The Austin Winery
"We started our business incredibly small-scale. just two stainless steel tanks and a half dozen barrels. Our young team is self-funded and self-taught. no old, inherited vineyard or retirement bank account to reinvest. Every ferment, harvest, and glass poured has taught us a lesson. Every case sold goes straight back into production, straight back into making more wine. in 2013, we made 600 cases. In 2019, we made nearly 6,000.
We acknowledge the traditional expectations of wine service but choose to rewrite the norms to better serve our community, aiming to make our wine accessible to as many austinites as we can. you don't need a hill country, pastoral vineyard and stuffy tasting room with an in-house sommelier to have a good wine experience. we’re in the middle of south Austin, in a warehouse district. no vines nearby. Everyone that serves is involved in winemaking, if not one of our three winemakers themselves. and we make and price our wines with every customer in mind. no matter your experience level, whether you’re a wine novice or a life-long lover, you’ll get the same passionate service from our team. no pretense, just wine.
As an urban winery, the only things we own are our tanks, barrels, and finished wine - no vines or vineyards yet, though we work closely with our grower partners and have plans for vineyard ownership in the future. Our business model allows us to work with a huge breadth and depth of fruit from all around this vast state of ours. We've spent the last 8 years hunting for the best fruit and the best vineyards, never settling for anything less than excellence. Over the years, we’ve grown our list of exceptional farmers who we trust whole-heartedly to grow the best fruit they can, so we can make the best wine.
Lastly, we’re a young team with a lot of energy and curiosity. Texas is a new wine region without any defined tradition. We see many avenues available to us, in marketing and service and packaging and branding, but particularly in production. ancestral wine philosophies and techniques are making their way back into the wine world. We made our first “natural” or “low-intervention” wine in our third vintage. These days, 100% of our wines are Texas grown grapes, native yeast fermented, and without adjustments to acid/tannin. We make natural wines with body that your old-school dad will approve of, as well as can-conditioned piquettes; wild blends and varietal wines; a range of skin contact "orange" wines and vegan, san soufre, crushable reds. The wine world is big and changing all the time, we want to explore every corner and continue to encourage the diversity of grapes, the people who work with them, and enjoy them!"
2023 Ocho, Viognier / Marsanne / Roussanne, Salt Lick Vineyards, Texas Hill Country
Hand harvested July 2023, co-fermented with a 4 day maceration period. Aged in Stainless for 12 months, bottled september 4th 2024. Lychee fresh cut herbs and beeswax on the nose. Waxy lychee, stone fruit and tulips on the palate.
2023 FRIENDS, Muscat / Picpoul, Texas High Plains
Cofermented Muscat and Picpoul, with a two day maceration, 10ppm So2 added at crush then aged in stainless. Think fresh cut yuzu and lemon drops on the nose. Crisp and lively on the palate, with a bit of ginger spice (the root not the star of Spice World ).
2023 Opening Ceremony, Mourvedre, Limestone Terrace Vineyard, Texas Hill Country,
Coming from the chalky, rocky, aptly named soil of limestone terrace in the hill country, the Mourvedre comes off earlier than most varieties, making it more appropriate for rosé. There's a short bleed for color and flavor and move the juice into stainless to ferment. The shorter ripening period keeps the flavors lighter and brighter and the acidity balanced. A ripe strawberry note dominates the note and front palate, with a smooth texture, followed by a grippy white pepper finish.
2022 Mourvedre, Mourvedre, Limestone Terrace Vineyard, Texas Hill Country
100% Mourvedre, hand harvested into a 9 day whole cluster fermentation in oak foudre. Foot tread and basket pressed, aged 6 months in a neutral barrel. Straight plum, sage, and cinnamon on the nose, nice grip and expressive fruit on the palate. Definitely serve slightly chilled because it's like 85 degrees during our Charleston winter.
2021 Spaghetti Western, Montepulciano / Aglianico / Sangiovese, Texas High Plains
Montepulciano from Fambro Vineyard, Aglianico from One Way Vineyard, and Sangiovese from Walker Vineyard all in High Plains AVA. Small dose of So2 at bottling. Three varieties that take quite well in the High Plains, coming together in this cuvee with fresh fennel, white pepper, and dense dark fruit on the nose. Fairly round, medium bodied wine wine crushed bramble and rhubarb on the palate. Robert Parker gave this wine a certified 100% Giddy Up