Rusty Hook Winery

Rusty Hook Winery is located in Long Mott (near Port Lavaca) and is owned by Cheri Walleck. We visited the winery on the way back from a recent trip to Corpus Christi.

We arrived at the winery and there were a lot of cars parked outside the small winery. Wow, this is a happening place. The joyful crowd inside the winery was present as soon as we walked in. We found our way to the tasting bar and learned the crowd was the class of 1982 celebrating their 40th year. It was great to see so many people still together and having fun.

There is a large wine selection, and you may choose four wines from the ones they have selected for the week to create a flight. Some of those wines at the time of our visit were:

• Abigall’s Laughter – Sparkling Blanc du Bois from Goliad, TX (dry)
• Following Seas – Cabernet Sauvignon (dry)
• Calypso Gold – Pinot Grigio (dry)
• Beachy Keen – Peach (sweet)
• Ocean Pearls – Pomegranate (sweet)
• Manatee Moon – Texas sweet red blend
• White Caps – Blanc du Bois from Goliad, TX (semi-sweet)
• Conch Whispers – Watermelon (sweet)

The Cabernet and Chardonnay are non-Texas, but the rest of the wines are Texas. Cheri explained she labels everything with American on the label because it makes it easier since some years could be Texas or California. She makes most of the wines, but her nephew Alex is starting to take over the winemaking duties. Some of the wines are made offsite though through winemaker Dan Marek.

There are other wines available by the bottle. Cheri wanted us to try some of them and these are the ones we tasted:

• Caye Verde – Blanc du Bois from Goliad, TX (sweet)
• Starfish Wishes – Chardonnay (dry) – American
• Dewberry – a new wine made from local hand-picked dewberries, sweet, and aromatic up front with a dry finish. She was very proud of this wine, and it was very tasty.
• Mermaid’s Kiss – Merlot (dry)
• Titan’s Tempest – Tempranillo (dry)

Even though the winery uses fanciful names for their wines, they clearly tell you what the wine is made from so you have a good idea if you will like it or not. As is commonly found in a number of Texas wineries, sweet wines are their biggest sellers. The winery also makes some very nice wine slushes that are popular made from fresh fruit: Cherry, Pineapple, Tropical (three fruits), and Mixed Berry (four fruits).

Make a visit to Rusty Hook Winery the next time you’re in the area.