal.  He’s an affable man, who at the same time feels part evangelist, part farmer, part winemaker, and part CEO of one of Texas’ most recognizable wine brands.  More importantly, he seems to be the kind of person you just want to be friends with, the kind of person who would be happy to help if you needed something, and the kind of person you’d be happy to lend a hand to if he asked.  He’s the picture of the budding Texas wine scene, and I’m happy to share our conversation with you.With that said, the Texas wine industry is bursting with wonderful, big personalities.  From Sil over at Saint Tryphon, to Dr. Bob at Bending Branch.  And from the picpoul blanc at Lost Draw, to the Roussanne at Kuhlman - fascinating, and wonderful wines await you at the most unlikely of locations and visits.  And as a final word, there is a lot of good food to be had in Hill Country.  We loved Hill and Vine and Otto’s in Fredericksburg, I even grabbed a great panini at a roadside gas station that echoed the quality of Oakville Grocery, but the best combo of food, a relaxed and comfortable environment, a predominantly and not pretentiously dominant Texas wine list, and my favorite overall Hill Country restaurant, was 259 Brantley’s Bistro and Bar in downtown Boerne - spelled BOERNE.  Boerne isn’t a wine town, at least not yet, but this beautiful Hill Country, riverside village offered an array of wonderful regular menu options and original specials.  If you’ve visited and dined in the Finger Lakes, it was like a marriage between Ports, Kindred Fair, and Vonney’s roadside biker bar.  I enjoyed the wild hog schnitzel, the mussels were the best I’ve had outside of Belgium, and the service staff always donned a pleasant smile and ensured your glass was full.  The mussels were especially good with the Muscat Pet Nat by Saint Tryphon, and may have been one of the best Pet Nats I’ve ever had.  Life was good in this place.  This may be the end of this short series on Texas Hill Country, but it is not the end of my coverage of Texas wines.  I love this place - the people, the spirit, the service, and the sense that the best is yet to come.  As a cool climate winemaker, the alcohol levels in some of the wines do take a bit of getting used to. I’ve produced Cab Franc with alcohol levels ranging from 10.8 to 12.9, but generally simply seek balance and a representation of what the vintage represented. Then again, Texas not only has a longer growing season than the Finger Lakes, it has a lot more sun and a lot more heat. The balanced wines though, are really something - and when paired with local cuisine and a cool night by the Guadalupe River, are the stuff dreams are made of.  Chris Brundrett is another man who knows something about dreams - he knows a little something about making dreams come true.  So without further ado, here’s the show. Get full access to The Viti+Culture Podcast Newsletter at viticulturepodcast.substack.com/subscribe

If you like this podcast, please be sure to rate us 5 stars in Apple podcasts and like our videos on YouTube, and visit my winery in the Finger Lakes at Missick Cellars. Episode 0029:Wine Reads – January 1, 2022Hi, this is Chris Missick, and welcome to Viti+Culture, and our segment Wine Reads, where we take a look at some of the most interesting, compelling, and even controversial stories and articles in wine.  On the heels of this holiday break, I have decided to take a few spur of the moment trips, one to the Yadkin Valley in North Carolina, and the other to the Texas  Hill Country in mid-January.  I’ve heard so many great things about both regions, and the Hill Country in particular, and figure it will be a nice break from the upstate winter we’ll be fully enmeshed in.  With that in mind, my Google News Alert with the keyword Finger Lakes popped up with this message about Fredericksburg, widely considered the heart of the Texas Hill Country AVA.  It’s an AP wire story, so I don’t have an author to directly credit, but you can find the article by googling the title, Fredericksburg pleases the palate in a Texas-size way.So here we go:“California has Napa and Sonoma; New York has the Finger Lakes and Texas has Fredericksburg,” said Jesse Barter, owner of Hill & Vine Restaurant as he poured a ruby-hued Tempranillo into my glass.It does indeed. The Hill Country west of Austin and north of San Antonio includes Texas-sized acreage devoted to wine production, making it the second largest AVA (American Viticultural Area) in the U.S.The Central Texas Hill Country is one of two major wine-producing regions in the state – the other being the Llano Estacado (Staked Plains) in Texas' northwestern corner.Here in the Hill Country, some 100 wineries dot the landscape along Highway 290, known as the Wine Road, from Fredericksburg to Austin. Fifty of those are in Fredericksburg itself, with 50 more in the permitting process.More about the wines later, but back to Barter and Hill & Vine. When I was there for dinner the restaurant had been open for three weeks, and if you were lucky enough to snag a reservation at all, the waiting time for a table was often two hours or longer.The buzzy crowd sipping cocktails while they waited didn’t seem to mind. Yes, the food is that good. Most everything has a Texas twist — the hummus, for example, contains black-eyed peas. The taco is stuffed with snapper from the Texas Gulf Coast, while the onion rings use onions from the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas.I ordered the watermelon and green tomato salad with mint and basil leaves, spiced local pecans and herbed goat cheese with a citrus vinaigrette dressing, and thought it the tastiest salad I have ever had.That was followed by the smoked Santa Maria Tri-Tip with smoked chili butter, sea salt, roasted butternut squash and Brussels sprouts with a chili salsa. Dessert was Croissant Bread Pudding with bourbon anglaise sauce. You get why people are willing to wait two hours for a table.Now, back to that award-winning Tempranillo. You just know that this being Texas, they wouldn’t be satisfied with a mere medal of excellence, and they didn’t have to be. Hill & Vine’s vintage won a saddle (yes, a saddle) at a wine competition during the Houston Rodeo and Livestock Show, and pardner, that beats a medal any day.Hill & Vine is just the latest addition to a remarkably robust dining scene for a town of 12,000 people. Alas, I didn’t make it to the Granite House or Vaudeville Bistro, two lauded dining spots, but I did do dinner one night at Otto’s German Bistro.The German influence is strong in the Hill Country as German settlers were the only ones able to forge a tenuous co-existence with the native Comanche Indians who ran off others