Winery
The Kiepersol Winery and Distillery is nestled in the back of a beautiful subdivision that was originally a part of the land owned by the founder, who migrated there from South Africa. There are numerous great stories about the facility ranging from the onsite water well to the name of the winery, which I know now but don’t want to spoil the stories in case you decide to visit!
The facility is beautiful, with a spacious indoor area and a beautiful outdoor patio that overlooks the vineyard. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, and if the weather is good, you’ll enjoy sitting outside and taking in the scenery. You will also appreciate that all of their wines are made from grapes grown on their properties, not even from other regions of Texas such as the Texas High Plains.
Wines
The Kiepersol wines are top notch. We started with tastings, each choosing 3 wines and 2 spirit options. I went for three reds, The 2020 Syrah, the 2018 Power Red Blend, , and the 2023 “Texique” Red Blend. My partner in crime went the white route, with the 2024 Vit, 2023 Steen, and the 2022 Edelvit.
On the red side, the Syrah was phenomenal with its strong peppery finish. A bottle of this is definitely going home with me. The Power Red Blend was good, but what I might call a mainstream red bouquet and flavor, and not necessary that bold.
On the white side, the Vit represents the best value as compared with Steen. Both were nice, and the Vit is one of the better single variety Blanc du Bois wines. The third was a remarkable blend of Chardonnay and Caminante Blanc, aged in oak for a wild vanilla undertone that is truly unique.
On a special note, we were treated with a couple of additional tastings: the 2020 Barrel No, 33 Reserve Red wine, and the 2024 Kiepersol Rose’ Reserve. The Rose’, made with 100% Black Spanish grapes, was finished in cherry casks which gave it such a unique flavor that it is undoubtedly the best Rose’ I have ever tasted. Usually, I turn them away, but this one was phenomenal. The Reserve Red was velvety smooth as advertised, with a nice black currant undertone that stays with you. It was the most expensive of the wines we tasted at $93, so I hesitated to buy a bottle of it.
Spirits
On the spirit side, we tried a nice dark rum, the moonshine, and two of their bourbons. The Rum was nice and smooth, and the moonshine tastes of popcorn. The bourbon blend was pretty mainstream in flavor, but the 4 year 90 proof bourbon was by far the best. It was smooth with a caramel undertone that made it go down way too easily!
Summary
If you are anywhere close to the region, you have to stop by for a relaxing afternoon at Kiepersol Winery and Distillery as we did. The wines are top notch and you can accompany them with a charcuterie board or sandwich. They won’t have any special dietary accommodations like gluten free options for sandwiches or crackers, so prepare for that. Otherwise, have a visit and enjoy!
