Get Daily Dallas News HeadlinesSign Up Texas appellation wines walked away with a cool 158 medals last week at the prestigious 2017 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. That included an unprecedented seven "Best of Class" awards, seven double-golds and 14 single golds, plus a slew of silvers and bronzes. And to think, only five years ago, we were excited when the state got its first double-gold. "This year, Texas wineries using Texas grapes won more medals — including some of the top awards — than ever before," said Bob Fraser, SFCWC executive director. "It is not surprising to me, as I recently visited the Texas wine country and was completely impressed with the quality of their wines." The take-away punctuates what Texas wine-watchers already know: Our grape growers and winemakers are fast figuring out what makes not just the best wines in Texas, but some of the best wines, period. The linchpin: Texas has become a second home for grape varietals that flourish in countries edging the Mediterranean, from Spain's tempranillo to Italy's dolcetto and vermentino, with lots of love lavished on grapes in between, such as viognier, roussanne and mourvedre.

But wait: Of course, there's an outlier, and that's blanc du bois, an American hybrid developed in Florida that thrives in our coastal zone. best rated wine booksIt's currently being planted with a frenzy in the central and northern parts of the state, too.best wine served cold The SFCWC drew nearly 7,000 entries from 28 states this year. best wine boxes 2014 ukAll entries are tasted blind by wine experts from around the country. best 2011 wines to ageYes, California dominates, but the competition's wide-open. buy peter michael wineAmong the seven sweepstakes awards — an echelon Texas has yet to crack — was Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant Vidal Blanc American Ice Wine. seven best wine blogs

From Illinois.Here are the Texas appellation wines that placed in the top medal categories. Top Texas wines in the 2017 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Best of Class Best of Class means the wine was deemed the best across one of the 100-plus judging categories. These are often divided further by price, especially for popular varietals. Texas winners included: Viognier: Brennan Vineyards 2015 Reserve Viognier, Comanche County, Newburg Vineyard  White blends: Wedding Oak Winery 2015 Sweet Alyssum, Texas High Plains, Wildseed Farms VineyardDry Rosé/Blush: Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards non-vintage Texas Sweet Blush Dolcetto: Perissos Vineyards and Winery 2015 Dolcetto, Texas High Plains, Diamante Doble Vineyards Merlot: Messina Hof Winery & Resort, 2015 Merlot, Texas Tempranillo: Haak Vineyards & Winery 2015 Tempranillo, Texas High Plains, Reddy Vineyards Malbec: Trilogy Cellars 2015 Malbec, Texas High Plains, Amanecer Vineyards, Bolen Vineyards, Krick Hill Vineyards Double-GoldDouble-gold means a panel of judges all awarded the wine first place.

Winners included: Viognier: Grape Creek Vineyards 2015 Viognier, TexasWhite blends: Grape Creek Vineyards 2015 Cuvee Blanc, Texas; and Perissos Vineyard and Winery 2015 Serendipity, Texas High Plains, Farmhouse Vineyards and Oswald Vineyard Red dessert: Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards Besitos de Chocolate NV, Texas Other white varietals: Perissos Vineyard and Winery 2015 Roussanne, Texas High Plains, Oswald Vineyard Sangiovese: Flat Creek Estate 2014 Super Texan, Texas  Tempranillo: Yates Winery 2014 Tempranillo, Texas High Plains, Bayer Family Vineyards GoldTexas appellation wines awarded gold medals: Muscat/Albarino/Chenin Blanc: Fall Creek Vineyards 2015 Headwaters Chenin Blanc, TexasWhite Native American/Hybrid: Haak Vineyards & Winery 2016 Blanc du Bois, TexasViognier: Lost Draw Cellars 2015 Viognier, Texas High PlainsWhite Blends: Lost Oak Winery 2015 Saku White, Texas High Plains, Diamante Doble VineyardOther White Varietals: Brennan Vineyards 2015 Roussanne, Texas High Plains, Reddy Vineyards;

and Duchman Family Winery 2015 Vermentino, Texas High Plains, Bingham Family Vineyards; and Lost Oak Winery 2015 Blanc du Bois, TexasDistilled/Fortified: Haak Vineyards & Winery 2014 Blanc du Bois Amnesia, Texas Tempranillo: Brennan Vineyards 2014 Tempranillo, Texas; and Spicewood Vineyards 2014 Tempranillo, Texas Hill CountryRed Bordeaux: Fall Creek Vineyards 2013 Meritus, Texas Hill Country Mourvedre: Lost Draw Cellars 2014 Mourvedre, Texas High Plains; and Rancho Ponte Vineyard 2015 Mourvedre, New Mexico/Texas All other red blends: Solaro Estate Winery 2014 Miscela, Texas Hill CountryKim Pierce is a Dallas freelance writer 5 Texas Hill Country Wineries to Visit this Spring Touring the Texas Hill Country during wildflower season is like driving through a giant impressionist painting. Views are spectacular but with sight-seeing, selfie-taking, and sun one may work up quite a thirst. What better way to quench thirst than with a glass of fine Texas Hill Country wine?

Combine the best of both worlds by planning a trip now for the ultimate scenic drive wine tasting adventure. 1. Grape Creek Cellars Grape Creek Cellars – In just the last two years, the folks at Grape Creek have brought home over 150 medals to adorn their walls, so a stop at this Hill Country winery is a no-brainer. Take a tram ride through the 100-acre estate dotted with oaks and strung with vines and visit the wine cellar and production area. Then arrive at the Tuscan villa-style tasting room and imbibe on wines that will appeal to a range of palates from red blends, to single red varietals like Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. White wines are available to try too like Viognier and Pinot Grigio. Those that prefer sweet wines will also have samples for tasting. A new trattoria serving up wood-fired pizzas and other Italian plates will tempt visitors to tarry on the patio with a glassful (or bottle) of their favorite pour. Visit the Grape Creek Vineyards tasting room at 10587 E. US Hwy 290, Fredericksburg, TX.

Tasting room hours Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Photo: Courtesy of Becker Vineyards Becker Vineyards – Award-winning wines aren’t the only products available to visitors of Becker Vineyards in Stonewall. On a trip to France, Becker owners, Bunny and Dr. Richard Becker, fell in love with the rolling lavender fields and distinctive perfume. Upon opening their winery in the Hill Country, they decided to plant lavender fields as well. Through trial and error and a few minor disasters, the vineyard is now home to 4,000 plants that open their beautiful purple blossoms beginning in April and lasting through May. Celebrate the season with a taste or two of the many wine varieties Becker offers while gazing over the lavender fields breathing in the heady scent. Wine and lavender gifts offered in the old stone barn-style tasting room will challenge visitors not to leave laden down with bucket loads of wine and wheelbarrows full of lavender-infused goodies.

464 Becker Farms Road, Stonewall, TX. Tasting room hours Mon.-Thurs. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sun. 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. Page 1 of 3:123Next Page » Related ItemsFredericksburg TexasHye TexasStonewall Texaswildflowerswinewineries ← Previous Story 10 Texas Drinking Songs to Get Your Weekend Started Next Story → A Taste of Summer Texas Hill Country Wine googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-THC_MREC_Half_Top_ROS'); }); googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-THC_Half_Page_BTF_ROS'); });var ma = document.createElement("script"); ma.src = "http" + ("https:"==document.location.protocol?"var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ma, s) })();var mysa_mgv1_1=true; _qevents.push( { qacct:"p-E2kxRT9Lk59KK"} );