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Move over Napa Valley, because the Lone Star State is stepping up its wine game!
California may be the wine capital of the U.S., but don't underestimate the rise of wine-loving Texas.
Nestled among charming hotels and scenic landscapes, Texas is experiencing a grape revolution, from small boutique wineries to big players like Becker Vineyards. The Texas Hill Country, just a stone's throw from Austin, now boasts over 100 wineries for you to explore.
Surprisingly, this Texan wine wonderland is a relative newcomer, having sprouted its first vines not too long ago. But guess what? It's already the second most-visited wine region in the entire country, leaving folks saying "Cheers, y'all!"
As Patrick Connelly, the wise general manager of Becker Vineyards, puts it, "The industry's fairly young, compared to other wine growing regions in the country."
With a touch of Texas heat, the grape harvest here starts early and ends sooner than in most places. Tyler Turbeville, the general manager of Narrow Path Winery, confirmed, "It tends to be a little hotter here, so our harvest season is a little bit earlier and finished a little earlier than most places."
The numbers don't lie, either.
Last year, the Texas wine industry uncorked a staggering $50 billion in domestic revenues.