Texas High Plains - The Undiscovered Wine Destination

Name a first-rate Texas wine destination… I’ll wait.

Did the name Lubbock spring to mind?

Perhaps it should. Lubbock serves as the perfect gateway to one of the most fascinating – and largely undiscovered – wine destinations in the country: the Texas High Plains AVA.

With more than eight million acres covering twenty-three Texas counties, the Texas High Plains (THP) is the second largest of the state’s eight American Viticulture Areas (AVAs) and the third largest in the US. It is also the source of more than 80% of all wine grapes grown in Texas. Located on the Llano Estacado plateau (part of one of the largest mesas in North America), its high elevation, iron-rich soils, and wide diurnal temperature swings provide ideal conditions for many varietals of grapes to thrive.

The THP also offers a wide range of unique experiences to Texas wine enthusiasts. But before we delve into the region as a whole, let’s start with Lubbock itself.

Farmhouse Vineyards – The Armory

Historic Lubbock is the tenth largest city in the state (and eighty-fourth largest in the country) with everything a wine tourist could want for a weekend getaway or long-term stay. Home to eleven colleges and universities, including Texas Tech University, Lubbock boasts a vibrant nightlife with trendy restaurants, a dynamic music and arts scene, and accommodations to fit any budget.

Lubbock makes the perfect home base from which to launch your adventures into the THP. While in Lubbock you can connect with Texas wine history at some of the most storied and celebrated wineries in Texas such as Llano Estacado Winery, McPherson Cellars, and Pheasant Ridge Winery. And don’t miss English Newsom Cellars or the recently opened Adelphos Cellars tasting room.

But Lubbock is only a gateway into the richness that is the Texas High Plains AVA. The vast region surrounding Lubbock, from Canyon in the north to Lamesa to the south, is where the real magic happens. This is a region the uninitiated may not know to consider when looking for a great Texas wine experience.

Yellow House Cellars

It is true that visitors won’t find the scenic landscape of the Texas Hill Country or the rugged terrain of the Davis Mountains or Big Bend. But the THP has a unique natural beauty of its own. It is easy to see why the late Molly Ivins once described it as “about 88.3% sky.^[1]” This is farm country with row crops as far as the eye can see. Dust devils and tumbleweeds scurry across the landscape while red-tailed hawks soar overhead searching the fields for prey. This is a land where one can’t help but feel close to the soil.

Cotton may be king here, but the THP boasts the highest concentration of vineyards in the state. Terry County, centered around Brownfield, proudly calls itself the Grape Capital of Texas. Most of the farmers who tend these vineyards are diversified into a wide range of row crops, but the vineyards are what makes this region special for those of us who are followers of the grape. Visitors here can get close to the very source of the wines we so often enjoy at our dinner table.

The Triple D Winery

But the THP’s real treasure lies in its people. These are the growers. These are the all-too-often unsung heroes. These are the farmers who pour their blood, sweat, and tears into the land year after year, hoping Mother Nature will be kind to them and somehow deal with it when she is not. Texas farmers face many challenges that are unique to other areas of the country, and the THP is certainly no exception. Blinding dust storms, bruising hail, insect invasions, fickle weather, and a plethora of other pressures are just part of the natural ebb and flow of life for these hard-working stewards of the land. One must be made of sturdy stuff to even consider joining their ranks.

There are more than seventy vineyards located within an hour’s drive of Lubbock. Some are small operations and not set up to accommodate visitors. But quite a few have a tasting room or can accept visitors for private tastings which are often arranged in their barrel room or production facility. Even those who make no wines themselves can often offer guests a tasting of wines produced by their clients and made from their grapes. And all have a unique story to tell. Their stories are the real treasure of the Texas High Plains. The people and their stories are the best reason to visit.

Phillips Vineyard

But before planning your visit to the THP, please consider a piece of advice. Do not show up unannounced or with a huge party. Most of these vineyards are on working farms and are likely to be somebody’s home. Treat and respect them as such. The general rule should always be to contact the owner well in advance and ask if or when they are available for visitors (hint: harvest season is not the best time to visit).

So, how would one go about planning a trip? A great place to start would be the Texas Wine Lover app or website. There you will find not only a listing of wineries and vineyards in the area, but you can also plan and map out your trip in detail.

The THP should be on every Texas wine enthusiast’s bucket list. Below are just a few of the places I recommend to get you started. Each of these has a tasting room or is able to accommodate visitors. But remember that this is only a small sample of the many great opportunities awaiting you in the Texas High Plains.