A
ten-gallon Stetson hat sitting on the head of a tall, lean cowboy; a slow
armadillo crossing the hot, flat prairie; oil rigs pumping silently along the
shrubby plains…these are all images many may have in mind when the word Texas
is heard.
The Lone
Star State is represented by all of these descriptions, but the
second-most-populated state in the nation has become so much more.
It has
flourishing metropolitan areas. It has
world-class restaurants. It has top-notch
chefs. It also has a booming—and blooming—wine
trade. Texas Hill Country, just outside
of Austin, is one such place that illustrates all of these.
It has
multiple super-star stops and is a region that is just beginning to shine. With over forty wineries, it is hard to choose
just a few to taste. Never the less,
here are two terrific examples of Texas wines.
Named for
the Pedernales River, this winery was started by the Kuhlken Family when they
planted a five acre vineyard outside of Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill
Country. Husband and wife team Larry and
Jeanine worked hard to see what grapes would grow well in Texas. They quickly learned that these varieties
were different than what was so popular in California at the time.
Larry and
Jeanine made the business a family affair when their adult children, David and
Julie, joined. A true team effort, David
is the winemaker and Julie is the marketer, while Larry and Jeanine still work
the vineyards. Soon after David, Julie,
and their spouses entered the family business, the endeavor began to grow, and
grow, and grow; 15,000 cases were bottled last year.
The tasting
room, technically in Stonewall, Texas, is an original 1880s farmhouse that was
moved from Fredericksburg. Expansions to
this facility were made in 2012 to include a tasting bar, a VIP tasting area,
and a private meeting space. The outdoor
patio has a fantastic view of the rolling Texas hills for which the area is
named.
Proof that the land and terroir are
most important here is shown from just looking at a bottle of wine. The striking label is a mix of arrowheads
with a grape leaf. This represents the
artifacts found on the original vineyard site and those found on the tasting
room site, as well. It shows the perfect
correlation between the dirt and the vines growing in it.
Superstar Wine: 2014 Vermentino—A
variety known for its Italian roots, this wine is processed in stainless
steel. This technique helps to bring out
the grapefruit, wet rock, and green grass on the nose and palate. The long, orange finish is a great end to the
wine.
Superstar Wine: 2014 Rosè—I believe in rosè all year
around, and the Pedernales is one for every season. It is made from tempranillo and mourvèdre
grapes, giving it a dark, dramatic pink hue.
Beautiful earth and strawberry shortcake flavors lead to a slight
strawberry-orange finish.
Superstar Wine: 2013 Tempranillo Reserve—The grapes for
this special wine are sourced from both the High Plains and the Texas Hill
Country. After spending over a year in
oak, the rose, talc, dust, cherry, and pepper lead to a fabulous white pepper
finish.
Family is
key in Texas, shown also through Kuhlman Cellars. Chris and Jennifer Cobb, along with Chris’s
parents Diane and Reed, managed a vineyard in Texas Hill Country before
starting their own label: Kuhlman
Cellars—named for another body of water, Kuhlman Creek.
In 2012,
the Cobbs hired their winemaker, Bènèdicte Rhyne, a Provence-raised enologist
with experience in Sonoma and Texas. Her
French background followed her all the way, showing itself in her love of
blending wine for the perfect finished product.
To get
started, Sonoma grapes were used while the Texas grapes were growing. The transition is currently in progress to
Texas wine from Texas fruit, all the while focusing on the soil where the
grapes were grown. This focus on terroir
is shown in the names of the wines:
Calcaria (limestone), Alluve (alluvial), and Kankar (caliche).
The tasting
room is a beautiful, modern facility with ample space and a gorgeous rooftop
deck that allows sweeping views of miles and miles of Hill Country. Another special aspect of Kuhlman is the wine
and food pairing experience with a small—and delicious—tidbit to highlight the
essence of each wine. (Foodie
note: purchase the herbed almonds by the
case. They are to…die…for!)
SuperstarWine: 2014 Viognier—Growers quickly
realized that viognier is a superb grape for the Texas terroir. Kuhlman’s is sourced from the High Plains and
is full of peach, flowers, and herbs.
Good acid balances the silky smooth finish.
SuperstarWine: 2015 Hensel Rosè—This wine is
not yet ready for consumers to purchase; however, rosè lovers need to have a
head’s up for this dry, Provencal-style wine.
Made from cinsaut grapes, the wine is beautiful from its color of
baby-pink to its taste of peaches and flowers.
SuperstarWine: 2012 Kankar—The flagship
Kuhlman wine, it is, of course, a blend that will change each vintage depending
on that year’s climate, grapes, and harvest.
The goal is to always have a robust wine with good acid structure. The 2012 has these along with ripe-red
fruits, dark chocolate, and fresh violets.
Texas, the Lone Star State, has
quickly found the shining grapes that grow well in its climate. In between the Stetsons and spurs, great wine
is being made. It is being made in its
own way—a way original to Texas—a way that shows Texas will always follow its
own path to blaze its own trail. Not
content to be just like any other wine region, Texas is well on its way to world-class
status.
