Owners Robert and Lydia Nida are certainly
no strangers to the Texas wine industry. Having hands on work experience at
several area wineries, connections with Texas grape growers, running their own
vino consulting business, and experiences from abroad including France, Spain,
Portugal, and Italy has certainly served them well. The name of the winery
has a real deep meaning to them on how they got engaged and Lydia’s love for
penguins. Telling the story is one thing, but it is much better to hear it
from them in person when you got to taste their great wines! Their passion
for winemaking and how they want to see their new business run is quite
inspiring. Not only are they sticking to their guns and keeping it a small
production winery, but both Rob and Lydia see this as a unique opportunity to
help give back and support the Texas winery community by fostering novel
winemakers on the ins and out of the industry. It’s a win-win for
both the master and the apprentice and shows a serious and genuine commitment
to the Texas wine world and helping to give back and mentor others to create an
even better Texas wine industry. Current tastings are done at the Cicada
Cellars location in Stonewall, Texas. Most fruit is sourced from the Texas High
Pains AVA. We first tried the 2018 Chenin Blanc. Oh wow! If you are not already
one, Rob’s latest creation will make a Chenin Blanc lover out of
you. It’s got a nice, crisp long-lasting finish that you expect from
a great Chenin. The second wine sampled was the 2018 Rosé of
Sangiovese. Sourced from Nara Vineyards, it has great acids and a spectacular
fruit forward profile. The winemakers also have a 2018 Table Red
Growler. Their growler program allows wine club members a unique
opportunity to refill wine from some custom batch wine jobs. The 2018 Growler
was a Malbec and packed a full mouth feel with great tannins! Available during our visit was a 2017
Sangiovese from Cellar Rat…another small batch wine produced by another
winemaker in the Hill Country. Lastly, we tasted the 2015 O Inicio. This
fortified Blanc du Bois is rich in flavor, smooth in sipping, and really demonstrates
the true quality character of this varietal. The labels and rocks in their
tasting room are the Petoskey rocks from Lake Michigan - a testament to their
life experiences. They likewise feature some great artworks on the walls to
admire to help compliment your wine tasting experience. These two rising star
entrepreneurs have made a great new start with Pebble Rock. Their vision
signifies a new wave of next generation winemaking for the Texas industry and
we could not be more pleased with their work. Look forward to more great things
from this couple!
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