Introduction
I came into my visit to Blue Lotus Winery in Hye, Texas with high hopes as it is a winery I have passed by more times than I can count during my travels to the Texas Hill Country. It is a little confusing, as it is both Blue Lotus Winery and Texas Mead Works, so turning it at either sign will get you there. The produce 100% Texas Wine and mead, which is what will make this stop a bit different than others.
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What Makes This Winery Different
Blue Lotus Winery distinguishes itself by combining Texas wine production with mead offerings (through Texas Mead Works). There are quite a few mead options, but all are going to be a bit sweet.
The Best Wine to Pick
If I were to pick one wine from Blue Lotus to try, I’d go with their Blancs 2024 Dry White. For me, this was the only wine I would consider purchasing. At $20 per bottle, it is not terribly expensive and could be a good value if this wine tickles your fancy.
Winery History & Facilities
Blue Lotus Winery is owned by Michael and Melissa Poole, operating from vineyard acreage in Seguin (12 acres, various soil types) and a tasting presence in Hye (Where I visited). Their Hye location has a wine barrel–shaped tasting room with an outdoor seating area, and the Seguin property also supports barrel-cabins and resort lodging in wine barrel cabins (Cabernet, Merlot, Riesling themed cabins). The facility at Hye offers a pleasant tasting room, but the grounds are not up to what you would expect for a winery along 290. They are nearly complete with a new winery building that will also have accommodations, and maybe that will come with some additional upgrades.
Overall, I really did not have a great experience at the Hye location. There was one gentleman there working, and he was more interested in his personal financial research than serving us. We chose the wines we wanted, and he occasionally came over to us and poured our tasting. Didn’t tell us anything about the wines or try to make any conversation at all. It was a Thursday, so we had the place to ourselves. I was very disappointed at the lack of attention we received from the staff member.
We tasted a few wines and I tasted 3 of the mead offerings. The meads, as expected, were sweet. But I get that some people like sweet. Many of their wines are also sweet on both the red and white side of the isle.
All the wines are priced below $30 which is significantly lower than most Texas wine. But, in this instance you will get what you pay for.
Their Wine Club
Blue Lotus offers a Wine Club that ties into their Texas Wine and Mead releases and occasional events. The wine club is very basic with four options all containing shipments including both wine and mead (except for the Hero option which is all mead). In other Texas Wineries, I’ve seen wine clubs that deliver bold flagship bottles or reserve selections; here, the lift isn’t there. The wine-mead hybrid model also blurs identity—some shipments or clubs may mix in meads, which dilutes the “Texas Wine” focus for those only after traditional grape wines.
Conclusion
Blue Lotus Winery is a convenient stop among the many Texas Wineries along highway 290. But for someone serious about Texas Wine — looking for depth, consistency, or standout reds — I came away disappointed. Their strengths lie in catering to the mead crowd, of which I am not one of. The club and facilities show ambition, but execution is uneven, and there are too many missed opportunities. If you’re touring Texas Wineries and want a casual, off-beat experience, Blue Lotus is fine. But don’t expect to be wowed.
FAQ
Q1. Is Blue Lotus Winery truly “100% Texas Wine”?
Yes, they market themselves as offering 100% Texas Wines and meads. However, the small scale and hybrid model with meads raise questions about whether they can consistently maintain top-tier quality in every Texas Wine release.
Q2. Do you have to like sweet wines to enjoy Blue Lotus’s offerings?
Not strictly, but many of their wines and meads skew toward the sweeter or fruit-forward side, which may appeal more to those who prefer accessible rather than austere wines. Several reviews emphasize their white wines and meads as highlights.
Q3. Are the barrel-cabins and resort lodging worth it?
They’re a fun novelty—staying in wine barrel cabins is certainly memorable. But because the overall winemaking is modest, you may find the lodging more charming than the wines deeply satisfying from a serious Texas Wine standpoint. Note: the lodging is in Seguin, TX, not Hye.
About the Author
A native of Texas, Ken “Texan” Pierce is a renowned alcohol aficionado with decades of experience in the Texas wine, whiskey, and beer industry. With a vast number of alcohol production resources right in his back yard in the Texas Hill Country, Ken has made it his mission to promote and advance the Texas winemaking, distilling, and brewing industry across the country. Ken holds certifications from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) for wine and is a Certified Texas Wine Ambassador. His ability to identify tasting notes and pairings makes him a respected authority within alcohol enthusiast circles. When he’s not reviewing the latest craft spirits, you can find Ken playing his guitar, trying to sing, and sipping on a Texas libation.
