Welcome to the Texas Wine Scene Podcast. The most up-to-date information to help you prepare for your wine tasting weekend. I'm Mike. Your Texas Wine Scene correspondent bringing you all the wine happenings in and around the great state of Texas. From the high plains to the hill country. If you love Texas Wine, you've come to the right place. Let's take a trip.
Welcome back everyone to the Texas Wine Scene Podcast. I'm your host. Your Texas Wine Scene correspondent, Mike Cole, bringing you all the wine happenings in and around the great state of Texas. If you are a subscriber to the podcast, thank you so much for returning and tuning into this week's episode. And if you are new to the podcast, thank you so much for stopping by to check us out.
We are an information-based podcast supporting and sharing wine events, tastings, and industry news around the great state of Texas. So I hope you enjoy the content and if you do, please consider subscribing and sharing the podcast with all your wine-loving friends. It helps to continue to spread the word about the podcast and keeps everyone informed about current wine-related events.
Also, please follow me on my socials at Texas Wine Scene on Instagram and Texas Wine Scene on Facebook where you will see all the posts about upcoming events for the weekend. And now for your Texas Wine Scene news. In a recent article, Cottonwood Wine Tours was named the sixth best wine tour company in USA Today's Top 10 list. The companies were chosen by readers and an expert panel of members.
USA Today found that the companies ranked on the list offer wine-focused trips with transportation, helpful guides, and additional amenities. Cottonwood Wine Tours in particular offer group outings to the Texas Hill Country wineries and vineyards with numerous options. Their tour length can range from 4 to 8 hours and offer many winery stops, skilled tour guide, food, and tasting prices.
Cottonwood Wine Tours was founded by husband and wife duo Matthew and Brandi Garcia in 2023 and since then they have become the premier provider of Hill Country Wine Tours from San Antonio. Matthew Garcia said, Our goal is to share our love of wine, San Antonio, and the Texas Hill Country with all of our guests.
Cottonwood Wine Tours is also an eco-friendly company who is committed to using only renewable and alternative fuels to operate their fleet in order to reduce their impact on carbon emissions. Cottonwood Wine Tours has been the recipient of TripAdvisor's Certificate of Excellence in 2018 and featured as one of the Top 10 Wine Tours in the country by USA Today in 2021. For more information and reservations with Cottonwood Wine Tours, visit their website at cottonwoodwinetours.com.
In a recent press release in the wine industry advisor, Saver Glass, a world leader in designing, producing, customizing, and decorating high-end glass bottles, announced its expansion in the North American market via a new warehouse location in Houston, Texas. This strategic expansion aims to better serve wine and spirits brands by providing more accessible purchasing options and reducing shipping costs across the United States.
Matt Wilson, Senior Vice President of Americas at Saver Glass, said, We are thrilled to announce our new offerings in Houston, Texas, marking another significant step in Saver Glass commitment to enhancing accessibility and reducing logistical barriers for our valued wine and spirits customers across the United States.
He says, This expansion allows us to offer a select range of our premium glass bottles more conveniently, ensuring that wineries and distilleries can efficiently meet their package of needs while optimizing their budgets.
In a subsequent release in the wine industry advisor, the Texas Wine Auction Foundation is thrilled to announce the receipt of a generous $150,000 grant from Create Healthy, the Hill Country-based Foundation supporting nonprofits, working to advance health and wellness in their community. This significant contribution will enable the Texas Wine Auction Foundation to further its mission of supporting the mental health needs of the hospitality community in Gillespie and surrounding counties.
The grant allows the Texas Wine Auction Foundation to expand its successful pilot program, which is innovative in that it provides funding for licensed professional counselor interns who are required to complete 3,000 hours of supervised counseling to receive their license as a professional counselor.
Valerie Elkins, board member of the Texas Wine Auction Foundation said, We put together a program to increase the availability of mental health education and counseling programs while supporting individuals working to become a licensed professional counselor. We are so excited to be an active participant in providing solutions to better the mental health of those hospitality workers supporting our community as well as their families.
According to a recent data collected from Mental Health America and the United States Census Bureau, in a recent Forbes article, 29% of adults in Texas report unmet mental health needs. For more information about the Texas Wine Auction Foundation and to learn how you can support their mission, visit their website at TexasWineAuction.com. Texas Fine Wine recently announced the dates for their annual Texas Fine Wine Sunset Cruise and Dinner.
