Discover Good, Local Wines at Dallas Wineries
Often overshadowed by wine giants California, Washington and Oregon, Texas is the fifth most prolific wine-producing state in the nation, with nearly 180 wineries. And with vineyards and wineries spread throughout the state, including dense populations in the Hill Country, Southeast Texas and North Texas, it's easy to neglect the four great wineries within the Dallas city limits.
- CALAIS Winery -- Opened in September 2008, CALAIS Winery is a boutique winery located in Deep Ellum, where French winermaker Benjamin Calais handcrafts a small quantity of high quality wines. Though influenced by classic French techniques, each wine offers a nod to Dallas and is named after a street in the Deep Ellum neighborhood. To sample or buy CALAIS wines, visit the tasting room Wednesday through Sunday or by appointment.
- FUQUA Winery -- Founded by Lee Foster Fuqua, FUQUA Winery's mission is to produce a limited volume of handcrafted, high quality wines, which is good news for the discerning Dallas drinker. Mr. Fuqua's efforts were recently rewarded, as his 2006 Tempranillo won a double gold medal at the 2009 San Francisco International Wine Competition. Taste the Tempranillo or other FUQUA wines in the tasting room, open Saturday and Sunday from 12:00pm to 6:00pm.
- Inwood Estates Vineyards -- This family-owned winery near downtown Dallas operates five vineyards and offers three tasty wines -- a Palomino Chardonnay, a Tempranillo Cabernet blend and The Cornelius, a 100% Tempranillo. The winery and tasting room are open each Satuday from 1:00pm to 6:00pm or by appointment.
- Times Ten Cellars -- Located in Lakewood, Times Ten Cellars is one of our favorite drinking spots in Dallas. Enjoy a full range of red and white wines on the spacious patio, or step into the tasting room, open seven days a week, to savor a sample of each.
Similar to paying taxes, but with more reward, drinking local is a great way to support your city. So now that you know where to find some great Dallas wines, visit each winery to sample their efforts or buy a couple bottles of your favorites. And for more information on Texas wines, visit gotexanwine.org.
Kevin Gray is the Dallas Drinks Examiner for Examiner.com and uncovers classic cocktail recipes at CocktailEnthusiast.com. Contact Kevin at twitter.com/dallasdrinks.
