Saying
that this is a huge facility is an understatement. Not only do they serve some
great wines but they also have a distillery and brewery here. Talk about a one
stop shop for all. If that was not enough, they also have an excellent local
restaurant, 1894 Ranch, serving delicious farm to table cuisine that is to die
for (including locally raised Wagyu beef). Oh boy! So, how did this great place
come to be? Many longtime Texas wine friends are already familiar with Fiesta
Winery. The same people, Stephen and
Sally Baxter, have taken their next adventure to a whole new level. They come from many generations of family
ranchers, the Baxter and McCoury families, and have named this new inspiring
location from a blend of a couple of their family background names, Archie, and
Ray. The winery, distillery, brewery, and restaurant aren’t the only things to
admire here. There’s a great RV park being built, cabins, as well as plans for
a future Wyndham built but locally managed resort hotel on this site. This will
definitely raise the bar on the ultimate full service stay location in the ever-booming
Texas Hill Country.
There
is so much to share about this place, but for this blog let’s focus on the
wines. The “old” tasting room was opened
in 2022 and this brand new spacious facility opened up to the public last
summer. Family member Weston McCoury from Fiesta has been overseeing the
winemaking for Arch Ray. In addition to Fiesta wines, you can now sample some
great Arch Ray wines. There are
currently five main flights to choose from: Sweet White, Sweet Red, Dry White,
Dry Mix, and Dry Red. For this visit, the focus was on the Arch Ray wines
Dry White and Dry Red fights. Grapes for these Arch Ray wines are sourced from
the Texas High Plains AVA. First up for
the whites was the 2021 Viognier. It has a light tropical sensation with notes
of honeysuckle. This was followed by the 2021 Gewurztraminer. This white wine is big on pear and dried
apricot with a pleasant floral note. The 2021 Pinot Grigio has a light
refreshing feel with notes of crisp apple and a touch of honey. The last white sampled
was the 2021 Riesling. This German semi dry style wine packs a zesty floral
note coupled with notes of apple and pear.
For the reds, the first one sampled was the 2019 Mourvèdre. This well-known
Texas wine varietal had a touch of smoke and a bit of oak to compliment the
peppery feel and smooth finish. The second red was the 2019 Sangiovese. This
Italian style wine had rich cherries and spices. Another well-known Texas
varietal in this flight was the 2019 Tempranillo. This one packed some bold
cherries, and mouth puckering tannins with just the right shade of ruby color. Last,
was the 2019 Tannat. This bold and dark fruit wine was quite elegant with well-balanced
acids and a satisfying lip puckering finish.
You honestly can’t go wrong with any of these wines, so feel free to
dive in and enjoy.
In addition to the large indoor location, there is a covered patio area for scenic outside seating for you to soak up some classic Hill Country scenery. If you have time, plan to sample some of their food while you enjoy your tasting. The food items were sourced directly from the Baxter ranch. This is a sensational property that is still being developed, but for now, this destination is worth a stop. There are some great wines and tasty foods to enjoy here, along with a nice shop in the front of the main tasting room. Cheers!
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