Texas Fine Wine Announces Big Wins at Recent Wine Competitions

Bending Branch Winery, Duchman Family Winery, Pedernales Cellars, and Spicewood Vineyards – which make up Texas Fine Wine – all won Double Gold and other top awards at recent international wine competitions showing the quality and diversity of Texas wines.

Bending Branch Winery won Double Gold for its 2019 Estate Tannat, Lost Pirogue Vineyard at the 2022 San Francisco International Wine Competition; Double Gold for its 2019 Texas Cabernet Sauvignon at the 2023 Houston Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition; and Double Golds for its 2019 Mourvèdre, Desert Willow Vineyard, and 2019 Tannat, Tallent Vineyards at the 2023 San Antonio Rodeo International Wine Competition.

Pedernales Cellars won two Jefferson Cups at the 2022 Jefferson Cup Invitational Wine Competition, one for its 2018 Block Zero, the last vintage of its Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Tannat, and Malbec blend from Kuhlken Vineyard, and for its 2020 Texas High Plains Grenache. The Block Zero also won a Double Gold at the San Francisco International Wine Competition.

Spicewood Vineyards won a Jefferson Cup for its 2019 Tandem. The winery won Double Golds at the San Antonio Rodeo competition for its 2018 Syrah (Texas Class Champion), 2019 Tandem, and 2019 The Independence.

Duchman Family Winery won a Double Gold and Best in Montepulciano for its 2018 Montepulciano at the 2022 Lone Star International Wine Competition.

“Being known for its big, bold reds, Bending Branch Winery, AKA ‘The Tannat House of Texas,’ is super excited to receive four Double Golds, including two for our Tannats, both from Texas Hill Country vineyards, and one each for Cabernet and Mourvèdre,” says Bob Young, MD, co-owner and winemaker of Bending Branch Winery in Comfort. “We, along with our colleagues in Texas Fine Wine, have demonstrated once again that outstanding wine is being produced by our wineries from a wide diversity of grape varieties being grown in Texas – from Roussanne and Picpoul Blanc to Tannat, Tempranillo, Syrah, and Montepulciano.”

Texas Fine Wine hosts its last 2022 Talk and Taste on Thursday, Dec. 8 from 6-7 p.m. Winemakers and winery representatives will discuss several of the award-winning wines: Bending Branch Winery 2019 Texas Cabernet Sauvignon; Duchman Family Winery 2016 Tempranillo; Pedernales Cellars 2018 Texas High Plains Graciano; and Spicewood Vineyards 2019 The Independence. Join the Zoom.

Here is a summary of recent award-winning wines from the Texas Fine Wine group:

Bending Branch Winery

2022 San Francisco International Wine Competition

• 1 Double Gold/Best Other Red Varietal, 2 Gold, 4 Silver

2023 Houston Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition

• 1 Double Gold/Reserve Class Champion/Texas Class Champion, 2 Gold/Reserve Class Champion/Reserve Texas Class Champion, 2 Gold, 1 Silver/Texas Class Champion, 5 Silvers

2023 San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo International Wine Competition

• 2 Double Gold/Top of Class, 1 Gold/Texas Class Champion, 2 Gold, 1 Silver/Texas Class Champion, 5 Silver

Duchman Family Winery

2022 San Francisco International Wine Competition

• 3 Silver

2023 Houston Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition

• 3 Silver

2023 San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo International Wine Competition

• 1 Gold/Texas Class Champion, 1 Gold/Texas Reserve Class Champion, 1 Silver

2022 Lone Star International Wine Competition

• 1 Double Gold/Best in Montepulciano, 1 Gold

Pedernales Cellars

2022 Jefferson Cup Invitational Wine Competition

• 2 Jefferson Cup, 1 Gold, 1 Silver

2022 San Francisco International Wine Competition

• 1 Double Gold, 3 Silver

2023 Houston Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition

• 1 Silver/Reserve Texas Class Champion, 5 Silver

2023 San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo International Wine Competition

• 1 Gold/Texas Class Champion, 2 Gold, 2 Silver

Spicewood Vineyards

2022 Jefferson Cup Invitational Wine Competition

• 1 Jefferson Cup, 3 Gold, 3 Silver

2022 San Francisco International Wine Competition

• 2 Gold, 5 Silver

2023 Houston Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition

• 2 gold, 6 Silver

2023 San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo International Wine Competition

• 1 Double Gold/Texas Class Champion, 2 Double Gold, 3 Gold, 2 Silver

2022 Lone Star International Wine Competition

• 2 Gold, 6 Silver