Swirl, Sniff, Sip, Repeat

7 essential wineries to hit on your next Texas Hill Country road trip

If you are one of those holdouts who still turns your nose up at Texas wines, it’s time to give them a second chance. The industry has exploded over the past few years, in no small part due to a boon in world-class bottles and an increasing commitment to using grapes grown in the state.

Hundreds of wineries now dot the landscape, with more than 50 in the Texas Hill Country. It's worth planning a road trip to take in the scenery; sip some spectacular reds, whites, and rosés; and appreciate what's in your own state. Here are seven wineries not to miss.

4.0 Cellars
In 2012, three of Texas’ most well-known wineries — Brennan Vineyards, Lost Oak Winery, and McPherson Cellars — got together to open a tasting room just outside the Fredericksburg city limits. The location allows the far-flung wineries (located in Comanche, Burleson, and Lubbock, respectively) a higher traffic area to showcase their creations. The move also birthed a new project, the aptly named 4.0. Now, guests can enjoy wines from all four brands Tuesday through Sunday. Bring a picnic and enjoy the fresh air or buy pairings from artisans like Veldhuizen Cheese Company and chocolatier Cathy Locke.

Austin Winery
Traveled to the state's capital and don’t have a full weekend to devote to a full Hill Country wine trip? Take a Lyft to The Yard in South Austin to experience Austin’s first urban winery. The tasting room offers a wide variety of pours from a fortified wine collaboration with neighbors Still Austin Whiskey to buzzy natural wines like Pétillant Naturel. There’s also plenty of grub for inspired pairings like olives, nuts, and cheese from Antonelli’s.

Duchman Family Winery
This Driftwood winery specializes in Italian varietals like Aglianico, Dolcetto, and Montepulciano, grapes that just happen to thrive in the finicky Texas weather. If you are planning a visit, make a day of it and pop into one of two dozen wineries, breweries, and distilleries located nearby, including Bell Springs Winery, Argus Cidery, Desert Door Sotol, and Jester King Brewery. The Tuscan-inspired tasting room serves pours daily with extended hours on Friday and Saturday.

Fall Creek Vineyards
Any Texan who has ever spent the day sampling Syrah in the Hill Country owes Fall Creek owners Ed and Susan Auler a big debt of gratitude. The couple put the region on the map, first by establishing the pioneering winery in Tow in 1980, then by founding the Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival to promote the emerging region in 1986. Ed was also instrumental in having the viticultural area officially recognized by the U.S. government. Pay your respects at two tasting rooms, both open daily. The original location is on the banks of Lake Buchanan, known for some of the best fishing in the state. The Driftwood outpost has its own luxury cottage and is just a short walk from Salt Lick BBQ.

Lewis Wines
Two of the youngest winemakers in the Hill Country, longtime friends and co-owners Doug Lewis and Duncan McNabb made their first wines with extra fruit from Pedernales Cellars, Lewis’ then-employer. Today, their winery is an essential stop on any tour, offering wines like a Tempranillo and a Syrah Mouvédre made with Texas High Plains Grapes. Tastings are done daily for a $15 fee, refunded with the purchase of two bottles. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are especially recommended on the weekend.

Pedernales Cellars
This family-owned favorite has two experiences to offer oenophiles. The Stonewall estate features beautiful vistas of the Pedernales River Valley that can be enjoyed from an outdoor deck. The Fredericksburg location is on the bustling Main Street strip, near other tasting rooms, gourmet restaurants, and boutiques. Both are open daily, with the exception of the Frederickburg location on Tuesdays. The fee for a flight includes a souvenir glass for pouring purchased bottles at home.

William Chris Vineyards
Texas wine evangelists Bill Blackmon and Chris Bundrett operate this Hye winery and tasting room, tucked into a oak-lined property with stunning Hill Country views. Learn about the Lone Star State’s unique terroir while sipping a glass on the patio or covered pavilion and enjoy live music on the weekends. The tasting room is open seven days a week, and reservations are required Friday through Sunday.

Learn more about wine at Pedernales Cellars.

