Inwood Estates Winery and Bistro

The ‘Hottest’ Wine Trail in Texas is Off Hwy 290!

Goodtaste.tv

There’s no way around it: the way we taste our Texas wines has changed. We’re now America’s No. 5 wine-producing state! If you haven’t heard the buzz on the Fredericksburg Wine Road 290 as of late, it’s time to hit the trail. This serene stretch of road along US Highway 290 near Fredericksburg, Texas is being compared to the Napa of 30 years ago–a higher level of development, growth and quality. Up for an adventure (and some best wine in the state)? This is where it’s happening! The thirteen Texas wineries found along this route specialize in home-grown hospitality, with newcomers to the neighborhood like Messina Hof adding to 290’s already esteemed reputation with 3 Top of Class Winners at the 2014 San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo. We’re getting ahead of ourselves, however. The first stop on our Goodtaste tour of 290 landed us at 4.0 Cellars.

4.0’s impressive facility is a good starting point. They’re tasting room is a lively spot with plenty of foot traffic. Here you’ll taste award-winning Texas wines from three different producers: Brennan Vineyards, Lost Oak Winery, and McPherson Cellars. Talk about saving some time on travel (and gas!). They also do a fun ‘Texas Cheese & Wine Experience’ – Texas cheeses from Veldhuizen Cheese Company paired with five wines selected from 4.0 Cellars.

Up the road, maybe 200 yards, is the aforementioned Messina Hof Winery & Resort. One of the pioneers of Texas wines, standouts include their Cabernet Franc Private Reserve as well as their crisp, clear and pleasantly sweet Angel Riesling.

Just across the highway – and a place that’s always intrigued me – is Dan Gatlin’s Inwood Estates Vineyard. Dan is a bit of a renegade and works extremely hard to elevate the status of Texas wines. A MUST, according to Dan, is that a wine needs to say ‘Texas’ on the font label or it is not a true Texas wine. Inwood is known for its Tempranillo, but also doing some really great work with Cabernet — which has immense potential largely untapped in Texas.
We made fast friends with Inwood’s on-site bistro. Be sure to stick around for something to munch on…

GO TEXAN WineCast - Dallas Wine Trail

This is the fifth in a series of eight videos on Texas Wine trails. This episode features the Dallas Wine Trail, a cluster of four wineries in and around downtown Dallas. These wineries bring the rural winery experience into the heart of Big D. Visit for more info.