No Whining About the Wines at These Houston Wineries

Whether you are visiting Houston for business or pleasure or live here you have probably heard of St. Arnold, one of the top breweries in the area but you may not associate the Houston area with great wineries. My husband and I enjoy tasting and sampling the many wines that Houston area wineries have to offer. Visiting some of the best Houston wineries is also something our friends and family enjoy so we have many opportunities throughout the year to judge for ourselves as well as take the experts’ advice.

Bernhardt Winery

Established in 2005, Bernhardt Winery may be among the most well-known vineyards on the Houston area and well worth the drive. Their mission is to “to provide you, our customers, with quality wines and a fun wine tasting experience in a warm environment.” While some may want to enjoy a group setting in their newly renovated tasting room that now accommodates up to 80 people, others may wish to enjoy the great outdoors while indulging their sense of the vine in sight, sound, taste and smell. Among their 10 red and white wines they have consistently won awards in several categories since 2006. Tastings are available and range in price depending on your request from $5.00 to $25.00 per person. Tastings are available on Tuesday – Friday, Noon – 5 pm, Saturday, Noon – 6 pm and Sunday, 1 pm – 5 pm.

Colony Cellars

One of the wineries our family enjoys the most is Colony Cellars. Not only does Colony Cellar offer a wide selection of reasonable priced, (bottles starting at around $9.95) and great tasting wines but a visit and tour there offers not only tasting, but can also include Koi ponds and the Christmas tree farm. Located a short drive west of Houston, Colony Cellars provides free tastings on Saturday and daily trolley tours complete with tastings and snacks at prices that range from $5.00 person for groups with three or more people. There is a gift shop, picnic spots, and even a patio for larger group tastings.

Colony Cellars winery has dropped the cork, and is using screw caps on all its wine bottles feeling that it offers a more easily enjoyable experience and keeps wine longer if not finished in one sitting (how can that be?). The wines range from dry to sweet white, reds and blush as well as a random harvest selection.

Circle S Vineyards

While the Houston Rodeo Uncorked Circle S Vineyard for its Silver Medal for its Corvina Amarone and a bronze Medal for its Syrah this winery in Sugarland, Texas offers a more limited selection of wines. I was rather stuffily informed that they don’t “do” Pinot Grigio, Riesling or Moscato. However they do have quite a nice selection of red wines including Montepulciano, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Sangiovese and Zinfandel. Look for unique selections of wines that include their award winning Jalapeno Wine, Raspberry Wine and Blackberry Port. Bottle prices begin at approximately $19 and range up to $32.00 Cases and shipping are available. Tours and tastings are available on Tues.-Thurs. 11 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. Fri. – Sat. 11:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. and Sun. 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Other wineries of note in the Houston area include La Fuentes Winery located at 10606 Hempstead Rd
Houston, TX 77092 and is the closest to the city center. (713) 956-6219 and its claim to vineyard fame is its use of “lost grape,” the Carmenere. This grape is known for the distinctive taste that it provided to Chilean wines, but due to growing here in Houston is of course a little different in taste and texture.

Described as good wine at great prices by Bed and Breakfast Travel Guides Online the French Country Winery located at 2433 Bartlett Street. Houston, Texas 77098 offers French style red and white wines for “those who enjoy wine, but their level of appreciation does not afford a large budget.” Their hours of operation are: Sun-Mon Closed, Tues-Fri 10am – 6pm, and Saturday Noon – 6pm Wine Tasting.

Need more vino but not enough time for tasting? They why not visit one of Houston’s Best Wine Bars?

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