Cross Timbers wine trail - Texas Wine Lover

Brushy Creek Vineyards and Winery

April 22, 2013 by Jeff Leave a Comment

http://www.brushycreekvineyards.com

Brushy Creek Vineyards and Winery is located in Alvord and is owned by Les and Ann Constable. Rachel Cook shares in the wine making duties with Les Constable. Rachel also manages the estate vineyard in addition to several other vineyards that supply grapes to the winery.

Brushy Creek - outside

I arrived at the winery which is located behind the vineyard with four of my friends. We took a quick look at the vineyard first which had an owl standing guard over the vines. The sign for the tasting room also had an owl so the logo for the winery is definitely an owl. As we learned later, the owl logo concept was originally derived by Les Constable and the original graphic was designed by Delia Cuellar, wife of Vintage Texas wine blogger and author Russ Kane.

Upon entering the tasting room, we met Cyndi Stutts, tasting room manager, and Candy Roos, wine club manager. We all found a spot along the bar and began our tasting with both Cyndi and Candy handling our tastings. There are stools available at the tasting bar if you want to sit during your visit.

Brushy Creek - inside

There is a tasting fee for 5 wines and a higher tasting fee lets you taste 6 wines and also keep the wine glass. If you buy three bottles of wine, the tasting is free. I believe we all opted for the higher selection of wines. At least I know I did because I came home with a Brushy Creek wine glass. They offer a selection of more than 20 wines to select from to taste.

Tastings are poured from the uncorked bottles and crackers are available for cleansing your palate. You can also buy cheese and salami trays.

Brushy Creek - wines

We started our tasting and after a few wines the question of a tour was asked. They called Les Constable who lives next door and he showed up at the tasting room to give us a tour. This gave a nice break during our tasting and Les toured us around the winery first to the Owl’s Nest, Brushy Creek’s event center. From the porch you can see vineyards below the winery surrounded by the nice countryside. He showed us where they are currently expanding the winery and then went below the tasting room to where the winery is located.

Les Constable

There were bins of wine fermenting in the winery and Les commented how it was time for us to get to work as the wine needed punching down. Punching down is done to keep the fermenting wine and skins mixed up during red wine fermentation. As the wine ferments, the skins rise to the top and form a thick cap. The cap needs to be broken up a few times a day to increase the extraction of color and flavor, and to prevent the cap from drying out and/or developing bacterial problems. Punching down is done with a tool which looks like a big potato masher.

Shelly Ware and Dave Potter jumped to the task and began punching down the wine which we learned was Tannat and Carignane (most commonly spelled as Carignan). The rest of us watched the guys at work and I believe someone made the comment it was just like Tom Sawyer getting others to whitewash his fence. I had never punched down before so I stepped up to do a little, say I did it, and then handed the tool back to Dave. Hey, I can’t be totally fooled!

Brushy Creek - punching down

While this was going on, Les Constable, a young 68 year old said, “I want to do the best I can with a particular grape.” We learned Les started making wine in 1991 and the winery was opened in 2002. Brushy Creek uses both French and American oak barrels. They produce 2,000 cases of wine a year.

Brushy Creek only uses 100% Texas grapes in their wines. Les said he first brought Tannat into Texas but now gets his Tannat from Reddy Vineyards. Most of their grapes come from the Clear Creek Vineyard and Reddy Vineyards, but they also get grapes from Klassen Vineyard and grapes from Casa de Christobal Vineyard are used in their Texas Grand Rouge wine. Other vineyards used are Martin’s Vineyards in Hockley County and Skinner Bridge Vineyard in Canton, Texas. In their 10 acre estate vineyard, Brushy Creek grows Tempranillo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carnelian, Chambourcin, Mourvèdre, Rkatsiteli, Roussanne, Malbec, Tannat, Grenache, Dolcetto, Carignane, Cabernet Franc, Palomino, and Riesling. Les enjoys experimenting with different wines and grapes which will help others.

We were then able to sample some wines not quite ready including a sweetened version of Chambourcin (Cinful Blush Sparkling), Muscat Giallo, Malvasia Bianca, and Rkatsiteli. Les said he has been growing Rkatsiteli for years and said that it is a grape more widely grown in the world than Chardonnay. He said the best part of Rkatsiteli is he does not need to do much with it at all. Les said it grows very well in Texas and personally thinks it is better than Viognier.

Brushy Creek - winery

The tour was done and we thanked Les for his time as we headed back to the tasting room to finish our tasting.

Popular wines at Brushy Creek are:

Chardonnay
Roussanne
Cabernet Sauvignon
Carignane
Chambourcin
Merlot
Tannat
Tempranillo
Blanc du Bois
Texas Rosé
Dessert wines like Boom Chocolatte, Orange Moscato, Ports, and Texas Sparkling Wine

Brushy Creek has a wine club and with their event center often have live music. A gift shop is available with wine accessories, books, and other items. Brushy Creek Vineyards and Winery is on the Cross Timbers Wine Trail.

