Birthday weekend road trip

tonyt · Oct 31, 2010

Returned toLuckenbach for my 57th birthday, yep that's right Luckenbach, Texas just like the song. And after 35 years away I am happy to report that it hasn't changed a bit. Even the dust and dirt is the same. A couple origional looking folks tending the general store and barbeque shack. In adition to my wife and I (I took her there 35 years ago on our Honeymoon, yep) was a white hair couple on motor bikes, another pair of white hairs in a camper and two more may have actually arrived horseback. Unfortunately Willie and Waylon wern't there only me.
After that we visited the near by Sister Creek vineyards winery, Rancho Pointe Vineyard and winery and Grape Creekvineyards winery. tasted, toured and tasted some more. They said that the Texas Hill Country is the second most visited vineyards and wineries. Napa/Sonoma being a distant first. It doesn't hurt to be within a few hours drive of several million folks. Much of the wine was quite good. they are learning that some of the southern Italian grapes do well in these parts.

The pictures are from Luckenbach, Sister Creek wineryand Grape Creek vineyard.

Runningwolf · Oct 31, 2010

Very nice and it sounds like you had fun.

grapeman · Oct 31, 2010

Nice trip and great story to boot. Thanks for sharing.

ibglowin · Oct 31, 2010

What?

No Waylon, Willie and "the boys"!

Sounds like a great trip back.

Did you plunk down any green backs on anything?

tonyt · Oct 31, 2010

ibglowin said:
Did you plunk down any green backs on anything?

Absolutely, a cab, merlot, sangiovese malbec petite sirah blend at Sister Creek, a Meritage and a cab at Rancho Ponte (both were outstanding in the tasting room, and a cab syrah from grape creek. At grape Creek we only did a barel tasting of 3 one year in barrel Syrah, one in new American Oak, one in once used American Oak and one in newFrench oak. All 3 barrels tasts were vastly different. they will all be blendedtogether after another year and then with other wines.the tour and barrel tasting at Grape Creek turned out to be an outstanding one and a half lesson on oaking. thewines purchased are all 2008s. I understand most all of the grapes actually comes from leased vineyards around Lubbock. I plan to hold the Rancho Ponte Cab and the Sister Creek blend until next year. The Grape Creek blend and the Rancho Ponte Meritage will likely fall sooner.