Revisiting Bull Lion Ranch & Vineyard in Hico

Jeff Cope first wrote about Bull Lion Ranch & Vineyard back in February 2019, which you can read here in the blog. At the time they only had one tasting room located outside of Hico, which is also where the estate vineyard is. Here we are five years later, and Bull Lion has gone through many changes, yet some things have remained the same.

I had yet to visit the Hico location, so I headed out for a visit one Sunday afternoon with the intent of visiting with co-owners, Chuck and Cyndi Tordiglione, to get the details on what had transpired since Jeff’s visit and, of course, to drink some wine. As I entered the property, the estate vineyard could be seen off to the right and it ran the length of the drive. At the end of the drive was the family ranch, the tasting room, and the production facility. Based on pictures I had seen; the tasting room did not appear to have changed much over the course of five years. Outside was a wrap-around porch with several tables and chairs and a stage for hosting outdoor music events. Inside there were still two tasting bars, an ample amount of indoor seating perfect for the hot Texas summers, and a quaint seating area in the middle with a few chairs and table having views of the tasting room and an area in the back used for barrel storage and event space.

Upon entering the tasting room, I was immediately followed by a couple who I learned were from the Mason/Fredericksburg area and were both in the wine industry. She works at a tasting room in Mason, which we soon realized is where we had met on my last trip there, and he is an assistant winemaker at a winery in Fredericksburg. What a small wine world! Needless to say, this visit turned into a fun group tasting with a lot of great conversation about the wines we were tasting and the Texas wine industry in general. The wines we tasted were:

• Texas Moscato Giallo
• Trebbiano Dry
• Bella Rosa (Sangiovese Rose)
• Sangiovese
• Texianti (blend of Sangiovese and Montepulciano)
• Tordiglione Family Reserva (Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Primitivo)
• Montepulciano
• Texas Gold (Cabernet Sauvignon)
• Tempranillo
• Malbec
• Cabernet Franc

By the time we finished, it was late in the afternoon and I still had a two-plus hour drive home, so I said my goodbyes knowing that I would be back for round two. A few weeks later I headed back out to Hico, and I was able to visit with the Tordigliones for a couple of hours before more winegoers arrived.

Upon entering the tasting room, I was immediately greeted by Cyndi, shortly followed by Chuck, and was asked the most important question of the day…what would you like to drink? My wine of choice for the afternoon was their Estate Sangiovese. Not sure how I missed this on my last visit, but something in the far-left-hand corner of the tasting room caught my eye, a red booth and table reminiscent of what you would see in a restaurant during the Rat Pack era. This went hand in hand with the music that was playing as it too was from the same era, which just happens to be my favorite wine-time music—Frank (Sinatra) and Dean (Martin). I would soon learn the reason behind the nostalgia.

Since we sampled through their wines on my previous visit, this time we focused the conversation on Bull Lion and how it has evolved over the years. First and foremost, Chuck is the proud descendant of a long line of Italian grape growers and winemakers dating back to 1825 from the Naples region of Italy. Chuck pays homage to his family heritage in a few different ways, some of which are:

• The Bull Lion estate vineyard was planted in 2010 and covered 7½ acres. In 2024 the estate vineyard is still 7½ acres consisting of Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Tempranillo, Aglianico, Sagrantino, and Primitivo. All of their red wines are made from grapes harvested from the estate vineyard; however, they do source grapes from other Texas growers for their white wines.
• Chuck refers to their winemaking style as Old-World Italian style. I’ve heard a few different definitions of “Old World,” so I asked Chuck what his definition was, and he said it was longer skin contact and aging times. Chuck is passionate about staying true to his family roots of winemaking and touts their wines as being among the best, if not the best, Italian wines in Texas with numerous awards to back up his claim. Bull Lion has had the same winemaker, Patrick Johnson, since day one and now Tony Tordiglione, Chuck’s son, is also making wine.
• Their wine labels are vessels for telling family stories. If you ever want to learn more about the Tordiglione family history, all you have to do is read the back label of any of their wine bottles.
• The music playing in the tasting room, at least at the Hico location. As previously mentioned, Frank and Dean era music is my favorite wine-time music, and both singers have Italian ancestry.

In five years, Bull Lion has undergone several changes, and the changes are still happening:

• In 2018 the flagship Bull Lion Ranch & Vineyard tasting room opened in Hico and is still open today. This location is the family ranch so along with the estate vineyard you will also see cattle and Paint Horses roaming in the fields around the tasting room. If you are lucky enough you will also catch a glimpse of Frank and Nancy, the resident peacocks.
• In 2019 Bull Lion Ranch Wine Shop opened in Glen Rose and is still open today. This is the only location I have not been to.
• In 2020 Bull Lion Ranch Wine Shop & Italian Market opened on the square in Granbury but has since closed. I was not aware of this at the time of my visit, so I do not know if it will reopen at another location or not.
• In 2021 Bull Lion Ranch Wine Shop opened on Main Street in Grapevine and is still open today; however, it will be moving soon. The original location, which is an old gas station, is quaint and has a nice outdoor seating area; however, it offers limited indoor seating which every Texan knows is not optimal for the scorching Texas summers. The new location, which will be at 150 W College St, is directly behind the current location and will offer expanded indoor seating and room for events. The wheels are already churning with ideas of events that could be hosted at the new location, so keep an eye out for event updates.
• I cannot go into detail, but I can say another location is under discussion and will be unlike any of the others. All I can say is keep your eyes peeled for the possibly bigger things to come.

As you can see Bull Lion Ranch & Vineyard has gone through many changes over the years, with even more changes to come. It will be interesting to watch over the next couple of years to see how things turn out. And then while many things have changed, just as many things have remained the same.

Chuck & Cyndi Tordiglione

If you are looking to spend a leisurely afternoon enjoying some Texas wine while listening to Frank and Dean and enjoying beautiful country views, be sure to stop by Bull Lion Ranch & Vineyard outside of Hico. This is where you are likely to find Chuck and Cyndi Tordiglione on a Sunday afternoon. If you’re not much of one for a country setting, then stop by their Grapevine or Glen Rose location.