Our tastings and tour turned out to be a 3.5 hour visit but we enjoyed every minute and would definitely go back again.

Filed Under: Wineries Tagged With: Cross Timbers wine trail, Texas Wineries, Tour, Vineyard, West Texas, Wine club

Sunset Winery

May 21, 2012 by Jeff 1 Comment

http://www.sunsetwinery.com

Sunset Winery is located in Burleson and is owned by Bruce and Birgit Anderson. Both also share the winemaking duties with consulting done by winemaker Mike Sipowicz. The winery was opened October 13, 2005.

We arrived at the winery and unfortunately it was a day when Groupon purchases for a tour and tasting were being honored by a large number of people. We went with our new friends Laurie and Shelly Ware and also Dave and Kelli Potter with their daughter Annali.

We met Bruce Anderson and thought we would be tasting outside on the wood deck since the tasting room was full, but fortunately I then met Birgit Anderson, Bruce’s admitted “boss,” who said the people in the tasting room would be leaving soon and we could taste in there.

We went to the tasting room and soon six of us filled up the tables. We could stand at the tasting bar too which one of our party actually did. Our tasting guide Dagmar then explained how the tastings worked. There is a tasting fee for six wines and the Port and Vintner’s Select wine counts as two selections. We then went through the list of wines and chose the ones we wanted to taste. Since Gloria and I wanted to taste every wine and the total of selections for each of us would make up all the wines on the list, we did not feel it would be necessary to alternatively select wines from two pieces of paper. I guess we made the wrong decision though as Dagmar admitted it confused things. She eventually got used to the unfamiliar system as she would bring two wines for us both to try.

Sunset Winery uses corks in their bottles and the tastings are done using measured pourers. Crackers are given to cleanse your palate.

Before we started tasting, Bruce was very kind to Annali who obviously could not drink wine and she ended up getting grape juice to enjoy. While we were tasting and even though they were very busy, Bruce gave us all a history of Sunset Winery. The tasting room we were in was actually the garage of their previously converted home which they had bought in 1973. They raised their three daughters in the house. Later the Andersons began looking for a bigger house because they needed room to practice their new interest of ballroom dancing. They eventually found a house and one of their daughters bought the existing house in 1993 and lived there until 2003. The Andersons bought the house back and began to convert it into the winery.

Sunset Winery has half an acre of vineyard and is growing Lenoir and Blanc du Bois. They use 100% Texas grapes in their Texas wine except the wines which are made with the acai berry. This was a new berry to us so Bruce explained the berry grows on Palm trees in the Amazon jungle region. He said they are the only winery in the world to make 100% acai wine at this point in time. The acai wines are made in two versions, a dry version and a sweet version. The Acai wines were surprisingly good for a berry unknown to us.

We had a nice tasting with Bruce spending quite a bit of time talking to us and answering questions. When we were done, Bruce was called to the Groupon tour as his duties were being needed. The Wares and Potters had previously visited and toured Sunset Winery, so Bruce gave Gloria and me a very quick tour of the winery. This was just enough time as the Groupon tour arrived and he then had to help them.

Bruce and Birgit Anderson

Normally tours are given three times during the day. There is a fee for a tour and a higher fee can get the VIP tour scheduled by appointment only which gets you a tour with the winemaker. With a VIP tour, Sunset Winery can also take your picture and turn it into a label for a wine that you purchase.

There is a gift shop present with wine accessories and clothing. A wine club was started this year in where you tell them exactly what wines you want versus reds or whites which as Bruce called, “Surprise.” Events are held such as a grape stomp.

Sunset Winery is on the Cross Timbers wine trail and the Way Out Wineries wine trail.

Filed Under: Wineries Tagged With: Cross Timbers wine trail, Hill Country, Texas Wine, Texas Wineries, Tour, Vineyard, Way Out Wineries, Wine club

Lost Oak Winery

May 20, 2012 by Jeff 3 Comments

http://www.lostoakwinery.com

Lost Oak Winery, formerly called Lone Oak Winery, is located in Burleson. Due to trademark issues for the past two years, the winery was renamed to Lost Oak Winery in March 2012. The United States Patent and Trademark Office has approved their application and they have about four more months to get the new name of “Lost Oak” on one of their wine labels. The winery is owned by Gene and Judy Estes and was opened at the end of 2006.

We arrived at Lost Oak Winery and met Facebook friends Laurie and Shelly Ware and also Dave and Kelli Potter with their daughter Annali. Laurie and Shelly live near Burleson and are wine club members at Lost Oak Winery, so they get a chance to visit often.

When we arrived we could see a vineyard next to the winery and a wedding was being set up near the covered patio. We learned later that Lost Oak Winery is a very popular wedding location and this year they already have 32 weddings scheduled. In fact for 2010 and 2011, they have been the “Best Pick” by The Knot.

We all decided to do our tasting at a table in the tasting room. There is also the option to stand at the tasting bar. Virginia was our pourer and gave us our tasting sheets. For a tasting fee you select five wines from the double sided list of wines but the fee is waived with a purchase. Also included in the list of wines was a selection of wines from Haak Vineyards and Winery.

