Interestingly, on this visit we didn't see a lot of vines along the road. A lot of wineries, but very few grape fields. What could explain that? It turns out that this region is not ideal for growing any of the grapes from which the wines we love are made. The weather is all wrong. In the summer, of course, it is hot around here, which is not a problem - but it doesn't cool down at night, as it tends to do in California wine areas. So the main wine growing region in Texas is now around Lubbock, which is in the high desert and does have the hot days and cool nights that are ideal, and also has the sandy soil and good drainage which are characteristic of many of the great wine regions of the world. Most of the local wineries, then, and there are an amazing number of them, buy their grapes from two sources: California and Lubbock.
On the advice of a knowledgeable saleswoman in a Fredericksburg shop, we drove to Comfort, Texas, about 20 miles away, where there are supposedly some of the best wine producers in the state. We punched into the GPS the address of the Bending Branch Winery and followed it on country roads and up a narrow lane that ended in a large rambling featureless structure that didn't look much like any winery we've ever encountered. We asked a worker there if this was a winery, and he said, no, this is a retirement home. Nancy and I conferred and decided not to apply there.
After another try, the GPS did direct us to the Bending Branch Winery, which we learned originally had grown grapes locally, but eventually gave up, plowed the vines under, and began buying their grapes from both California and the Lubbock area. Bending Branch was recently named the best winery in Texas, and all the wines we tasted there were very good - on a similar level with tasting rooms in California.
Next we drove to the Newsom Winery in downtown Comfort, Texas. The wines we tasted there were all from the Lubbock area, and in fact the Newsom family is one of the major growers of grapes in Lubbock. They have been supplying many of the wineries across Texas for some time, and have now begun producing their own wine. Nancy and I thought the wines we tasted there - both their own wines and some from other wineries that purchased their grapes from Newsom - were even more impressive than the Bending Branch offerings. So our conclusion is that at least some of the Texas wines are on a par with many excellent California wines. I suspect, however, that many of the wines of Texas are still not ready for prime time.
Back in Fredericksburg we toured the George H.W. Bush Museum of the Pacific War. (The elder Bush flew fighter planes in World War II.) I recommend it to anyone interested in the history of that incredible time.
We ate at a highly recommended local restaurant, Otto's. It's a small place with an ambitious menu. We sat at the bar and enjoyed an excellent meal. Next to us was a fellow who, when we mentioned that we come from California, asked if we were conservatives fleeing that nest of Communism. We answered no, we were liberals looking for a blue population pocket. He was originally from Idaho, had lived in Southern California, and recently served in the Army in Afghanistan. There was a lot of good-natured banter involving two very different points of view, and it was a good lesson in how to interact in a friendly manner with folks who disagree with you about issues you are passionate about. Especially important in a concealed carry state.
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