Spicewood Vineyards - Wine & Wildflower Trail

I found some time yesterday to take a short swing out into the hill country west of Austin. It’s the first of two “Wine & Wildflower Trail” weekends. I always like going out to Spicewood Vineyards anyway just for the scenery and this was as good an excuse as any. It’s a fairly short drive west of Austin, but a world away from the otherwise frantic pace in Austin.

Thankfully, they have some signs posted, or you’d surely think you were going the wrong way – and I’ve been there before. You have to cross four cattle guards to get back to the vineyards and wine tasting room. (Picture above. Click for larger.) Ignore the cow pies on the road, it’s just part of the scenery. Once you’re back there though, it’s really a peaceful place. The covered deck makes an ideal place for a picnic too, so bring food. They don’t really advertise it, but they do let you buy a glass of wine to enjoy on the deck. If you click for the larger version of the picture, you’ll see one of the two Jack Russell Terriers begging for food on the deck. His name is “Cab” (short for Caballero, not Cabernet).

My choice of their wines with lunch was the 2001 Estrella Blanca. It’s a blend of 51% Semillon, 26% Sauvignon Blanc, 17% Chardonnay and 6% Muscat. Light fruit and oak tastes with hints of citrus, pear and pineapple. Very good. I much preferred it to either their Chardonnay or 2004 Sauv Blanc.

More on Spicewood in a future post…