I have known Lindsay Kana for years back when she worked for a company as a consultant helping other wineries around the U.S. It was a pleasure to hear that she and her husband Shawn were opening Kana Wine in Bastrop, Texas. They were able to obtain the location from another winery that was closing on Chestnut Street, and they opened Kana Wine Tasting Lounge in February 2023.
Driving from Houston to the Hill Country, I often pass through Bastrop along the way, but I could never make the hours work when Kana Wine was open until recently.
Bastrop’s downtown is very popular with its many shops, so the first challenge is to find a parking spot. Parking is available on the side streets or in a large lot coincidentally behind Kana Lounge, so you should be able to find a spot somewhere. I saw Lindsay when I entered the Tasting Lounge and even though we had seen each other mostly online over the years, we recognized each other, and she welcomed me to her winery.
Tastings are done at the tasting bar and a host will guide you through the tasting of five wines. These were some of the wines available at the time of my visit:
- Sweet Smooch (Semi-sweet Riesling) – Sonoma County
- Downtown Daydream (Pinot Grigio) – Sonoma County
- A Colorful History (Chardonnay) – Sonoma County
- Hometown Hero (Pinot Noir) – Sonoma County
- The Bridge (Tempranillo) – Texas
- Billy (Mourvèdre) – Texas
They also have some sparkling wines available for those bubbly fans in addition to a cranberry wine. Besides wine, the winery has specialty drinks available made with some of the wines. Shawn Kana makes some of the wine and the others are made by a custom crush facility.
The wine bottle labels are interesting as they are based on their family or about Bastrop locations. For example, The Bridge wine is the popular bridge in Bastrop. I asked about the vintages of the wines as I was taking notes but was told they purposely do not put vintages on the bottles or display them at the winery.
There are two wine clubs available, the Outlaws Club and the Lounge Club. A family member from the old past was an outlaw, and he is prominently featured in a photo in the winery holding a pistol for the backdrop of the Outlaws Wine Club.
The tasting room has comfortable chairs and sofas available for lounging. There is also a nicely protected back patio for your outdoor use while sipping on Kana Wine wine.
Lindsay Kana
Next time you’re in the Bastrop area or if you’re one of the locals, stop by Kana Wine.
707 Chestnut St, Bastrop, TX 78602
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