attempting to put down roots. Today, you’ll see examples of German culture everywhere.The menu at Otto’s transcends schnitzels and sauerbraten to include dishes such as Steelhead Trout and Deep Sea Prawn with green pea puree, sugar snap peas, snow pea shoots and tomato oil, and veal loin with broccolini, mushrooms, sweet potato puree and almonds.I did go German and ordered the Wurst Platte (smoked paprika gruyere sausage, German potato salad, house made sauerkraut and house made spicy mustard.) I was glad I did.The menu changes weekly, and Otto’s gets most of its ingredients from local, organic or sustainable farms, ranches and fisheries.There’s no dearth of breakfast and lunch options either. Try Caliche Cafe for the former — the Salmon Eggs Benny are to die for. Clear River Ice Cream & Bakery makes a good lunch stop — you don’t have to eat one of their 47 flavors of ice cream for lunch, but you can if you want to.Finally, don’t miss Das Peach Haus. This multipurpose facility tempts those in search of shopping, sipping, dining and learning.The general store sells everything from jams and jellies to chipotle and BBQ sauces. Shoppers can sample their peach cobbler or peach cider while browsing.I had dinner there beside a small lake and under a canopy of pine trees more reminiscent of East Texas than the Hill Country, and those wishing for a full dining experience can reserve a table. They recently opened a distillery where you can sample their gin and whiskey, and if you’re interested in cooking classes, they are happy to oblige. About the only thing you can’t do is pick the peaches.Don’t fret. At Jenschke Orchards, you can pick all the plump peaches you want from the 3,000 trees in their orchards. You will have to think of a creative way of getting them home as the Orchard doesn’t ship outside of Texas.As strange as it may seem to those who equate the American wine scene with California and Oregon, Texas is one of the country’s leading wine producers, and Fredericksburg ranks right behind Napa as a destination for lovers of the grape.As for that grape, because of its hot climate, Texas excels in Mediterranean varietals – those found in sultry, steamy southern Spain and Italy.During a lunch and tasting at Signor Vineyards, I tasted some of these under the expert tutelage of winery host Andre Boada, whose wine pedigree comes courtesy of his Spanish father and French mother. My favorite of the wines Boada poured was an Albareno white, originating in the Galicia Region of Spain, but utilizing Texas grapes.Signor is one of the Hill Country’s most beautiful wineries. Open only three years, it has become such a popular stop they are adding 40 casitas in the vineyards for overnight guests. Even if you don’t stay overnight, you can sign up for one of Boada’s food and wine classes (Friday and Sunday, $50).Two other wineries I highly recommend are Pedernales Cellars and Narrow Path Winery and Vineyards.At Pedernales, the vineyards overlook the scenic Pedernales River, and their white wines come mainly from its sister winery in the High Plains around Lubbock. Narrow Path has a tasting room in Fredericksburg, but make your way to nearby Stonewall to sip in style in their main tasting room overlooking the vineyard.If you want to combine wine tasting and shopping, do head for Fredericksburg’s picturesque main street. At Becker Vineyards, sip a Viognier from their vineyard 12 miles outside of town where, in addition to grapes, five acres are given over to lavender fields.To get your alcoholic intake in a different form, drop by Chocolat, specializing in liquor and wine-infused chocolates. The shop offers some 400 different European-style chocolates rotated throughout the year, with about half on display at any given time. Chocoholics will think they have died and gone to chocolate heaven.When it comes to quality wine, watch out Napa, Sonoma and Finger Lakes – Fredericksburg is gaining on you.I was fortunate enough to get some great recommendations from the fellows over at the podcast Cork Talk, which focuses on North Carolina wine.  I also reached out on a whim to Chris Brundrett of William Chris Winery in the Hill Country.   I had learned about him and William Chris winery from the wonderfully produced Texas Winemakers, a docuseries currently available on YouTube that features an amazing array of different Texas winemakers and viticulturalists.  He informed me that the Texas Hill Country Wine Symposium had been planned for the week I was visiting, and so I promptly purchased a ticket, and plan on tasting and meeting with a number of great producers in the AVA.  I’ll be bringing my equipment with me, and plan on reporting on the regions while I’m there.  I’m excited to report on my findings, and in the meantime, if there is a destination, or a winery that you recommend, drop me a line at viticulturepodcast@gmail.com.  In our next episode, this Thursday, we’re sitting down with Tom Wark, a pro in the wine public relations space, and the author of one of the most influential wine blogs - The Fermentation Blog.  Tom is insightful, opinionated, extremely intelligent, and willing to tackle the tough issues in the wine and culture space.  I think you’re going to love this show.  Thanks, and see you soon. Get full access to The Viti+Culture Podcast Newsletter at viticulturepodcast.substack.com/subscribe

S6 E60: In this episode, meet science journalist and author Melinda Wenner Moyer, sleep researcher and neurologist William Chris Winter, and children's and YA author Cammie McGovern. Listen to Melinda Wenner Moyer talk about drawing inspiration from science to inform parenting, hear William Chris Winter draw out the nuances of children's sleep issues, and listen to Cammie McGovern reflect on the experience of getting behind the mic and reading her book aloud. How to Raise Kids Who Aren't Assholes by Melinda Wenner Moyer: https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/book/618206/how-to-raise-kids-who-arent-assholes/ The Rested Child by W. Chris Winter, M.D.: https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/book/667926/the-rested-child/ Hard Landings by Cammie McGovern: https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/book/595001/hard-landings/

This week we feature Chris Brundrett of William Chris Vineyards in Hye, Texas defining the wine term “Desert Sage” Learn more by visiting www.williamchriswines.com

The great state of Texas is making quite a name for itself in winemaking as well as wine tourism. For this podcast we return to Texas to chat with William Chris Vineyards, Director of Winemaking and Co Founder Chris Brundrett. William Chris is found in Hye, Texas, not far from Austin and San Antonio, making [...]

