Wine Tasting Guide in Lubbock, Texas

English Newsom Vineyards - Photo by Jill Weinlein

Lubbock whitethorn not beryllium arsenic large arsenic Houston, Dallas, oregon Austin successful Texas, nevertheless this metropolis located successful the High Plains is the 11th largest metropolis successful the Lone Star State. Besides being the birthplace to stone ’n’ rotation fable Buddy Holly, and Texas Tech University, it's besides location to award-winning wineries. 

Texas viticulture and winemaking is young compared to the West Coast regions of California, Oregon and Washington state, yet the lukewarm Texas High Plains clime is conducive to increasing much than 80% of Texas vino grape production. Growing successful fertile Lubbock ungraded known for increasing cotton, erstwhile the prima and vigor ripen the grapes, precocious prime Texas vino is made.

The Texas High Plains AVA is simply a sub-region of the Great Plains, stretching from Amarillo successful the northbound to the New Mexico borderline and extending conscionable southbound of Lubbock. Grapes and vino person been produced successful this portion since the early-1970s, and High Plains vineyards person go a large supplier to wineries passim the state. 

Since vino tasting is becoming a starring tourism attraction successful Lubbock, present are 3 wineries that are worthy of a visit. 

'The Queen' - Photo by Jill Weinlein

At the doubly nominated James Beard semi-finalist McPherson Cellars, winemaker Kim McPherson makes a adust achromatic Viognier named 'The Queen'. It's a unsocial vino fermented successful it's aureate skins. This benignant of winemaking is usually for reddish wine, but McPherson does this with achromatic grapes. He bottles it without immoderate filtration and serves it astatine his winery.

'The Queen' is besides featured connected the vino database astatine the Queen's English, a Cantonese edifice serving Hong Kong dishes with a twist successful Washington, D.C., and connected the vino database astatine James Beard nominated cook Walter Finn's adjacent Nicolett edifice successful Lubbock.

McPherson Cellars - Photo by Jill Weinlein

The grapes that turn good successful Texas see Picpoul Blanc, a French Mediterranean assortment that offers people precocious acidity, agleam citrus and melon flavors. The Cinsault is different French grape that is akin to a Pinot Noir. It's caller and vibrant, juicy and fruit-forward.

Kim McPerson's begetter Clinton 'Doc' McPherson was a pioneer successful making wine. Growing up by his father's side, Kim acquired an aged Coca-Cola Bottling Factory and turned it into a tasting room, lawsuit abstraction and vino making facility. His dada planted the archetypal Sangiovese grapes successful Texas successful the 1960s. This medium-bodied reddish grape grows good connected the sun-drenched High Plains. McPherson's wines made with Sangiovese grapes connection aromas of ripe acheronian cherry, acheronian plum, and boysenberry framed by dusty earth, powdered cocoa, and savory herbs. 

Many of the award-winning wines are from grapes grown astatine Sagmor vineyard successful southeast Lubbock. McPherson planted Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Touriga Nacional for his Estate wines. He partners with Terry County growers Lahey Vineyards, Castaño Prado Vineyard, Lepard Vineyards, Lost Draw Vineyards, and Reddy Vineyards to marque his grant winning wines. 

Awards successful 2023 were received astatine the Pacific Rim Wine Competition, Los Angeles International Wine Competition, San Diego Winemaker Challenge and the Jefferson Cup competition. Tastings and tours of these wines are disposable connected Tuesday done Saturday from 12 to 7 p.m.

American Wine Made successful Texas - Photo Jill Weinlein

One of the oldest and largest champion selling premium wineries successful Texas is Llano Estacado. Established successful 1976, winemaker Jason Centanni makes antithetic varietals astatine the installation down the luxury tasting room. Translated into English arsenic the Staked Plains, this portion successful the Southwest is location to 2 U.S. Presidents. Both Presidents George H. W. Bush and his lad George W. Bush., served these section Texan wines astatine White House dinners. 

Llano Estacado - Photo by Jill Weinlein

They connection vino tastings and tours wherever visitors tin illustration a assortment of Llano Estacado award-winning wines. The winery besides has a beauteous courtyard and offers tours of their accumulation facilities.

Guests tin enactment successful a guided tasting of (6) 1 ounce pours of a assortment of reddish and achromatic wines successful the ample tasting room. They besides connection a self-guided formation of (4) 2 ounce pours of a assortment of wines you choose. 

Sommelier Tour & Tastings are connected definite dates starting at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Visitors participate the accumulation broadside of the winery to spot the pressing, fermenting, bottling and labeling process. While learning the past of Llano Estacado Winery, visitors get to sensation immoderate of the wines straight from the barrels and tanks portion connected the tour. 

Tastings are from Tuesday done Saturday from 12 to 5 p.m. Happy Hour is disposable connected Tuesday done Friday from 2 to 4 p.m. On Sunday the installation opens astatine 1 to 5 p.m. 

English Newsom Cellars - Photo Jill Weinlein

English Newsom Cellars is 1 of the lone wineries successful the portion that turn their ain Estate grapes. This gives the winemakers implicit power implicit each aspects of making their award-winning Texas wines. Two West Texas families agreed to make immoderate of the champion varietals made astatine this premier facility. They absorption connected each item of prime from the vines successful beforehand of the installation to the bottles they merchantability and determination successful the tasting room.   

Texas grape grower Steve Newsom planted Picardan grapes successful 2017. In France, this uncommon varietal is utilized arsenic a blending grape, and was astatine hazard of going extinct. Newsom planted four-acres of Picardan vines successful the High Plains, an perfect clime to turn this airy bodied varietal. It's pleasing airy straw colour offers aromas of greenish apple, pear and lemongrass. The spirit illustration includes apricot, peach and nectarine. International and nationalist judges person awarded this Picardan vino assorted medals.

Entering the tasting country of English Newsom, the architecture and grounds are an exquisite backdrop for weddings, solemnisation parties and photograph opportunities.

English Newsom Cellars - Photo by Jill Weinlein

Their Rainy rosé is the quintessential summertime vino offering a beauteous roseate golden color. This mean assemblage vino provides strawberries and pick notes with flavors of Jolly Rancher watermelon candy and a floral bouquet.

They turn the Sagrantino grape, besides known to turn good successful Italy's Umbria region. This grape provides the astir tannic bitterness, but besides the highest level of antioxidants. Winemakers astatine English Newsom property this vino successful oak barrels to assistance creaseless retired the bold tannins. This creates a brushed and silky texture. The gorgeous garnet colour has aromas of licorice, bourbon, and leather connected the nose. The mean assemblage carries dried cherry, raspberry, brownish sugar, and smoked cedar to the palate with a agelong finish. Akin to a Spanish Rioja, this vino pairs good with smoked sausages and charcuterie and cheeses.

English Newson Cellars is unfastened to the nationalist for tastings on Tuesday done Friday astatine 1 p.m. On Wednesday, Friday and Saturday they enactment unfastened until 9 p.m. The tasting interest is $15 per idiosyncratic for (5) 2 ounce pours of white, roseate and reddish wines. Keep the souvenir solid for $5.

When exploring Lubbock, Texas beryllium definite to halt into 1 oregon each of these affable High Plains wineries. They are an perfect spot for a respite, and to larn a small astir vino and the radical who marque this metropolis a peculiar spot to visit.