What are Texas Hill Country Wine Trails and Wine Tours?

Texas Hill Country Wine Trails & Tours

While I’m no wine snob, I do have a passion for the Texas Hill Country. So here’s a one-off blog post that you wouldn’t expect to see on my site about Hill Country vineyards, wine trails and wine tours. I imagine most cities in most states has vineyards, wine trails and tours of some sort. This post provides information about wine trails and tours in the Texas Hill Country. Numerous Hill Country vineyards and tour businesses provide this service.

The Texas Hill Country Vineyards

While Texas is fast becoming known for its rapidly growing wine region, the Texas Hill Country serves as the hub for wine trails and touring with more than 36 wineries within a 25 mile radius of Fredericksburg alone. The Highland Lakes area in Burnet and Marble Falls, as well as the northwest region near Mason and San Saba, offer excellent wine excursions too.

Next to Napa Valley, the Texas Hill County (Region 5) is the second most visited wine region in the United States. Texas is the fifth largest grape and wine producer in the nation. American Viticulture Areas (AVA) are grape growing areas officially designated by the U.S. Department of Treasury. The Texas Hill Country is the second largest AVA in the nation with it spanning more than 9 million acres.

The Texas Hill Country Region #5

The Hill Country Region #5 is home to over 70 wineries and in  the following counties: Bandera, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Bosque, Brown, Burnet, Coleman, Comal, Comanche, Concho, Coryell, Edwards, Gillespie, Hamilton, Hays, Hill, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, Lampasas, Llano, Mason, McCulloch, McLennan, Medina, Menard, Mills, Real, Runnels, San Saba, Travis, Uvalde, Williamson.

Hill Country Wine Trails

Hill Country wine trails are self-guided driving tours, usually with a wine trail map, to different wineries offering wine tastings, vineyard tours and opportunities to meet the winemakers themselves. Some wineries offer food and a chance to enjoy Hill Country musicians, chefs, artists and more. Usually you buy tickets to visit several Hill Country wineries shown on a wine trail map in a local region.

Customers enjoy a unique wine tasting experience from Texas Hill Country wineries who have worked together to plan wine trail events at each individual winery. While following the wine trail map, customers travel from winery to winery, tasting and learning about Hill Country wine with each stop. You can visit the wineries at your own pace and a designated driver is always recommended. For people traveling the trails there are usually recommendations for overnight accommodations and restaurants along the way.

Texas Wine Tours

Wine tours offer all the same benefits of wine trails except you and your group are driven by a tour company guide/driver to each winery. Some companies offer tours in limousines or luxury Mercedes buses. This is a great way for large groups to travel together without the worry of having a designated driver.  You can schedule private tours or tour with groups. Experienced guides drive you through the beautiful Hill Country to visit wineries & vineyards throughout Central Texas. Texas Hill Country Wine Tours are the premier way to visit local wineries and enjoy Hill Country wines in style and luxury!

Read about Texas Hill Country Activities