Connect with the Podcast:Facebook: @texaswinepodInstagram: @texaswinepodTwitter: @texaswinepodEmail: texaswinepod@gmail.comHelp the Show:Buy Shelly a Glass of Wine!Subscribe to the newsletter to get the downloadable Texas wine quiz. Answers included. Are you a Texas wine expert?Listen and Subscribe in Apple PodcastsListen and Subscribe in Google PodcastsListen via web browserMentioned in this EpisodeTexas Wine In the NewsVinePair names Southold’s All Things Go #8 best wine of 2020CL Butaud & Wine for the People Tasting Room Opens4.0 Cellars Relaunches as Texas Wine CollectiveHouston Rodeo Uncorked Wine Competition ResultsSan Francisco International Wine Competition ResultsWine Industry Advisor: Seasoned Winemaker Brings Expertise to a New Wine Incubator at Kerrville Hills WineryTexas Monthly: 12 Texas Wines for the Holiday SeasonFredericksburg Standard Radio-Post 2020 Reader’s Choice AwardsTop Texas News Stories of 2020Texas Wineries connect with customers via virtual tasting events.Increased direct-to-consumer shipping and curbside pickupsSpecial release wine benefits restaurant workersFormation of a new Texas Winery PAC: Save Texas WineriesTravel to Texas wineries is strong, particularly in the Texas Hill Country2020 Vintage is Light in Texas High Plains Due to Late 2019 Freeze. Big focus on Texas Hill Country fruitTexas wineries appear frequently in national news stories. State media also covers Texas wineries more than in past years.New wines and wine brands hit the marketNew wineries openNew tasting rooms openNew vineyard acreage plantedNew winemakers for several wineriesJason Hisaw named Texas Wine AmbassadorNew wine bars focusing on Texas wineNew building projects for several wineriesState Fair of Texas Blue Ribbon SelectionsNew book by Jessica Dupuy focuses on wines of Texas, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico: Wines of Southwest USABest Collaboration: Texas Fine Wine and Texas Pecan BoardNew Texas wine magazine by Cross Timbers Wine Trail. Listen to Chuck Tordiglione talk about the magazine in a previous episodeNew Texas wine trail: Sam Houston Wine TrailWine Enthusiast: Chris Brundrett Named to 40 Under 40 ListWilliam Chris Vineyards and Lost Draw Cellars MergeTexas continues to produce exceptionally good wine!Interview with Chris Brundrett and Andrew Sides of William Chris Wine Companywww.williamchrisvineyards.comwww.lostdrawcellarswww.thegrowerproject.comwww.yeswecanwine.comwww.realtexaswine.orgInstagram Links:@williamchrisvineyards@lostdrawcellars@yeswecanwine@thegrowerproject--collaborative effort with Rae Wilson of @wineforthepeopleChris: @ighyetxAndrew: @mr_drewbabyShelly’s Wine Education Website: _www.toastwinetalk.comThanks to Texas Wine Lover for promotional help. For the latest information on Texas wineries and vineyards, visit Texas Wine Lover!

Connect with the Podcast:Facebook: @texaswinepodInstagram: @texaswinepodTwitter: @texaswinepodEmail: texaswinepod@gmail.comHelp the Show:Subscribe to the podcast in Apple PodcastsSubscribe to the newsletter to get the downloadable guide to my top 10 Texas wine experiences during quarantine.Mentioned in this EpisodeTexas Wine In the NewsFall Creek Vineyards Lescalo Chenin BlancMessina Hof is Hiring for the New Harvest Green (Greater Houston area)Texas Hill Country Wineries’ Wine Journey Passport Event is July 31 - August 16Top 10 Tips for Planning a Wine-Focused Trip to the Texas Hill CountryTip 10. Consider lodging location carefully. There are so many options that it’s hard to narrow down your choices. How far away are wineries? Restaurants? What’s your style? Country and rustic or modern and bohemian? There’s something for everyone, and every price point too.Here are some recommendations listed from west (Fredericksburg) to east (Johnson City):* Cotton Gin Village* Modern Guest Houses: Ololo* Hoffman Haus Luxury B&B* Tipsy Peach Barn* Messina Hof’s Country Cottages* Historic Stonewall Motor Lodge* French Connection Maisonnettes (Hye)* Carter Creek Winery, Resort & Spa* Farmhouse Vineyards’ Guest Cottage (Johnson City)Tip 9. Which wineries should you visit? How much time do you have?Make sure you see both large and small production wineries. Schedule some quick tasting visits and some more extensive tours or tastings. You’ll definitely want to find a winery or two that has a great view. An in-town tasting room can offer lots of things, but there’s nothing like enjoying your tasting while looking out over the wide-open Hill Country landscape.Here are some suggestions:For an upscale tasting with a nice view, check out the new William Chris Vineyards tasting room. On weekends, this new space is for wine club members only. William Chris is one of the biggest producers of Mourvedre in the nation, so you’re sure to hear a lot about how this grape grows so well in Texas.4.0 Cellars is a joint effort between Brennan Vineyards (Comanche), Lost Oak Winery (Burleson) and McPherson Cellars (Lubbock). You’ll have an opportunity to try wines from each of these wineries. They’ve also got a special Texas wine and Texas cheese class.Just a couple miles south of Fredericksburg is the newest collaborative space in town, Slate Mill Wine Collective. It used to be a family operated winery called 1851 Vineyards and is now a custom crush facility that’s shared by 10 wine brands. There’s also a 35-acre estate vineyard there. Brands you can taste there include Tatum, Dandy, CL Butaud, and Farmhouse.In Fredericksburg proper, one of your best bets on the weekends is the Pontotoc Vineyard Weingarten on Main Street. You’ll swear you’re in Austria by the looks of the stone walled courtyard. Pontotoc has an estate vineyard in nearby Pontonoc which is in Mason County. They’re dedicated to using all Texas grapes.Another great stop is Perspective Cellars. This is a truly educational venue and a great way to learn about Texas wine! They’ll pour you a flight of three wines: one from Texas, one from the Old World, and one from the New World. Then you’ll get to learn about how they’re made, the terroir, and more. They also sell wine and do all sorts of events. Looks so fun!Personally, I favor wineries that are making wines from Texas grapes. After all, I’m there to taste Texas wines. It’s not always easy to tell at first glance which wineries meet that criteria though, so you’ve got to do some research ahead of time. One way to guarantee you’re visiting a winery with a 100% Texas grapes track-record is if they’re a member of an organization called Texas Wine