Texas Star Winery

http://www.texasstarwinery.com

Update 2014: Texas Star Winery has been sold and is now located in Chappell Hill.

Texas Star Winery is located in Richards and is owned by Earl and Lyn Love. Earl also does the winemaking. He started making wine as a hobby over 20 years ago at home and after an involuntary retirement in 2008, Earl and Lyn decided to purchase land for a winery and opened it on August 28, 2010.

On our first drive from Montgomery to the winery 18 miles to the north we followed the winding roads and passed motorcycle after motorcycle. Sure enough before we got to the winery we passed a bar with a lot of motorcycles parked out front. We understood then why the roads would make a nice drive on a motorcycle.

When you first open the front door to the winery, you enter the small tasting room with tasting bar. The production area is to the left which also serves as event space. Each time we have visited, Earl Love handled our tasting.

There is no tasting fee for the wines they have available. Texas Star Winery uses corks and the tastings are poured using a measured pourer while you stand at the tasting bar. We were able to taste four wines during our last visit. Crackers and chocolates are provided to cleanse your palate and enhance the wine.

Texas Star Winery is noted for their prickly pear wine made from the prickly pear cactus which they gather themselves in central Texas. Prickly pear is also used to make their prickly pear sherry. They also make hibiscus wine from hibiscus from south Mexico which has been grown without pesticides. The hibiscus wine is stored upside down in the bottle for three months which will age better compared to storing the wine for a year in the tank since the foil capsule has holes and natural corks are used which also allow the wine to breathe.

In addition depending on availability, they also make other wines. Cranberry wine is made from cranberries obtained from Oregon and Washington State. Mandarin orange wine is fermented with Hershey’s dark cocoa. This is a layered wine since the chocolate cannot ferment with the yeast.

A grape wine is made with wild mustang grape. No oak barrels are used in making their wine. All wines are balanced which allows them to take two balanced wines and blend them together and still have a balanced wine.

Tours are available if possible when there is not a wine trail event happening. The winery can be reserved for private functions and events. The use of the facility is free with a minimum wine purchase. Scheduled tours and tastings are available for clubs and group tours. A gift shop is available with clothing and wine glasses.

Texas Star Winery is on the Bluebonnet Wine Trail.