Wine News
New sampler combines 5 of Texas' best and most rare wines in one package
Five wineries in Texas have come together to create a package that lets you sample some of Texas' very best wines.
They're calling it a Holiday Celebration Pack because the wines are designed to go well with your holiday spread and could also be a gift, although obviously you are more than welcome to get the wine for yourself for personal consumption any day of the week.
Participating wineries include:
- Bending Branch Winery, boutique winery near Comfort that embraces sustainable growing and winemaking practices
- Brennan Vineyards in Comanche, located on one of the oldest homesteads in Texas dating back to 1876
- Duchman Family Winery, award-winning winery in Driftwood known for its Italian varieties, strong on fruit and Texas terroir
- Pedernales Cellars in Stonewall, specializing in Spanish- and Rhone-style wines with stellar Tempranillo and Viognier
- Spicewood Vineyards, whose 32-acre vineyard in Spicewood is focused on estate wines
In 2014, these five wineries came together to form a marketing alliance called Texas Fine Wine to promote their wines collectively. Their main commonality is their standard of excellence; they represent some of the best names in Texas wine.
Texas Fine Wine spokesperson Denise Clarke says this package is appealing — and rare — because of its sampler status, which you wouldn't be able get it in any other way unless you were to drive to each winery and buy an individual bottle.
"We've all been able to buy wine directly from wineries, but it's hard to get a variety pack like this," she says.
The pack includes:
- Bending Branch Winery 2017 Tallent Vineyards Tannat
- Brennan Vineyards Winemaker's Choice Vol. VI
- Duchman Family Winery 2016 Oswald Vineyard Aglianico
- Pedernales Cellars 2018 Viognier Reserve
- Spicewood Vineyards 2016 Good Guy
"Each winery selected the wine they feel should be on a holiday table," Clarke says. "These are the nicer, higher-end wines in their portfolio, but priced well. A lot of these are not in distribution. For example, the Bending Branch Tannat and the Duchman Aglianico are vineyard-specific. The Pedernales Viognier Reserve, Brennan's Choice, the Spicewood Good Guy, those are their higher-end selections. This was, 'What's the nicest wine you want on your holiday table?'"
Many wineries were shut down for part of 2020 due to the coronavirus, and online sales picked up considerably. Most have reopened their facilities but most tasting rooms remain closed.
"All of these wineries were doing curbside pickup, but online shipping has become a bigger part of a winery's business than it was in the past," Clarke says. "Putting this together was a challenge logistically, but we knew it would be something people love."
The package is $160 + tax, and shipping begins in December as follows:
- Order November 4-November 25 for December 2 shipment
- Order November 26-December 9 for December 16 shipment
- Order December 10-December 31 for January 6 shipment