Lost Oak Winery’s wines use corks and the tastings are poured from the bottle. Crackers are provided to cleanse your palate. Based on experience, Laurie and Shelly ordered a fruit and cheese tray for all of us. You can also buy food such as crackers and dips from the gift shop which also has items such as clothing and wine accessories.

After a tough time trying to decide upon the wines to try since we wanted to try the most we could, Virginia began pouring our wines. One of the first to try was Lost Oak’s Viognier which had recently won a double gold from the San Francisco Chronicle International Wine Competition earlier this year.

Laurie had also arranged for Gene Estes to meet us and he soon arrived during his busy schedule to talk to us. He said Lost Oak Winery uses 100% Texas grapes in most of their Texas wines except three wines which use grapes from the Pasa Robles region of California. Each wine bottle label clearly identifies where the grapes came from. Lost Oak Winery uses various Texas vineyards to make their wines. Their Sweet Moscato is made with grapes from Krick Hill Vineyards out of Levelland, Rosa Blanca is a blend of Merlot from Robert and Jamey Wolf’s vineyard in Valley View (former owners of Lone Oak Winery) and Chenin Blanc also from Krick Hill Vineyards, and the 2009 Tempranillo is from Andy Timmons’s Lost Draw Vineyard.

Gene Estes

Lost Oak Winery has four and a half acres of vineyards at the winery and Gene’s stepdaughter, Roxanne Myers who is also Lost Oak’s Director of Sales and Marketing, has a vineyard of one and a half acres. Lost Oak Winery produces 3,000 cases of Texas wine a year.

Thursdays at the winery is Sangria night which draws a lot of people. The Sangria is made from their Dolce Rouge wine.

I asked Gene what was his favorite Lost Oak wine. He said, “I love my 2010 and 2011 Viognier, and I think the 2011 may even be better than the 2010 even though we haven’t entered it in any competitions yet. I love Muscat, but I like it dry and love the flavor and the nose. Of my reds, I would have to say I am very fond of my Tempranillo. My very favorite is my estate block A Shiraz or Syrah and it’s coming out. We’ve bottled it already and we’re waiting on the labels with Lost Oak instead of Lone, but to me it’s heavenly.” They’re going to be coming out with the 2010 in a few weeks and the 2011 later this summer so there are at least two new wines to look forward to.

Lost Oak Winery uses French barrels but because of the cost, they are experimenting with oak alternatives which include putting oak staves through the bung hole of a neutral barrel. They used their 2010 block A Shiraz in that type of barrel.

Guided and self-guided tours are available at the winery. Guided tours are $10 but include a complimentary tasting. If you happen to take a tour on a Saturday, Gene Estes himself may be giving the tour. Gene had to pick up his wife at the airport so he said goodbye to all of us and we thanked him for spending time with us. After Gene left, we decided to take the self-guided tour since we heard winemaker Jim Evans was waiting for us at the building which houses the production equipment.

While taking the winding walking path to the production building, we could see how the winery and vineyards are located on the banks of Village Creek with oak trees providing shade for outside tables. The tables are used when the winery holds live music concerts or when people just prefer to enjoy a glass of wine in the beautiful outdoor setting among the 52 acres where the winery is located.

We arrived at the production building and Jim Evans greeted each one of us. He showed us the different wine making equipment such as the crusher, bladder press, and stainless steel tanks. Sitting on the table were wine glasses as Jim wanted us to try some wine from the tanks. He mentioned they were making a Gewürztraminer and asked if we wanted to taste it, but he really didn’t have to wait for an answer. Jim said the Gewürztraminer was bone dry and he was going to add a little sugar to it. Some who were there and don’t care for sweet wines said it was perfect the way it was and to bottle it up now. The Gewürztraminer is from the Diamonte Doble Vineyard of Tokio, Texas owned by Jet Wilmeth. It will be interesting to try the resulting wine when it is bottled which should be at the beginning of June.

Jim then had a mystery wine which he wanted us to try and guess what it was made from. Nobody could and he revealed it to be a 50/50 blend of Viognier and Roussanne. I looked at Gloria as she can usually detect Viognier in any percentage, and she admitted she could tell it had Viognier but didn’t want to say anything. Jim said their 2010 award winning Viognier is 100% stainless, no malolactic fermentation, and is a complete true expression of the grape.

Jim Evans

Jim was asked if he did the sole wine making and he said that he and Gene work together. He said, “I like to say that he does the work and I take the credit, so it’s 50/50.” He said that Gene has a great nose and can detect things that are a little off, but it’s amazing because he and Gene are usually on the same page.

We thanked Jim for his time and finished our self-guided tour back to the tasting room where we checked out.

Lost Oak Winery recently joined Brennan Vineyards and McPherson Cellars to form 4.0 Cellars in Fredericksburg. Lost Oak Winery is on the Cross Timbers wine trail and Way Out Wineries wine trail.