Growers. But not all the wineries that are 100% Texas are members of this organization.Tip 8. Be open to some new varieties and some new winemaking styles. Don’t be surprised if some of the wines you try aren’t the usual favorites that you usually drink. Although Texas’ top red grapes include Cabernet and Merlot, the other grapes may be less familiar. It’s fine to tell the person pouring for you that you’re new to Texas wine and unfamiliar with the variety. They’ll be thrilled to tell you about the grape and how it may be similar or different to what you’ve had before. Check out this article I wrote for Texas Wine Lover website to see what’s growing out in Texas vineyards.Many wineries along 290 will showcase Tempranillo, but for some of the finest, check out Pedernales Cellars in Stonewall. Tempranillo is really the backbone of what they do in the red wine program, and this year Pedernales even has a pet-nât from Tempranillo.If you’re into natural wine, or are curious about a low-interventional style of winemaking, you’ve got to try Crowson Wines in Johnson City and Southold Farm & Cellar, mid-way between Johnson City and Fredericksburg.If Rhone varieties are your thing, check out French Connection Wines in Hye. You may already know Benjamin Calais’s other project, Calais Wines. His new effort with partner Sheri Pattillo showcases Rhone varieties including a Picpoul Blanc, a lovely Marsanne/Rousanne/Viognier blend, and rosé, among others.Tip 7. Schedule your day, and don’t overpack your itinerary. Saturdays and Sundays are very busy, and you don’t want to show up without reservations and expect a full tasting. Also, some wineries aren’t open Monday – Wednesday.If it’s been awhile since you’ve been wine tasting, you may be surprised that wine tasting isn’t free anymore. Expect to pay $15 or $20 per person. This may be refunded if you buy a couple of bottles. Also, while some wineries are child and dog friendly, not all are. I can’t stress enough how important it is to plan ahead so that you’re not disappointed.Evenings are often slow, but it can be a good time to schedule a nice dinner or find some live music. The Convention & Visitor Bureau has a printed guide or check their website.Tip 6. Variety is the spice of life! Keep your palate fresh by mixing in some other types of fun.Ideas:(Seasonal) Emergence of 3 million Mexican-free tailed bats at the Old Tunnel State ParkDon’t miss the burgers at nearby Alamo Springs CafeFredericksburg Shopping along Main StreetFabulous eclectic homegoods at Blackchalk Home & LaundrySpecialty kitchen store: Der Kuchen LadenFloral workshop at Windmill Meadow FarmTip 5. Getting around requires a car, preferably one that you don’t drive yourself. At a minimum, designate a driver. Here’s a list of tour companies that will drive you according to your itinerary or theirs.Tip 4. Restaurants are plentiful - except along the stretch between Johnson City and Fredericksburg! My favorite stop between the two is Hye Market, a casual spot to eat or pick up picnic fixins. LBJ State Park is close by. Stout’s Trattoria at Grape Creek Vineyards is another good option for a sit down meal.Cabernet Grill’s all-Texas wine list can’t be beat! Dinner is scrumptious too.Otto’s is the best-rated German influenced restaurant in town. Stroll down a few doors to Le Bergerie, a cute retail shop and wine bar.Culinary options abound. How about a cooking class at Das Peach Haus? A private class on German cuisine, perhaps? There’s wine tasting and plenty of samples of Fischer & Wieser products too.Tip 3. Check the local events calendar for festivals, winery events, farmers markets, live music, and more.Start by looking on the Convention and Visitor Bureau website and then look on specific winery websites and Facebook.Tip 2. Consider wine club memberships. Even if you can’t visit the region regularly, becoming a wine club member can give you serious discounts and access to wines that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to buy. It’s common for wine club members to get discounts of up to 25%. If you are able to visit the winery more frequently, you can expect invitations to pickup parties or winemaker dinners, free tastings at the winery and more.Tip 1. Have fun and expect to be delighted. The people working in the Texas wine industry are really good at their job. They’re going to work hard to help you find a wine you love. They’ll provide you with as much information about Texas wine as you want. You’re likely to be sitting across from someone with a really interesting story. Don’t miss the opportunity to find out what got them interested in Texas wine.I hope you have a great trip! Please reach out with your trip planning questions or feedback on your favorite places.If you’re looking for the closest winery to you home or vacation destination, check out the Texas wineries map on the Texas Wine Lover website.EducationWine Serving TemperatureWine Serving Temperature Graphic* I keep my main wine refrigerator set at 55. That’s the perfect serving temperature for a light red and a heavier-bodied white. I often drink rosé at this temperature too.* For a lighter white (or sometimes rosé), I put the wine into an ice bucket or into my kitchen refrigerator for a little while to chill it further.* For a fuller-bodied red, I will keep the wine out at room temperature for a short time to allow it to warm up a bit. I may also decant it during this time.* For sparking wine, I transfer it to an ice bucket and serve it quite cold.* A too-cold serving temperature will mask a wine’s aromatics.* A wine served too warm may feel “hot” and burn the nose or throat.* The proper serving temperature helps a wine show its best qualities!What I’m DrinkingLost Draw Cellars 2018 Counoise from Farmhouse Vineyards

Us and the Rutherford's recently visited Fredericksburg, TX after years since our last visit. This episode we talk about our experience, how its changed, the quality of the wines and what the area has to offer.

Today’s guests are Bill Blackmon and Chris Brundrett, founders of William Chris Vineyards out in Hye, Texas. We sit down at their new tasting room at the vineyard and chat about the early days of Texas wine, the origins of William Chris Vineyards, their growing wholesale footprint and foray into retailers like HEB and Whole Foods, and how they took a burgeoning friendship and shared passion for winemaking and turned William Chris into one of the most sought after and highly regarded wineries in Texas. Enjoy.

