Acquired Taste Wines is a place to explore several wine brands, each with its own idea behind it. During our visit, owner Dave Bryant walked us through the tasting room, explained how the wines came together, and poured six wines from three brands: Float, The Campaign, and Heart Break. The tasting room is located in Stonewall.
Dave continues to consult with wineries on vineyard management and winemaking. He is quick to point out that he is not the winemaker behind every bottle at Acquired Taste. He works with three or four winemakers, and said he has worked with Lost Draw on much of the wine bottled so far. Dave’s role includes finding wines, bringing them together, and helping shape the final blends.
The Campaign grew out of Dave’s memories of dinners at his grandparents’ house. His grandparents and their neighbors held very different political and religious views, but they remained close friends. They would bring wine to dinner, debate difficult subjects, and end the evening on good terms. Dave wanted a wine brand that captured that spirit of conversation. Its message is simple: “Run on quality. Vote with your glass.”
The theme carries into the tasting room. Dave has collected political campaign buttons from different eras, without favoring one side, and they are displayed on a wall in the tasting room. He plans to use the campaign button idea on a future label. It is a playful setting for a serious point: Wine can bring people together even when they disagree.
Float takes a lighter approach. Dave described it as wine made for summer. Heart Break, despite its name, is inspired in part by winemakers and the challenges they overcome. Dave said that when he asks winemakers about their favorite wines, they often choose one that was difficult to make, rather than one that earned the most points.
Here is what we tasted during our visit:
- Float 2025 Blanc (85% Viognier, 15% Pinot Gris), Texas High Plains
- Float 2025 Rosé of Sangiovese (96% Sangiovese, 4% Pinot Gris), Texas High Plains
- The Campaign 2023 Sangiovese (97% Sangiovese, 3% Tempranillo), Texas
- The Campaign 2023 Tempranillo (100% Tempranillo), Hudspeth County (far West Texas, near Dell Valley)
- Heart Break 2023 Red Flags (60% Mourvèdre, 40% Syrah), Texas
- Heart Break 2023 Last Call (46% Tempranillo, 44% Petite Sirah, 10% Syrah), Texas
Dave described Red Flags as a wine built for immediate enjoyment, with its fruit and flavor up front. Last Call was blended with more attention to its richness and finish. The name reflects Dave’s belief that the last bottle of the evening should still be a good one.
There is more on the way. Dave mentioned two upcoming Napa wines, a Cabernet Sauvignon and a red blend. He is, however, concentrating on Texas wines. He also told us about a wine planned for Texas Wine Collective with a scratch-and-sniff feature that will let people smell an aroma connected to the wine.
Dave Bryant
What stayed with me most was Dave’s willingness to try different ideas. Acquired Taste gives each brand to have its own personality, while inviting visitors to do the most useful thing in wine tasting: Try the wine and decide what they enjoy.
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