The article reads, It's that time of the year again. Mark your calendars for Friday, September 6 from 7 to 9.30pm for this popular and often sold out wine cruise along Lake Austin. This special cruise features two wines each from four of the top wineries in Texas, Bending Branch Winery, Dukeman Family Winery, Pair Nala Sellers, and Spicewood Vineyards. You will enjoy a fajita dinner, soft drinks, and tea along with music while cruising to the Pennybacker 360 Bridge.
Bending Branch Winery 2023 to Nath Frizonte and their 2019 Texas Cabinet Sauvignon. Dukeman Family Winery's 2023 Vignet as well as their 2023 Sangiovese. Pair Nala Sellers 2022 over the Moon Rosé as well as their 2020 Valhalla. And Spicewood Vineyards 2023 Estate Sauvignon Blanc as well as their 2019 Blend No. 2. And that's your Texas Wine Scene News.
With the presidential election coming up in a short couple of months, I can't help but to have politics on the front of my brain due to all the ads and 24 hour coverage of the event on all the major news outlets. So I thought I would talk briefly about the politics of Texas Wine. Wait, wait, wait, don't turn off the episode just yet. It's not going to be that type of show.
I'm not going to talk about Texas Wine politics in the sense that it gets consumers, winemakers, and winery owners to prepare for a good old fashioned gunfight in the middle of town at high noon with tumbleweeds flying around. But rather a positive spin on Texas Wine politics and acknowledge and highlight a couple of Texas organizations that does the politicking for the consumer and the industry folks here in the great Lone Star State.
The two organizations I would like to highlight are the Texas Wine and Grape Groids Association and the Texas Wine Growers. The Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association is probably the largest organization supporting the Texas Wine industry. Their mission is to promote the production and appreciation of premium grapes and fine wines from Texas and to represent a unified state industry with common marketing, governmental, and educational goals.
The board of directors are led by Roxanne Myers of Los Oak Winery, Bob Landon of Landon Winery, and Joe Riddle of Uva Marado Vineyards. The board meets three times a year and sets policy, provide oversight, and pursue association goals. The executive committee is led by President John Matthews of Cassara Winery and Vineyard in Ovala, Texas.
There are five regions in the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association, which include Region 1, the Texas High Plains, Region 2, North Texas, Region 3, the Gulf Coast, Region 4, West Texas, and Region 5, the Texas Hill Country, each with its own regional directors.
There are eight subcommittees in the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association, the Education Committee, which is responsible for educational content for the various events, Legislative Committee, which advocates for the interests of the Texas Wine and Grape Growers industry, Governance Committee, which oversees the organization's governance structure and practices to ensure transparency, accountability, and effective decision making.
Great Camp Steering Committee, which is responsible for organizing the High Plains Regional Meeting. The Annual Conference Steering Committee, which organized Twigga's flagship event, the Annual Conference and Trade Show. Loan Start International Wine Competition Steering Committee, which oversees and manages various aspects of the wine competition. Membership Engagement Committee, which oversees recruitment, retention, and engagement of Twigga's members.
And the Strategic Partnership Committee, which identifies and cultivates partnerships that align with the organization's strategic goals. The Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association is the only statewide trade association representing the Texas Wine and Grape industry through an elected Board of Directors. Texas Wine Growers is a 501C non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and protecting the integrity of Texas wine.
They do this by educating consumers about the unique terroir of Texas and the importance of using 100% Texas grown grapes in winemaking. By supporting research and education about Texas winemaking, promoting Texas wine to consumers and policymakers, and by advocating for policies that support the Texas wine industry. The Texas Wine Growers Board of Directors are led by John Reivenberg of Curville Hills Winery and Incubator.
They have 14 wine grower members and 10 grape grower members with notable names such as Bingham Family Vineyards in Meadow, Texas, Uplift Vineyards in Burnett, and Chateau Wright in the Fort Bend Davis region. Notable wine growers include Losdra Wines, Lewis Wines, Calais Winery, and Reivenberg Wines. As part of the Wine Origins Location Matters campaign, the Texas Wine Growers has declared to protect the wine place names and origin of the state of Texas.
The joint declaration to protect wine place names and origin was first signed in Napa Valley, California on July 26, 2005. It is a set of principles aimed at educating consumers and policymakers about the importance of location in winemaking. Texas Wine Growers was accepted as a member of the Wine Origins in February of 2017.
The declaration states, whereas, it is generally acknowledged that there are a handful of truly extraordinary places on earth from which great wine is consistently produced. The names of these places are printed on the labels side by side with the names of the producers to identify the origin of the wine. Wine, more than any other beverage, is valued based on its association to its place of origin and with good reason.
