Nestled among the picturesque landscape of Briggs, Texas, Season Three Vineyard is a winery where it is encouraged for you to slow down, unwind, and indulge in the simple pleasures of life. Owners John and Marion Vance opened their haven’s tasting room in 2022.
After an aha moment in 2018, John and Marion decided they were going to plant a vineyard and open a winery. John’s family had owned land near Briggs since 1879 named YX Ranch. This was the perfect location for their ideas, so they left their Houston corporate jobs and embracing their small-town lifestyle, moved to Briggs and began their vineyard and winery.
They ordered vines from a nursery and came upon their first realization about planting a vineyard—it takes time to get the vines. It’s not like Amazon where you order something, and it arrives two days later. A nursery mostly sells grapevines that are grafted to order, so it takes a season’s growth for the nursery’s vines to be ready to provide to a new vineyard. The Vances ordered their vines and planted their vineyard in 2020 with one acre of Mourvèdre and one acre of Malvasia. The tasting room opened on Thanksgiving weekend of 2022.
Before this year’s Hill Country Wine Symposium, I visited Season Three Vineyard since it is not that far from Horseshoe Bay where the Symposium is held. I easily found the winery with the adjacent vineyard. There were already customers in the tasting room, but John and Marion welcomed me in and let me select a table for myself to do a tasting as the tasting bar is not used for tastings. Remember, slow down, unwind, and relax during a tasting.
Tastings are for five wines, and these are the wines that were available at the time of my visit:
- 2019 Roussanne – Texas Hill Country
- 2019 Bad Boy Blush (Italian varietals) – Texas High Plains
- 2021 Aglianico – Texas High Plains
- 2019 Mourvèdre – Texas High Plains
- 2019 Zusammen (Cabernet Sauvignon) – Texas High Plains
Marion led my tasting, and she wanted me to try the 2022 Bad Boy Blush after I tried the 2019 version. The 2022 version is made from Cinsault with High Plains fruit and was delicious.
I inquired about the 2019 Hunt & Harmony wine that was being sold on the menu as bottle only. This is a field blend, and the name is based on John’s best friend (Hunt) and Marion’s best friend (Harmony) that both unfortunately passed away young.
John and Marion Vance
John and Marion are currently using winemakers at other wineries to make their wines; however, Marion is learning how to make wine so they will be able to make their own. She is taking Texas Tech classes and using guidance from John Catalano, former owner/winemaker of Bent Oak Winery.
I had a lovely visit to Season Three Vineyard, and I look forward to returning.
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