Rosemary’s Vineyard & Winery - La Grange, Tx

The folks here started up this winery about seven years ago. Located along the rolling hills on HWY 71, they are situated just east of the town of La Grange.  Owner, Emmett Schulze, started out with some estate grape vines in 2000, but learned by “experience” what grows well and what doesn’t for this area.  Most grapes now come from west Texas or the high plains, but they still have a few locally produced, as well.  Currently, there are about seven wines for tasting located in the new bigger tasting room.  Much better than the smaller one many people may have visited before.  They have your traditional Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot plus some nice Muscadines. They have both red and white Muscadine wines that are surprisingly smoother than some others made in Texas.  Check out the Lenior, too, as its flavors should be palatable for most red wine drinkers. We think the White Zinfandel is the one you might remember most at this place.  It’s a very pleasant that is a lightly crisp wine that when chilled would be perfect for those hot days. This is a nice little stop as you’re heading back and forth between Austin and Houston, with a country setting just off the highway, inviting you to sit a spell and relax as you enjoy the wines and the pretty scenery. The tasting room has ample space, so feel free to stop in and visit a while.

wines-made-in-texas.com

Marsanne – 2005; Stone House Vineyard; Spicewood, Texas

A Marsanne you say?  Why, yes!  Bottled under their Australia wines, Stone House Vintners, this white wine comes from old Australian vines in the Wrattonbully area.  Here is what you get with the aromas: lemon & honeysuckle.  This Marsanne wine is medium bodied with a crisp taste, slight acidity, and perhaps a bit higher alcohol content.  The color looked very well intact, given its age.  If you’re tired of Chardonnay’s, give this lovely white a try. It can be served both chilled or room temperature. Enjoy!!

www.stonehousevineyard.com

Malvasia Bianca – 2009; Llano Estacado Winery; Lubbock, Texas

This white wine is an excellent dessert wine to serve after a good hearty meal or sweet wine to serve with spicy dishes.  The grapes were sourced from New Mexico.   It has some wonderful honey suckle and citrus aromas to kick start your tasting experience.  There’s just enough sweetness in the wine to help give it that nice dessert feeling, yet not so much as to overpower the natural grape flavors.  It tastes as if it has higher alcohol content as well.   Too bad it’s only in a 500ml bottle, but sometimes good stuff comes in smaller packages, so don’t let that discourage you from picking up any of these bottles!

www.llanowine.com

Compass Rose Cellars – Mason, Texas

An up and coming small boutique winery has now opened in Mason, Texas.  Owner, Mark Watson, has finally seen his dream realized of combining art and science into wine making.  Winemaker, Rob Nida, has been around the block at Woodrose Winery and William & Chris Vineyards.  With his years in Europe and Oregon, Rob is ready to make his mark on the Texas wine industry.  Grape crushing started in 2011 and now they are open for business.  Many Texas wine travelers may have already come across their wines at area events.  They currently have two great tasting wines to try.  Their Pinot Grigio grapes were sourced from Mason County.  Chilled, it makes for a clean, crisp wine with a nice floral aroma. The second wine currently available is a Merlot which was actually their first wine release.  Grapes were sourced from Granite Hill Vineyards. This is an excellent red wine to try and not your typical “mellow” merlot!  In the barrels, they have Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, and a few others just to name a few.  More selections will definitely be coming next year.  Add this place to your list of must stops and be sure to pencil in some time in the future for a revisit when they have new wines released. Though you may need to drive a little to get to this location, it is well worth it. Mason now has a couple of wineries offering some very interesting options, so take a field trip and take yourself off the beaten path to check out the options that this wonderful area has to offer.

www.compassrosecellars.com

Red Roan – 2004; Lost Oak Winery; Burleson, Texas

Many wine lovers would agree that there’s nothing like a well aged red wine to make your day.  Fortunately, this wine is no dud.  This red wine vintage is a blend of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon (64/36).  The color has held up quite well over the years.  Little color separation is noticeable.  The peppery and smoky aromas will entice your taste buds for some intense flavors to come.  Boy, are they intense!  The mixture of oak and smokiness lingers longer than expected which gives a whole new meaning to a fine finish.  The tannins have balanced well over the years making you, perhaps, smacking your tongue for more, yet they are smooth and soft.  This is a big, bold, full bodied red. Nothing less than a good chunk of red meat should be paired with this wine.  You may notice the name on the bottle is a little different than the winery name.  They were Lone Oak before renaming to Lost Oak (someone else grabbed the first name).  Make sure you get that big red wine glass out and fill it full.  There’s no sense in keeping leftovers for the next day.  This wine was made to be enjoyed all evening long!

www.lostoakwinery.com

Chardonnay – 2005; Fawn Crest Vineyards; Canyon Lake, Texas

If you happen to have this vintage from Fawn Crest, don’t even try to taste this one at room temperature.  Chilled is the only way to go!  Its golden straw color is quite elegant, but you will notice some variation in color.  That’s ok because it’s been ageing a while for a white.  There are pleasant fruit aromas on the first whiff.  This is not an overly buttery Chardonnay, but it is quite crisp, with some minerality as well.  Oddly enough, there was still a slight effervescence to the taste, when we initially opened this one.  This wine could easily pair with your favorite seafood dish.  Enjoy this one when you’re really ready to enjoy it!  Just try not to wait too much longer.

www.fawncrest.com