While the East and West Coast get the lion's share of attention, it's time to focus Texas. It's an exciting time to be making, and drinking, wines from the state. Explore the landscape, get to know the grapes, and find out which local bottles pair best with barbecue.  Wine Discussed:  @4:50 Llano Estacado 2017 Signature Rosé (Texas) @18:18 Haak 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon (Texas High Plains) @17:18 Messina Hof 2014 Paulo Limited Edition Red (Texas) Transcript:   Jameson Fink: Welcome to Wine Enthusiast's What We're Tasting Podcast. I'm your host, Jameson Fink. Join me as we discuss three fantastic wines and why each one belongs in your glass. This episode, we're looking at wines from Texas, with Assistant Tasting Director Fiona Adams, who covers and reviews wines from the region. What We're Tasting is sponsored by Vivino. With the largest online inventory, Vivino finds the right wine every time. Even wines from Texas, which you do want to mess with. Download Vivino to discover and find your favorites, and stock up at Vivino.com/wineenthusiast. When I think about wine in the United States, of course the West Coast comes to mind probably first. Definitely first. California, Washington, Oregon. Then, of course, being in New York, and spending a lot more time living here on the East Coast, I'm getting more into New York wines, and trying things from Vermont and Virginia, of course. But a area I really know very little about wine-wise is Texas. I'm really excited to have you here on the show, Fiona, and give me a education in Texas wine. Welcome to the show. Fiona Adams: Thank you for having me. Jameson Fink: The first thing I want to know is where are they making wine in Texas? How many wine regions are there? What's going on? Fiona Adams: There are a handful of wine regions, but the two main ones, where they're doing most of the grape growing, a lot of the wineries are based there, are in Texas Hill Country, which Fredericksburg is the main town there. It's just outside of Austin and San Antonio. A little bit more to do. Then in West Texas, we've got the High Plains. So Lubbock, Odessa area. That's where they're doing most of the grape growing. It's really flat. Just a lot more space to work with. Most of the cotton grown in the United States is also grown there, so maybe grapes will edge them out. Jameson Fink: Or stock up on your white t-shirts and get some wine. Fiona Adams: Yeah, exactly. You can just ... disposable white t-shirts, with all the red wine they're making. Jameson Fink: What are the main grapes they're growing, red and white? Fiona Adams: They do a lot of pretty much everything there. I'd say the main standout red grape that's really emerging as Texas's signature is Tempranillo. A lot of different people are making it. It's pretty interesting. Then, in the whites, it's a lot of mix of just warmer weather white grapes. A lot of Rhône grapes, Roussannes, Marsannes. They've got Albariños, Chenin blancs, and your classic Sauvignon blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, so they're really still in the experimentation phase in finding their true signature grapes, but it leads to a lot of different, interesting wines in a whole bunch of different styles. Jameson Fink: Usually, I don't like to say like, "Oh, is this region like this?" I like to judge things on their own merits, but just, if you're not familiar with Texas, if you like these kinds of wines, it might remind you of this, or the land might remind you of that? Is it unique, as far as geographic weather, or ... Fiona Adams: The weather? I mean, it's Texas, so it's hot. You should expect some fuller-body wines. Wines with a little bit more alcohol. Wines that are just a little bit fuller in character. A little heartier. But they have a lot of talented winemakers who are making things that are really elegant and lighter-bodied, as well. It might be really hot there in the summer, but they also get really cold there, which not a lot of people know. It's pretty decent elevation. Winters get pretty cool. They've got a really great temperature change, day to night, out in the High Plains. Hill Country is a little bit more what you would expect. Pretty humid, pretty hot, but not as much grape production is going on there. Jameson Fink: What's the elevation, in ... As far as it goes? Fiona Adams: It's high. Jameson Fink: Yeah, it's high. Fiona Adams: Not as high as New Mexico, but higher than most places. Higher than you would expect. Jameson Fink: High enough to get a diurnal shift, dare we say? Fiona Adams: Oh, yeah. I mean, Texas ... The big joke about Texas is, depending on what part of the state, the season can change. You could have winter in the northern part, and it be a snowstorm, and then go further south, and it's 100-degrees, and 1,000% humidity, and chilling at a beach. You get a little bit of everything. Jameson Fink: Yeah. One of the scariest snowstorms I ever drove through was in Texas. Fiona Adams: People don't think about snow when it comes to Texas, but they've got plenty of weather. Jameson Fink: Yeah. Well, speaking of weather, it's right now, here in New York and all over the country, it's a prime rosé drinking season, so actually the first wine I want to talk about from Texas is a rosé. It's the Llano Estacado 2017 Signature Rosé. 89 points, best buy. Can you tell me a little bit about this wine as far as what's in it, and what it tastes like? Fiona Adams: It's a really tasty rosé. It's definitely got that lighter, Provençal color going on. Really pretty, like those classic strawberry and fruit flavors. Then the blend has got some more of those Rhône grapes that are doing really well there. I believe it's Cinsault, and ... Jameson Fink: Carignan, Mourvèdre, and Grenache. I have it in front of me. Fiona Adams: There you go. So more like a classic Rhône blend, but they've been able to keep it really refreshing, and pretty, and all of those things that people are really looking for in their rosés right now. It's just ... I mean, it's a great price. It's great wine. Jameson Fink: Are you seeing a lot of dry rosés like this from Texas? Fiona Adams: Oh, yeah. They do a ton of dry rosé there. There's been a handful of producers that are canning their rosé. I mean, it is hot in the summer there. You want to sit outside, and drink rosé, and hang out. There's, I mean, a huge variety. I mean, they are definitely doing a lot more of those Rhône grape blends for their rosés, but you can find a few of those Cabernet Sauvignon ones. It's going to be a little bit fuller than a Provençal-style, but I wouldn't go into saying it's dark rosé, that you need food. It's that really light, approachable style. Jameson Fink: It reminds me of, I mean, I was just talking with Sean Sullivan about Washington State and Eastern Washington. I mean, it's really hot out there, and it's very deserty, but you get these ... You can still ... I mean, it's just like Provence. It's hot, but you produce these wines from grapes that make these thirst-slaking wines that you want to drink in the heat of the summer. Fiona Adams: And they've got canned rosé. Who doesn't want canned rosé? Jameson Fink: I want canned rosé! Fiona Adams: There's a couple of cool producers who are making these canned rosés. Messina Hof, who we'll talk about later. They do a canned rosé that's really tasty. There's a few other guys who are doing it, as well. Then Lewis Cellars makes a ton of rosé that's all Rhône-varieties. They're just so pretty, and so delicious. He's really starting to master making those very light, refreshing, expressive wines with these grapes that can get insanely ripe in that heat. Jameson Fink: Yeah, and I think you mentioned canned wines, and I think ... People talk, "Oh, is it a fad, or a trend?" I mean, I think it's here to stay. We've gone past that. I think we're going to see more and more of canned wine. Fiona Adams: If you can can beer, why can't you can wine? Jameson Fink: I agree. I tend to like ... I mean, you can get a 12-ounce can. To me, it's like, "Okay, great. There's two glasses in there." Or I actually like better the ... I like the little Red Bull-sized, or what are those ... 