Even before modern technology allowed us to tie specific definitions to the soils, terrain, and climates of the noted wine regions, winemakers were drawn to these special places. The names of these places are familiar and synonymous with quality. We respectfully submit that the place where the wine is grown plays a very important role in a consumer selection process.
We are furthermore united in our belief that the geographic place names of the wine regions are the sole birthright of the grapes that are grown there, and when these names appear on the wines that do not contain fruit from that region, they lose their integrity and their relevance, becoming merely words.
Therefore, be it resolved that we, as some of the world's leading wine regions, join in supporting efforts to maintain and protect the integrity of these place names, which are fundamental tools for consumer identification of great wine growing regions and the wines they produce. So I think it's important to acknowledge and thank these organizations for their initiative, their hard work, and dedication to the Texas wine industry.
If you would like to get involved and learn more about these organizations and possibly become members, visit their websites at txwines.org for the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association and texaswinegrowers.com for the Texas Wine Growers. Before we get into the events for the weekend, let's check the weather. The weather for the week in in the High Plains Winegrowing region will have high temperatures of 97 degrees with low temperatures of 69 degrees.
The north Texas Winegrowing region will have high tempers of 100 degrees with low temperatures of 76 degrees. The West Texas Winegrowing region will have high temperatures of 89 degrees with low temperatures of 64 degrees. The Texas Hill Country wine growing region will have high temperatures of 97 degrees with low temperatures of 62 degrees. And the Gulf Coast wine growing region will have high temperatures of 99 degrees with low temperatures of 79 degrees.
Welcome back to the Texas Hill Country wine growing region. Sip and taste through six delicious rosé wines with a panel of experts where you won't know what each wine is until the end of the reveal. This event will be educational, it will be tasty and it will be so much fun. If you love rosé wines and can appreciate the many styled and varieties used to craft this versatile wine, then this event is for you. For more information on this event visit their website at beckervignards.com.
Join Spicewood Vineyards in Spicewood, Texas for their Texas Temporneo Retrospective event on Saturday, August 10 from 2 to 4pm. Ron Yates will guide you through a tasting of 10 Vintage's of your favorite Spicewood Vineyards Temporneos from years past. This one of a kind event will allow you to get a deeper understanding of their favorite wine to make and drink. For more information on this deliciously educational event visit their website at spicewoodvignards.com.
Back by popular demand is Hilmi Sellers Wine Maker for a Day event on Friday, August 9 at 5.30pm. Slip behind the scenes at Hilmi Sellers as wine maker Michael Barton teaches you a bit about how wine blends are made. You will be randomly assigned a small team and together you'll create a red wine blend. Michael Barton will taste the blended wines and choose the winner. Each member of the winning team will be gifted a certificate for a free wine tasting to be used at Hilmi Sellers on another day.
Members, non-members, women, men, industry professionals, and casual wine lovers, everyone is invited. For more information on this event visit hilmiwine.com. How about expanding your wine blending knowledge from Hilmi Sellers and head on over to High Metal Winery in High Texas for their Grape Stomp and Tour event on Saturday, August 10 from 1.30 to 3.30pm.
You will learn all about the wonder of wine making as you take a tour of the production facility, attend a curated wine tasting and grape stomp. For more information on this event visit their website at highmetal.com. Head on out to Lost Draw Winery in Fredericksburg and get ready to make a splash at their Lost Draw Splash Day on Saturday, August 10 from 11 to 4pm. This family friendly summer bash will be filled with live music, water slides, and a water balloon battle.
Bring your own swimsuits and get ready to beat the heat and style. And as an added bonus, bring your favorite furry friend to join in the fun. There will be water activities and pools for the dogs as well. For more information on this event visit their website at LostDraw.com. Join Messina Hoff Winery in Bryan, Texas for their Trailer Park Tragedy Murder Mystery event on Friday, August 9 from 7 to 10pm.
Well known in the community and by law enforcement agencies for its after hours fights, double crossings, and illegal happenings, this Trailer Park BBQ is a recipe for disaster. However, with free food and booze on the menu, the impolite and intoxicated residents are sure to be there. As this Trailer Park Murder Mystery unfolds, you will defend your innocence while figuring out which one of your rotten no good neighbors is to blame for this Murder Mystery adventure.
For more information on this event visit their website at MessinaHoff.com. Join William Chris Vineyards for their Design and Wine event on Sunday, August 11 from 12 to 2.30pm. Head on now to discover the magic of paper mache and wine as you step into a world where creativity knows no bounds. Immerse yourself in a 2 hour workshop that masterfully blends the enchanting process of paper mache while sipping a glass of Texas wine. This event is perfect for the beginners and craft enthusiasts alike.
