Edge of the Lake Vineyard

Driving along the dusty gravel road CR 231 near Lake Ray Roberts the last thing one expects to see is a winery in the style of a New England seaside home, but that is what you will find at Edge of the Lake Vineyard in Valley View, Texas. This beautiful home-turned-winery was built by Dr. Fred Cummings, a practicing OBGYN in Denton, and sits on 15 acres of lakefront property. It is located about five minutes east of I35, about midway between Gainesville and Denton, Texas.

Edge of the Lake (EotL) is a family-owned and operated vineyard and winery, and that sense of family is extended to every person who walks through the door. I’ve spoken with many of their customers, each of whom has the same story to tell. No matter how busy they are, you will always be received with a smile and a warm welcome. It is typically the good doctor who is first to greet you, but he was away doing “doctor stuff” on the day we visited. I also understand that he is also the group’s best glass polisher so it was all hands on deck in his absence. Dr. Fred’s son Chris McIntosh is also the winemaker and Chris’s fiancée Cyn Burley is instrumental in the tasting room.

EotL’s tasting room offers indoor seating for up to 50+ guests. Several small-plate dining options are available from the full-size kitchen adjacent to the main room. Regular dinner events are not currently held but EotL hopes to offer them in the future. Food is often served, however, at wine club pick-up parties. A large patio with lake view and a small pool is also available for guest seating. It serves as a live music venue on select evenings.

Winery dog lovers will find themselves right at home. EotL is home to three friendly Guardians of the Vineyard – namely Bambam, Tannin, and Lola (not pictured) – each of whom loves to mingle with the guests on the patio while they maintain their vigil.

EotL vineyard currently grows Tempranillo, Albariño, and Grenache. Other grapes are sourced from the Texas High Plains. All wines offered by EotL are 100% Texas-grown. The current tasting menu (as of March 2022) consists of the following selection:

Dry Whites:

• Freedom White – a blend of Viognier and Albariño
• Estate Albariño

Sweet Whites:

• Viognier
• Sweet Freedom – a blend of Viognier, Albariño, and Agave

Dry Reds:

• Malbec
• Edge Blend – a blend of Petite Verdot, Barbera, and Tempranillo
• Tempetite – a blend of Tempranillo, Petite Verdot
• Estate Grenache

They also offer a bottle-only list of Tempranillo, Albariño, and Viognier.

Two wine club options are currently offered:

• Select Club – Free tastings, three bottles per quarter, and a 15% discount on all wines.
• Edge Club – Free tastings, four bottles per quarter, and an 18% discount on all wines.