250-milliliters. More like single-serving wines. Fiona Adams: Exactly. If you're having a barbecue or something, that small can ... Or going to the beach. Sitting by the pool. You don't want to deal with glasses and bottles. I mean, there's all those products that you can buy, but it's way easier to ... you throw in your six-pack of beer, and you throw in your six-pack of wine, and you're ready to go. Jameson Fink: That's right. They can live in the same cooler. Fiona Adams: Exactly. Jameson Fink: That's great. The second wine ... We're going to move into red wine territory. It's from the Texas High Plains. It's the Haak 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon. 88 points. What is a Texas Cabernet like? Fiona Adams: Texas Cabernet ... I mean, they're hitting all of those checkboxes that die-hard Cabernet Sauvignon-lovers really want. It's going to be fuller-bodied. They've got all that great tannin and structure. Some of those classic tobacco and leathery flavors. Then, because the fruit gets so ripe down there, they get really punchy red berries in there. All of their reds, really. It's just like ... You get all of those nice flavors, and structure, and support from the oak aging, but you're not overwhelming the fruit flavors, because they are just naturally so intense. Jameson Fink: Is it too corny for me to say, like, these are great wines to have with brisket or Texas barbecue? Fiona Adams: Texas barbecue! Absolutely. Brisket's big down there, and delicious. I mean, depending on who you talk to, they'll tell you 10 or 12 different barbecue places that you have to go to. I agree. You have to go to get them. It pairs well with ... Yeah. Those really classic Texas portions. Your big meat. You've got your cornbread, your potato salad. All the classic sides, and the wines just seamlessly pair with that traditional flavor. Jameson Fink: So if you're visiting Hill Country, you can just do a pretty epic day or week of barbecue and wine tasting? Fiona Adams: Absolutely. Especially with Hill Country being so close to Austin, which has some seriously famous barbecue places. I'm a Salt Lick person. That's my favorite. Come at me. Jameson Fink: I can't. I haven't been there, so ... Shamefully. Fiona Adams: You're also close to San Antonio, which has an insane amount of restaurants. You can, easy enough, fly in there. Rent a car, and in a couple of hours, you're in wine country with just as many great restaurants. A ton of different wineries you can visit. They've got their own wine trail happening in Hill Country, so you can really have that experience that Napa or New York has really developed, where, oh, you come here, and this is a wine trail, and everything is geared around that. Jameson Fink: I think people are like, "Look, I'll get on a plane right now and go to Napa," or Sonoma, or really anywhere. But I think people are looking for those kinds of destinations, too, that are a little off-beat. People, like I said, love to go to Austin, or San Antonio, and like to be able to visit a unique wine country that's maybe unexpected. I think that's kind of the next step, is like, "Oh! I'm going to think about Texas, and I'll think of wine." Or "I'll think of tasting wine." Or buying wine, buying local wine. I think that's pretty exciting, too. Fiona Adams: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, Napa is, sure, the American wine destination for a lot of people. It's the first one that pops into their head. But it's really crowded. It's really expensive. And you can get a similar vibe and experience in Texas that you can in Napa, because you've got great restaurants. You've got a great place to stay. Great shopping. They've also got horses and Texas stuff that's way cooler. Jameson Fink: Hey, we'll be back to the show very shortly. But since you're here, I know you're already a fan of wine podcasts. Why don't you check out our other show, called The Wine Enthusiast Podcast. Download it wherever you get podcasts. Okay. I want to get a little controversial. Bring up a controversial issue. One is that ... Well, not one. The issue, to me, is that there are a lot of wines made in Texas that are made from grapes imported from California. I'm wondering, when you look at a label, how do you know ... It can say "Texas" on the label, but the grapes can be imported from California. How prevalent is this, and what is your take on that? Fiona Adams: There is a big divide there about buying grapes from a different state, and slapping on your label, "Made in Texas." There's been a huge push. There's a lot of young winemakers who are really making some excellent wines who are saying, "Hey, if I wanted to make California wine, I would make it in California. But I'm in Texas. I'm from Texas. I grew up here. I've been farming these grapes for my whole life." It's really a big push for that sense of pride of place. That "This is Texas wine. This isn't California wine. We grow our grapes. We have our own industry. We can beat them. Our wines are just as good. Some of our wines are better." It's just a different experience. I mean, buying grapes from other wine regions is a common occurrence in some lesser-known states that, maybe they don't have the infrastructure. Maybe there are certain grapes that winemakers want to experiment with, but they just can't grow in their climates. I mean, that's one way to go, and if you're making beautiful wine, I'm not going to be that mad at you. But especially when you consider sustainability and the environmental impact of trucking grapes from a different state, to ferment it, and then to say that your wine is from Texas? It's like, yeah, you might have made it there, but it's not the same. Jameson Fink: I mean, I think the whole idea is like local food, and local wine, and when you visit a place, you want to have a literal taste of the place. I mean, I'm certainly ... Look, I'm saying this as some dude sitting on a couch in a Manhattan studio, but if I owned a business, and ... there just aren't enough grapes, for one thing, was [inaudible 00:14:16] be the problem. I'm sure they're planning a lot more. There's just not enough grapes to meet demand. But I just think there has to be some kind of transparency in labeling. That's something that I don't know that