By Sharon Kurtz ~
You don’t need a holiday to celebrate a good bottle of wine. Still, today we have one: National Wine Day, celebrated annually on May 25, when wine enthusiasts unite to celebrate our favorite fermented fruit juice.
Whether you host a wine tasting at your place or meet friends for an evening of professionally paired food and wine, the celebration begins as soon as you “pop” the cork.
And, since Texans like to celebrate everything “Texas” in the Lone Star State, you can use National Wine Day to celebrate Texas’s long history of wine production.
The Southwest, including present-day Texas, was the first region to have significant European grape varieties, predating California by more than 100 years. Some of the earliest recorded Texas wines were produced by Spanish missionaries in the 1650s near El Paso.
But even before Texans planted European grape varieties, many native varieties were already flourishing in the state. A few even remain star performers, today.
The Panhandle — not the Hill Country — is home to more than two-thirds of the grapes grown in Texas. The sunny, dry climate is comparable to areas in Europe like Portugal and Spain. In 2019, Texas ranked as the fifth-largest wine-producing state.
North Texas Wine Country
There are exciting wineries to visit across the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, from country lanes to downtown hot spots.
Whether you’re new to the great state of Texas or have lived here your entire life, explore North Texas Wine Country to see all the wineries are waiting for your visit!
One fabulous way to taste some of North Texas’s finest wines is to experience the Spring Wine Trail. There are more than 31 wineries to choose from through May 31.
One Texas vineyard of note is Eden Hill Vineyard, about an hour north of Dallas in Celina, TX, on a 10-acre plot of land. Eden Hill is a member of the North Texas Wine Country and participates in the Spring Wine Trail happening now.
Eden Hill is a family business. It broke ground in 2006 and its first bottle of wine was ready by 2010. Today, Eden Hill sells more than 15 award-winning varieties of wine made exclusively from Texas-grown grapes, producing about 3,000 cases per year. The family wishes to stay small and focus on delivering high-quality wines.
Visit Eden Hill Vineyard’s tasting room, open Thursday through Sunday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., to try (and buy more of) the wine. Eden Hill also has an online wine club. Or visit Eden Hill’s tasting room at the Dallas Farmer’s Market, located at 1011 South Pearl Street, Suite 150, open the same days and times.
With easy access to local wineries, Downtown Wine Walks coming soon, and the Drink North Texas Wine and Brew Music Festival on September 7 at the North Texas Fairgrounds, there are many exciting opportunities to taste and learn more about North Texas Wine.
So, whether you’re raising a glass or sharing a bottle, celebrate National Wine Day with Texas Wines.
Cheers!
