Texas Hill Country Wine Country Guide
Bask in the rugged beauty of Texas Hill Country, America’s third largest AVA, where sun‑soaked plateaus and cool limestone canyons craft distinctive Mediterranean‑style wines.
Explore Texas Hill Country
Embark on a road trip through rolling hills dotted with live oaks and wildflowers. Situated west of Austin and north of San Antonio, the Texas Hill Country AVA—established in 1991—now boasts more than 100 wineries and welcomes roughly one million visitors each year, making it one of the most visited U.S. wine regions in the USA. Although the AVA is relatively young, people have been planting vines in Texas since the 1600s.
Beyond the vines, savor Texas Hill Country’s German heritage in Fredericksburg, climb pink‑granite Enchanted Rock, or float the Pedernales River. Farm‑to‑table eateries, artisan wineries, and live country music create a uniquely Texan wine culture.
Here’s what sets Texas Hill Country apart:
• Terroir: Calciferous limestone, granite outcrops of the Llano Uplift, and diurnal shifts shape expressive wines with vibrant acidity and rustic minerality.
• Signature Grapes: Spanish, Rhône, and Italian varieties flourish—Tempranillo, Tannat, Mourvèdre, Sangiovese—alongside Viognier and refreshing whites like Vermentino and Albariño.
• Sub‑AVAs: Bell Mountain (Texas’s first AVA, 1986) and Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country (1988) highlight micro‑terroirs perfect for Bordeaux style reds and aromatic whites.
Fun facts about Texas Hill Country Wine
- At 9 million acres, it’s the third‑largest AVA in the United States.
- Though it’s the third largest AVA, its plantings are still small, with 2,200 acres planted
- Designated in 1991, the AVA encompasses two earlier sub‑regions: Bell Mountain (1986) and Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country (1988) AVAs.
- More than 100 wineries be found throughout Texas Hill Country
- Texas Hill Country welcomes 1 million wine tourists annually.
- Tempranillo and Tannat are emerging flagship reds, while Viognier delivers award‑winning whites.
- Limestone and granite soils give Texas Hill Country wines their trademark earthy spice and bright acidity.
- The first vines in Texas were planted by Spanish Missionaries in the 1650s.