much about as far as how labeling doesn't say, like, "22% of these grapes came from California." Or how that's- Fiona Adams: They're really working on changing the labeling laws, and making sure that people know exactly where their grapes are coming from. That's a big push in a lot of states, as well, where there's ... When the local wine industry grows, you want to have that stamp on your wines that this is a local wine, and not a wine where the grapes are coming from someplace else. But as you mentioned, there are issues where you run into with bad harvests, or the demand for Texas wine is going up. They drink so much wine in Texas. You want to keep up with production, so if you are not able to get in all of the grapes that you need to produce the amount of wine that you want to make or sell, and they buy other grapes ... It's just like, "All right, that can be a short-term Bandaid." But there has been a lot more planting. There's a lot of investment in growing more wine. Like I said, in the High Plains, they can push out the cotton industry, as far as I'm concerned. They've got excellent soil. It takes less water to grow grapes than it does cotton, and they're harvesting really quality fruit. Jameson Fink: Yeah, and I think that maybe the thing to do is when you visit, or anyone visits, is to ask questions. Just be like, "Here's our Cabernet." "Where do you get the grapes from?" That's not accusatory. And say, "Are you trying to move away from importing grapes, and having more Texas grapes? Are you planting? Are you buying? Are you working with vineyards that are growing?" I just think, as a wine drinker, when you're visiting, ask these questions, and get to know ... Just like you would ask about any other wines when you're visiting a wine region, and listen to what these winemakers are saying. Or these business owners, too. Because like I said, it's easy for me to complain. Like, "Well, why would you make any ... Why don't you stop making wine when you run out of grapes?" And like, "If your livelihood and business ... Maybe five years down the road, or 10 years down the road, plantings will increase and then you won't need to be reliant on that." I think also, as people are more into local wine everywhere ... I mean, just demand that. Demand that they move towards sourcing grapes from local vineyards, or vineyards in the state. Fiona Adams: Texas is a great place to visit for that. Most of the wineries have tasting rooms. They have great staff who are willing to tell you about the wines that you're trying, and tell you where they were planted. It's like, "Oh, yeah. These grapes? If you drive five miles down that road, you can go look at these vines." They've got a fair amount of ability to handle tourists and really educate wine drinkers. It's definitely worth the visit. Jameson Fink: Absolutely. The third wine we want to talk about is Messina Hof 2014 Paulo Limited Edition Red. 89 points. It's a Merlot blend. 60% Merlot, 27% Tempranillo, 13% Cabernet. I know you just tasted a bunch of Tempranillos from Texas. Can you talk about Tempranillo in Texas, and how ... Is that the grape to hitch your wagon to? Fiona Adams: Tempranillo is definitely something that's becoming really popular there. I mean, they've got the right climate for it. If you think about ... Tempranillo, it's Rioja's grape. It's another place where it is hot there. It is flat. It has got not an entirely similar climate, but they've really been able to take those grapes and bring them to Texas and make their own style on it. I mean, they don't taste like Riojas. They are their own stamp on it. I mean, they do have similarities to Rioja, but I think you get a nice range of styles that you couldn't find someplace else, and just great fruit flavors. A lot of the winemakers are pretty restrained in their use of oak, so you get some really pretty fruit flavors that will go with a lot of different foods. If you don't want something that's a big, heavy Gran Reserva, and you want a Tempranillo, I mean, Texas ... There's a lot of great value there. The vines really seem to have taken to the soils and the climates there, and it really looks like that's where they're headed. Jameson Fink: I thought it was also cool about Messina Hof, is that it was founded in 1977. I mean, I think it was maybe the fourth winery in Texas. I didn't realize that the history goes back that far. Fiona Adams: Oh, yeah. Texas? They've been making wine for a really long time. They used to grow grapes and sell them to California winemakers. Messina Hof's been around for a while, and they definitely have proved themselves as very capable of making excellent wines, and have really embraced the family wine tradition in Texas in creating a lasting industry. Jameson Fink: I also was, when I was looking at their lineup of wines, they have an Estate Sagrantino, which I thought was really cool and unusual. Fiona Adams: It's delicious. Jameson Fink: I think that's ... It reminds me of when I was in Australia, in the McLaren Vale ... That was kind of lame of me to just brag about that, but you know what I mean- Fiona Adams: "When I was in Australia." Jameson Fink: When I was ... Yeah. Yeah. Ugh. So insufferable. But I mean the Barossa, or the McLaren Vale, rather, and it's super ... I mean, it's crazy hot there. There's a winery, Oliver's Taranga, that makes a Sagrantino, and they do a Fiano, and I think it's really smart, when you're in a climate that's that hot, to think about grapes like Sagrantino. Fiona Adams: Absolutely. I mean, they're definitely still experimenting and figuring out, like, "All right. If this works, why can't this work?" Or "This seems to be a climate that's similar to ours. Let's throw in a few vines." I mean, they're enough under-the-radar, and they have a great local consumer base that, if they make something, and maybe it isn't their favorite thing, and they can pull out the vines in a couple of years? At least they tried it, and check that one off the list, move to the next one. Jameson Fink: Yeah. Fiona Adams: I mean, and they're not really having a problem selling their wines. It's hard to find Texas wine outside of Texas because they're drinking all of the wine in Texas. Why would you export, if you can just sell it to everyone here. Jameson Fink: Yeah. No doubt! Fiona Adams: Hopefully, they get to enough production where you can find it in a few more states, but a lot of the wineries have wine clubs. They're easy to find. They're breaking into some markets. Chicago's got a decent handful of producers that are selling there. New York, of course, but ... Yeah. They keep ... I mean, Messina Hof also does Rieslings, which you would think, "Why would you grow Riesling, this German Alpine grape, in hot Texas?" But with really capable wine techniques, and knowing your region really well, they're able to create very dry, very approachable, affordable Rieslings.  