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