The event begins with a brief yet enlightening 10 minute introduction to the art form's history and process followed by an overview of the class structure. Attendees can then choose from many dried, ready to hang masks and let your imagination run wild with decorations. With over 250 images for inspiration and a vast selection of tools including paints and gold leafs along with feathers and more, guests can create anything from beloved pets to mesmerizing sugar skulls.
For more information on this event visit their website at Williamchriswines.com. Join the Texas Wine Collective for their Grape Stomp and Payeyah party on Saturday, August 10 from 6.30 to 9pm. Harvest is the best time of the year in the Texas Hill Country so come on out to enjoy the sweet fragrance of ripened grapes in the air and ring in the next vintage. The evening will include live music by Kalani and the All Nighters, dinner and delicious award-winning wines.
Ticket purchase includes wine tastings, one glass of wine with Payeyah dinner, a t-shirt and grape stomping. For more information on this event visit their website at TexasWineCollective.com. Blue Lotus Winery in Sageen, Texas is having two wine events this weekend starting with their Wine and Cheese pairing event on Saturday, August 10 from 6.30 to 8pm. Enjoy an evening of pairing wine and cheese together for its optimal flavors.
The charcuterie plates with additional cheese, nuts, fruits, crackers and sausage will all be included in the event. Then join them for their Two Step Wine Dance event on Sunday, August 11 from 1.30 to 3.30 pm. Come out and learn how to Two Step while enjoying a glass of wine. No experience is necessary, they will teach you all you need to know. For more information on these events visit their website at BlueLotusWinery.com.
The San Antonio Rodeo Wine Committee is hosting their final recruiting event on Wednesday, August 14 from 5 to 7.30 pm at Saltgrass Steakhouse at the 281 location in San Antonio, Texas. Due to the various events they host throughout the year, they need about 30 more volunteers to join the wine committee in order to complete their preferred membership roster. Come out to enjoy this informational happy hour and meet key members of the committee and learn about the mission.
For more information on this event visit their website at WineRookiesatgmail.com. The Average Winery in Wethaford, Texas is looking for harvest help on Saturday and Sunday, August 10 and 11 starting at 5 am. On Saturday, they will be harvesting their cherished ochetal grapes and on Sunday they will be harvesting their deliciously bow pati'tsirah. Whether you are an early riser or can join later, they'd love to have you either or both mornings.
Lunch will be provided to keep everyone field and don't forget to wear sunscreen and a hat for your comfort. To RSVP for this event, visit Dover Ridge Winery at Gmail.com. Twelve Fires Winery in Vineyard in Johnson City is also looking for harvest volunteers. They will be harvesting their first ever estate mauvet on Saturday, August 10 at 6.30 am. This is an exhilarating time as they have been spending many years cultivating the vineyard for this very moment.
They would love for you to join them for this memory making event. Lunch and libations will be provided for all the well-deserved vineyard volunteers. To volunteer for this event, visit their website at sales at twelvefires.com. Tornilocks in Burnett, Texas is looking for volunteers as well for their first harvest of the season on Saturday, August 10 starting at 6.15 am. They will meet outside the vineyard fence so harvest can begin promptly at 6.30 am sharp.
There are 30 volunteer positions available for this harvest and breakfast snacks, water and then a light lunch with a glass of wine will be provided. Volunteers will also receive a souvenir t-shirt as a thank you for all of your hard work. For more information on this volunteering event, visit their website at tornilocks.com. And those are your wine events for the weekend. Stay tuned for your music lineup for the weekend. Up next!
Barron's Creek Vineyards in Fredericksburg gets the music lineup started this week with David Selbow on stage Saturday, August 10 from 1-4 pm. Moody Family Wines in Bullard, Texas will have Patrick Asher on stage Saturday, August 10 from 6-8 pm. Triple Inn Ranch Winery in Trinidad, Texas will have Neil and Carol King tribute on Saturday, August 10 from 6.45 to 9.15 pm.
The wonderful folks over at Threshold Vineyards in Navasota, Texas will let Red Waterson jam out on Saturday, August 10 from 3-6 pm. Peters Prairie Vineyards in Mason, Texas will have Justin McFarlane on stage Saturday, August 10 from 2-4 pm. Bernhardt Winery in Plantersville, Texas will have Vinyl Arcade on stage Saturday, August 10 from 1-5 pm followed by Bad Mood Rising performing a Creedence tribute on Sunday, August 11 from 7-9 pm.