Who knows what Texas can do? It's these grapes that are just very surprising, that makes it difficult to be like, "Texas is this." It's like, "Oh, but wait. They also do this, this, and this. So maybe Texas is that." They're trying to find an identity, but maybe it's not as simple as nailing it down to, "Rioja makes Tempranillo. Barossa makes Shiraz." They've got the capability and enough people who are willing to just be constantly experimenting that maybe they don't need to be the "This is the Cab state." Jameson Fink: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Well, speaking of experimenting, one of the nice pleasures of recording with someone in the studio together ... We're live here together ... is sharing some wine. This is our bonus wine that you brought, that I've been really excited to try. It's from Southold Farm + Cellar, which ... I mean, we've both like ... used to be a winery located in Long Island, and now is in Texas. As far as how that happened, I think I can just say Long Island's loss, Texas's gain. But tell me about this white wine you brought. It's very luscious. Fiona Adams: Yeah, so this is a white blend. This is one of those wines where it's like, oh yeah, Texas is going to try ... make anything, and a lot of the times, they're going to succeed. This is Southold's blend. It's called Don't Forget to Soar. It's mostly- Jameson Fink: S-O-A-R. Fiona Adams: Yes. "Soar," like a bird. Jameson Fink: Like a bird. Yes, I gotcha. Fiona Adams: It's mostly Roussanne, right? I said? Jameson Fink: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Fiona Adams: With a splash of Albariño, and those are two white grapes that ... I've been coming across them in Texas a lot. They've been very expressive, really fruit-driven wines. They've got an insane amount of acidity, and they've had a lot of success, so I'm hoping that they do go in this direction where they do a lot more of these Rhône blends, especially in their whites. This one is a little bit funkier. Maybe a little skin-contact going on. Jameson Fink: Possibly, yeah. It's got some depth of color. It's rich. It's very good. It's very ... not indulgent, but it's very luscious, like I said. It's- Fiona Adams: It is luscious. Jameson Fink: Yeah. It's got a lot of texture to it. Fiona Adams: Exactly. Southold, this is another one of those younger winemakers who is trying new things, and really expanding the category. I would say Lewis Cellars, which I mentioned before. They're doing a lot of interesting wines. William Chris is another winery. It's a duo with a younger guy who's making really awesome wines. He is not on the Tempranillo bandwagon. Jameson Fink: Mm. Ah! Fiona Adams: But his wines are incredible, so I'm not going to fault him. Jameson Fink: Right. Fiona Adams: I think having that energy has really been helping to give space to wines like this one, that's a little bit weirder. Wouldn't be what you'd expect, but because Texas isn't nailed down to this one signature style, that everyone's like, "Oh, yeah. I'll try that one. Oh, yeah. I'll try that. Who knows? I'm not so stuck in my ways with one style that I can just try something." Jameson Fink: Yeah. It reminded me, like I said, I hinted at earlier, it reminds me a lot of Washington State, as far as like, "Oh, do we need a signature grape? Do we have one?" Or, I think they're, obviously, in Washington, is farther along, but they went through those same things, where they're like, "We're trying this here. We're trying it in these sites. We're trying these warm weather grapes. We do Riesling, too, and it works." I feel a kinship there.  But whites, rosés, reds. It sounds like Texas is a really exciting place to explore. Especially getting in on the ground floor, before the word is out. The word should be out, because they make a lot of wine. They do make a lot of wine. But I would encourage everyone to visit. I definitely want to visit. I want to go eat some barbecue and drink some Tempranillo and rosé, and maybe have- Fiona Adams: Those Rhône wines. Jameson Fink: ... the Rhône wines. Fiona Adams: You've got to go for those Rhône wines. Jameson Fink: Yeah, the Roussanne. Fiona Adams: McPherson makes a Picquepoul that is my summer wine. They're based out in the High Plains, so a little bit further, but- Jameson Fink: That was the first Texas wine I ever had, was a McPherson. Fiona Adams: He's been doing it a long time, and it shows. His wines are stellar. He's got a little bit of something for everyone. I mean, that Picquepoul, if you're sitting outside in the heat, maybe not Texas heat, but it's just as hot in New York right now. Jameson Fink: Yeah. Fiona Adams: That's the wine that I want to be drinking. Jameson Fink: Fantastic. Well, there's a lot to explore with Texas wine, so thanks for enlightening me and being on the show, Fiona. Fiona Adams: Thank you. Jameson Fink: All right. Let's drink more of this delightful Southold wine. Fiona Adams: Yeah. Jameson Fink: Thank you for listening to the What We're Tasting Podcast. Sponsored by Vivino, Wine Made Easy. The three wines we discussed today were: Llano Estacado 2017 Signature Rosé, the Haak 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon from the Texas High Plains, and the Messina Hof 2014 Paolo Limited Edition Red. Find What We're Tasting on iTunes, Google Play, or wherever you find podcasts. If you liked today's episode, please give us a five-star rating on iTunes, leave a comment, and tell your friends. What We're Tasting is a Wine Enthusiast podcast. Check out Wine Enthusiast online at winemag.com.

When you think about drinks from Texas what first comes to mind might be Lone Star beer or Tito's Vodka. But for the wine lover, look to Texas Hill Country. Here lies a burgeoning wine industry. The arid land and gently rolling hills there brings to mind the south of Spain. It's in the hill country just outside of Austin that William Chris Vineyards is located. The Chris of William Chris, is Chris Brundrett, the native Texas winemaker winemaker who studied at Texas A&M. Brundrett is making some really delicious and  intriguing wines that express the terroir of the lone star state.

William and joining host Christopher welcome Vulture and Rolling Stone freelance writer Charles Bradesco to discuss the third and fourth episode of Rebecca Bunch’s continuing adventures in West Covina.  

Daniela Marcone owns the Italian restaurant Andiamo in Austin, TX. They don't prescribe to any regional cuisine in particular but more so focus on what is fresh and in season in Austin, though Daniela is from Napoli. The wine list is all Italian with a focus on small producers with organic and biodynamic philosophies. In the last 15 minutes we get an update from the Texas winery William Chris; how the 2016 harvest is shaping up, and their movement on 100% grown Texas wines called the Texas Wine Revolution. Enjoy!

In Podcast #3, Jeremy Wilson talked to Chris Brundrett of William Chris Vineyards. Chris mentioned how co-owner Bill Blackmon handled the vineyard management at William Chris, so it was only natural that we visit again and talk to Bill. We asked listeners what they wanted to hear on the Texas Wine Lover podcast and oneRead More

  On a sunny day with pleasantly comfortable temperatures and a light breeze rustling through the trees, I pulled into William Chris Vineyards. When crossing the cattle guard in their driveway, the fact that you are going to experience something special, something unique, something… well… something very tasty becomes very apparent. Episode #3 of theRead More