Nolan Creek Winery is located in downtown Belton and is owned by Phil Monge and Vira Chudasma. The urban winery opened in February 2013.
I found the winery in “The Gin” which is a marketplace in Belton with restaurants and stores. As their website states, “they have joined winemaking with a wine bar,” and what a nice wine bar with a large wine selection they have. The menu is often changed so it is different.
Tastings are done while sitting at the tasting bar. The tastings though are done as wine flights of three wines for a fee. One flight offered is the Nolan Creek Winery flight. At the time of my visit Nolan Creek Winery only made four wines, so in order to taste all four wines you must do a wine flight and then a glass of the remaining wine. Fortunately like most wine bars, a sample is given to determine if you want a glass of that wine.
The wines available when I visited were:
- Texas Sunshine (sweet white wine)
- White Blend (Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc)
- Texas Moonlight (sweet red wine)
- Red Blend (50% Syrah / 50% Mourvèdre)
The last wine, Norton Creek Winery Red Blend, won a bronze medal at the 2014 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo International Wine Competition. The winery made 45 gallons of the Red blend and it was their first attempt to make wine on a commercial level. Norton Creek Winery’s grapes come from three different vineyards in the High Plains plus 20% from California.
Other Texas wines offered are from Salado Creek Winery & Vineyard, Becker Vineyards, and Tranquilo Cellars. Different types of food are available if you are hungry.
Events held at the winery include Wine Down Wednesdays which gives half off bottles of wine, live music, and wine dinners. There is a small gift shop present with wine accessories. A wine club is available.
