The turning trees of Vermont and New Hampshire might have a little something on our Texas vegetation this time of year, but a stunning quilt of colors can also be found in the Lone Star State, not too far from Kyle. The bigtooth maples, sumacs, sycamores, chinaberries and cottonwood trees of the Central Texas Hill Country offer a show of color this time of year to help get you into the feeling of fall. And, while you’re out there absorbing the colors and smells of the season, why not check out some of the many Texas wineries out to the west?
From Austin to Fredericksburg and beyond, the Hill Country is fast becoming one of the most visited wine areas in the country, so, this fall, you can try some of the tastiest red wines in the state, or find the perfect gift for that wine aficionado on your list. In fact, the Texas Wine Trail is even offering a Holiday Wine Trail from November 30 through December 16th, which allows you to visit each of the 32 Hill Country wineries during the 17 days of the Tour to experience all the Texas Wine Country has to offer. Tickets to the self-guided Holiday Wine Trail are $60 for two and include one grapevine wreath to be picked up at the winery of your choice, one ornament from each winery visited, and a 15% discount on 3-bottle purchases from each winery.
If you’d rather take things on your own speed, or if you don’t have the desire to try EVERY winery to the west, here are some vineyard groupings for you to check out, depending on how far you want to travel.
Closest to Kyle are the wineries in Driftwood – the Duchman Family Winery, the Wimberley Valley Winery and the Driftwood Estate Winery. Wimberley Valley is closest to Kyle just 20 minutes west on FM 150, and Duchman and Driftwood Estate are a close jump away. Each winery’s tasting room is open daily, so any day a week you can sample some delicious vino. Just be sure to check their websites for hours.
Closer to Austin, Bell Springs Winery and Solaro Estate offer wine tastings and events in Dripping Springs, 40 minutes away from town to the northwest. Every Saturday this November and December, Bell Springs offers live music in the afternoons from local and regional singer / songwriters. Make a day of the excursion by enjoying some of the best BBQ in the region at The Salt Lick or walk around the trails and absorb the natural beauty of Hamilton Pool.
Even more wineries call the Hill Country home farther out west on 290 near Fredericksburg. For a full list of wineries in the area, check out this interactive map, which even offers a list of suggested day trips.
So whether you want to explore new wines and expand your palette, or if you’d rather pour a glass yourself and cuddle up by the fire (if it ever gets cold enough), wine is in full supply in Central Texas. Cheers!
Filed under: Local20, North20, West20 | Tagged: austin, Autumn colors, Autumn trees, Central Texas real estate, central texas wineries, day trip, driftwood, Dripping Springs, events, Fall colors, fall day trip, Fall foliage, Fall trees, fredericksburg, hill country, hill country wineries, kyle, Kyle real estate, nature, plum creek, texas, Texas Hill Country, wine, Wine in Texas, wineries in texas | Leave a comment »
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