Two Brothers Winery in Keller, Texas will have the Jay Birds on stage Saturday, August 10 from 7-9 pm. Deep Roots Vineyards in Plantersville will have MoDoc on stage Friday, August 9 from 8-10.30 pm. Wild Seed Farms in Fredericksburg will let Steve Gary assume the musical duties on Saturday, August 10 from 2-5 pm followed by Madison Rodges on Sunday, August 11 from 2-5 pm.
Barnhill Vineyards in Anaheim, Texas will have the Rumble Kings on stage Friday, August 9 from 8-10.30 pm followed by Raised on Journey Saturday, August 10 from 8-10.30 pm. The Oak Winery in Fredericksburg will let Michael Norder Thomas rock the house on Sunday, August 11 from 1-4 pm. Bending Branch Winery in Comfort, Texas will have Lea Bouchon on stage Sunday, August 11 from 2-5 pm. Viesta Winery on 2-9 pm will have Jake McClain on stage Saturday, August 10 from 3-6 pm.
Viesta Winery at the Bend location will have Chase Gasaway on stage Saturday, August 10 from 1-5 pm. Flat Creek Estate Winery in Marble Falls, Texas will have Shane Hammond on stage Saturday, August 10 from 2-6 pm followed by Dave Solea on Sunday, August 11 from 1-5 pm. There now the sellers in Stonewall, Texas will let Bruce Salmon play some smooth tunes on Saturday, August 10 from 1-5 pm.
Texas Heritage Vineyard in Fredericksburg has an outstanding music lineup this weekend, starting with Kathy and Michael Broussard on stage Friday, August 9 from 2-4 pm followed by Brian Maldonado on Saturday, August 10 from 2-4 pm. Shani will close out the musical set on Sunday, August 11 from 2-4 pm. Texas Hill Vineyards in Johnson City will have the very popular Anthony Garcia on stage Saturday, August 10 from 1-4 pm.
The Texas Wine Collective in Fredericksburg will let Mark Denison provide the musical sounds on Saturday, August 10 from 1-5 pm. Torna Locks in Burnett, Texas will have Bond Fusion on stage Saturday, August 10 from 2-5 pm. And Lost Oak Winery in Burleson, Texas will close out the musical lineup for the weekend with Tickle and Croon on stage Saturday, August 10 from 6-9 pm. And that's your music lineup for the weekend. Stay tuned for Did You Know?
As one of the most significant events in sports history, the Olympic torch relay conjures up a level of energy and anticipation for the greatest sports spectacle in the world. But if you are a wine lover, this year's Olympics has a special place in your heart. As you well know, the summer games of the 33rd Olympiad are being held in the Mecca of all wine regions, France.
The Olympic torch is one of the most important symbols of the Olympic Games and is lit in Olympia Greece several months before the beginning of the Games. This starts the Olympic torch relay and the flames are then carried to the host city for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. The torch is meant to be a symbol of hope, peace and unity.
The Olympic torch relay was the brainchild of Carl Diem, the chief organizer of the Berlin Games of 1936, who envisioned an unprecedented succession of more than 3,000 runners transporting the flame from the cradle of the ancient Olympics to Berlin's Olympic Stadium. But Did You Know? This year's journey through France consists of 68 stages with stage 1 beginning in Marseille on May 8th with 4-time NBA champion, French-born and Texas-adopted Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs.
Tony Parker is one of the country's most recognizable athletes and is now a partner of Chateau La Masquerone where he is deeply involved with winemaking and rosé wines. Stage 4 of the relay saw the torch pass through Provence, France, where it is famous for its rosé wines. Stage 8 of the relay passed through the Languedoc-Roussillon region where wine historians believe that the world's first sparkling wines was produced in the region around the city of Lemieux in 1531.
Stage 14 went through Bordeaux, stage 45 through Champagne and stage 55 saw the torch pass through one of the most prestigious and most expensive wine regions of Côte d'Or, famous for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. As a former competitive athlete and now wine enthusiast, the historic Olympic torch relay through the most renowned wine regions in the world sounds like a pretty awesome experience. Well that would do it for this week's episode. Thank you for joining me.
I'm Mike Cole, your Texas Wine Scene correspondent and I look forward to seeing you next time on the Texas Wine Scene. Cheers! For more in-depth information on the wineries mentioned in this episode, visit the Texas Wine Lover website at txwinelover.com or the Texas Wine Lover app. There you will be able to find a vast amount of information about Texas wineries and wine-related businesses.
You can also search for information such as Texas wineries with lodging, 100% Texas wineries, poor companies, wine maker profiles and much, much more. So visit their website at txwinelover.com. That's txwinelover.com. Also please leave me a rating and a review and share the podcast with all your wine-loving friends. Cheers!