Uncovering America's best kept wine secrets
Texas
Texas wine is big, bold, and totally underestimated. With 8 AVAs and a landscape that swings from high plains to limestone hills, Texas winemakers are proving that world-class wine doesn’t need coastal fog or centuries of tradition. They’re leaning into Mediterranean grapes, dry-farming in tough conditions, and crafting bottles with serious soul. It’s not just wine- it’s Texas wine.
By the Numbers
360
Over 360 years ago, Texas became home to one of the first vineyards in North America.
Franciscan priests planted grapes near modern-day El Paso around 1662- long before Napa was even a thought.
600,000
The number of gallons bottled by Texas yearly. Red wine makes up 35% of all wine bottled in the state, compared to just 21% for white.
(The rest? Rosé, sweet, sparkling… and a few surprises.)
600+
Texas is now home to over 600 wineries- a massive leap from just a few dozen two decades ago.
(That’s a whole lot of tasting rooms- and a lot more wine to taste.)
If These Vines Could Talk
The Grapes
Tempranillo
Tempranillo is Texas’s star grape, thriving in the warm, dry High Plains. It produces bold, earthy reds with dark fruit and leather notes, often compared to Rioja with a Texas twist.
Mourvèdre
Texas Mourvèdre is savory, spicy, and full of dusty red fruit. It performs well in hot, arid AVAs like Texas High Plains and is often used in Rhône-style blends.
Viognier
Aromatic and tropical, Viognier is one of Texas’s best white grapes. It shows stone fruit, honeysuckle, and rich texture, especially in the Hill Country and High Plains.
Tannat
Big, bold, and tannic, Tannat is gaining traction in Texas for its heat tolerance and age-worthy structure. Often softened with oak or blending, it’s a favorite among bold red wine lovers.
Sangiovese
Texas Sangiovese is bright, cherry-driven, and savory, making it a natural fit for the state’s climate. It’s increasingly used in both varietal wines and blends.
Roussanne
Roussanne is a Rhône white that’s thriving in Texas, producing wines with pear, honey, and herbal notes. It handles the heat well and often appears in both blends and varietal bottlings.
Black Spanish
A hybrid grape with deep roots in Texas, Black Spanish (a.k.a. Lenoir) is used for bold reds and port-style wines. It’s prized for its resistance to disease and humidity in Gulf Coast vineyards.
History
1662
First Texas Vines
Spanish missionaries plant grapes near modern-day El Paso, the earliest known vineyards in North America.
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1800s
Frontier Wine Making
Early settlers and German immigrants make wine from wild grapes like Mustang and Muscadine.
Late 1800s
State Research & Innovation:
Influential viticultural research by individuals like Thomas Volney Munson in the late 1800s laid crucial groundwork for Texas grape growing. The Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, established in 1888, also began contributing to agricultural studies that would eventually support viticulture.
1900s–1910s
Early Commercial Efforts
Small wineries pop up in central and west Texas, including early vineyards in Lubbock and Del Rio.
1919–1933
Prohibition Shuts It Down
Prohibition forces nearly all Texas wineries to close. Some vineyards survive by selling fresh grapes.
1976
Post-Prohibition Rebirth
Llano Estacado Winery and Pheasant Ridge plant European grapes near Lubbock, proving quality wine is possible in Texas.
1980s–1990s
AVAs and Growth
New wineries continue to take root statewide through the 1980s, culminating in the establishment of the Texas Hill Country AVA in 1991, which quickly became one of the largest in the U.S.
1990s–2000s
Heat-Tolerant Grapes Rise
Winemakers lean into Mediterranean varieties like Tempranillo, Viognier, and Mourvèdre to suit the Texas climate.
2010s
Texas Wine Gains Recognition
Texas wines win awards and national attention, especially for Tempranillo, Roussanne, and Tannat.
2020s
Expansion and Innovation
A new wave of winemakers experiments with low-intervention wines, hybrids, and sustainable farming across Texas.