Pedernales Cellars winery wine tasting women

Pedernales Cellars/Facebook

Learn more about wine at Pedernales Cellars.

where-drink hill-country wine

Now hear this

New Texas museum shines spotlight on Tejano music history

Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum, San Antonio, tejano music

Photo by Edmond Ortiz

Roger Hernandez serves as board president of the Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum.

For a city that proudly calls itself the capital of Tejano music, San Antonio has long been missing a permanent place to honor the genre’s pioneers and preserve its history. That gap officially closed In December with the opening of the Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum at 1414 Fredericksburg Rd.

The music couldn’t have found a better steward than its founder and board president. Roger Hernandez has had his finger on the pulse of Tejano music for decades. His company, En Caliente Productions, has provided a platform for countless performing artists and songwriters in Tejano, conjunto, and regional Mexican music since 1982.

Hernandez says his wife, who ran a shop at Market Square years ago, would often get questions from visitors about the location of a physical Tejano music museum, a thing that simply did not exist. In 2022, he banded together with friends, family, and other local Tejano music supporters to make the nonprofit Hall of Fame a reality.

“I decided I've been in the music scene for over 40 years, it's time to do a museum,” Hernandez recalls.

Hernandez says a brick-and-mortar Tejano music museum has long been needed to remember musical acts and other individuals who grew the genre across Texas and northern Mexico, especially those who are aging. Recently, the community lost famed Tejano music producer Manny Guerra and Abraham Quintanilla, the renowned Tejano singer/songwriter and father of the late superstar Selena Quintanilla-Perez. Both deaths occurred roughly one week after the Totally Tejano museum opened to the public.

“They're all dying. They're all getting older, and we need to acknowledge all these people,” Hernandez says.

The Totally Tejano Museum — named after Hernandez’s Totally Tejano Television Roku streaming — has 5,000 square feet of space packed with plaques, photos, promotional posters, musical instruments, and other memorabilia honoring the pioneers and stars of the beloved genre. Mannequins wear stage outfits from icons like Laura Canales and Flaco Jimenez, and a wall of photos remembers late greats. Totally Tejano Television plays legendary performances on a loop, bringing the exhibits to life.

The newly opened Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum includes a growing collection of memorabilia. Photo by Edmond Ortiz

Hernandez says the museum will soon welcome permanent and rotating exhibits, including traveling shows, a Hall of Fame section, and an area paying homage to Chicano music crossovers, such as the late Johnny Rodriguez, the South Texas singer-songwriter who blended country with Tex-Mex music. Plans call for the organization to hold its inaugural Hall of Fame induction in February 2026.

Eventually, a 2,000 square feet back room will be converted into additional display space and host industry gatherings, community symposiums, and record and video release parties. The museum also plans to add a gift and record shop and a music learning room where visitors can listen to early Tejano music and browse archival photos. Hernandez is already talking with local school districts about educational field trips.

Much like Tejano itself, the museum is a grassroots production. Hernandez and fellow board members have used their own money to rent, renovate, develop, and maintain the museum space. The board also leads the selection of the Hall of Fame honorees and curates the exhibits.

Hernandez has been heartened by the museum’s reception, both from media outlets and music fans around Texas and beyond.

“We had a radio station come in this morning from Houston to interview us,” he says. “People have come in from Lubbock, Texas. We have had people from Midland, Texas. We have another person who emailed us who’s coming in from New York. People are learning all about us.”

That includes many of the musicians who helped shape the genre. Johnny Hernandez, Sunny Ozuna, Elida Reyna, and Danny Martinez from Danny and The Tejanos are among the luminaries who have already graced the halls.

The Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum is now open 10 am-6 pm, Tuesday-Sunday, and closed Monday. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged. Fans can call 210-314-1310 for more information.

san antonio tejano music museums hall of fame music openings

Swirl, Sniff, Sip, Repeat

7 essential wineries to hit on your next Texas Hill Country road trip

Learn more about wine at Pedernales Cellars.

Now hear this

New Texas museum shines spotlight on Tejano music history

New Houston cocktail bar serves up a house party fueled by music and martinis

$150 million, 12,500-seat entertainment venue coming to Houston in 2027

Eagerly-anticipated Houston barbecue joint hosts weekend preview pop-ups