We mentioned Sister Creek Vineyards previously so we thought it would be appropriate to talk about them this time. Also we thought we would discuss one nearby winery in addition to a winery we accidentally discovered while doing the Munson Wine Trail in the east Dallas area.
Sister Creek Vineyards
Sister Creek Vineyards is located in the “huge” town of Sisterdale, TX, population 25. When we first arrived at the Vineyard, it looked like a barn in this tiny town on a main road, so we weren’t sure what to expect. The barn is actually a restored 1885 cotton gin.
Sister Creek has a self-guided tour of their winery in which you can learn about the different parts of the winery by reading a paper guide. When we arrived back at the tasting room which is a low table with different wines for a fee, we were able to ask any questions we had while taking the tour.
One wine Gloria introduced me to previously was an Italian Moscato d’Asti. If you have never had it, it is a sparkling wine similar to a champagne but with fewer bubbles. We have tried Moscatos from the United States but nothing was similar to the Italian style.
We did the tasting and were excited to try the Muscat Canelli (Moscato). Sister Creek has two varieties of Muscat Canelli, one you can perhaps find in your local store and a Reserve in which you can only buy at the winery. Gloria prefers the Reserve so we have to stop at Sister Creek Vineyards whenever we’re near Fredericksburg. Sister Creek also makes traditional wines.
The tastings are done without measured pourers. A nice quaint gift shop geared toward country items is present and enjoyable to shop.
Sister Creek Vineyards is on the Hill Country Wine Trail.
Lenoir-Sage Vineyards
Lenoir-Sage Vineyards is located in the town of Bells northeast of Dallas. We were doing the Munson Wine Trail and a winery told us about Lenoir-Sage. We had not heard of them since they are not on the Munson Wine Trail, and in fact for some reason, they are not on the Go Texan website even though they have a TX Passport code.
It was near the end of the day and we were tired but drove to Bells to visit the winery. Gloria at first opted to stay in the car but when I first tasted their Gewurztraminer, I had to get Gloria. She agreed it was good and we ended up buying a bottle. Their other wines were tasty as well.
You stand at the bar and enjoy their tastings. There is a small gift shop where items can be purchased. All in all, we were glad we were directed to the winery to try.
Colony Cellars
Update: Colony Cellars has closed.
Colony Cellars is located in Waller, TX and opened in 2006. Upon arriving at the winery you usually see a trolley located outside. That is because the winery gives wine tours three times a day. The vineyard is noticeable behind the winery.
Walking into the winery brings you into the abundant gift shop along with the tasting bar and tables. We were directed to have a seat at a table and they would bring the tastings to us. Don and Ruby Corley are the owners, and Ruby presents the tastings to you. Don is also present and gives you information about Colony Cellars’ wines.
Don is very informative explaining his background and the winery’s beliefs in wines. After telling us about his background, one thing he told us which was very interesting is that he believes no bottle of wine should cost more than $10. That is why every bottle of Colony Cellars wine is less than $10.
One thing Don is proud of is all of their red and white grapes are fermented with the skins present. This gives them full-flavored wines and the whites have the same health benefits as the reds. The white wines also have more of an amber color to them.
There are 12 bottles of wine which colony Cellars produces and you can usually taste all 12 for no fee. All bottles have a screw cap and are poured directly from the bottle. There are four styles of wine with three types of wine in each style: Reds, Blushes, and Blancs. Each style of wine is a blend and the final style of wine is called a Random Harvest. This is a blend of wine made from the barrel tag ends of each bottle run. This means you will never get the same taste from the bottle year to year.
You are given a tasting sheet with the wines to help you make notes during your tasting. They purposely do not tell you about their wines like flavor and taste so you can make your own judgment during your tastings.
Besides the grapes Colony Cellars produces, they also use grapes from the Fort Davis and Lubbock area.
We mentioned we were hungry and were able to purchase a nice snack try to help us through all 12 wines. Prior to the snack tray they do have crackers available to cleanse the palate.
Colony Cellars is on the Bluebonnet Wine Trail.
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