Winery
You may not realize it, but the oldest continuously operating vineyard in Texas is the Val Verde Winery in Del Rio Texas. As most Texans have probably not even been to Del Rio, chances are they haven’t visited this local gem. As we passed through Del Rio on our Texas Road Trip, my wife and I made it a point to stop and visit this historic place. Situated in what is really a quaint residential neighborhood, this winery is not large by any means, but does overtly occupy a beautiful piece of land. Outside the tasting and barrel room is an estate vineyard with vines of various grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Bland du Bois. We sat outside with our wines and enjoyed them al fresco taking in the beautiful surroundings.
Wines
While I wish I was walking away with a handful of bottles of wine that I couldn’t resist buying, I didn’t. Firstly, they were out of their Blanc du Bois, which I really wanted to try. The only other white wine was a Muscat, and I passed on the sweet tasting. On the red side, I tasted a Tempranillo which in my estimation was a bit sweet for a Tempranillo, and a Sangiovese that was nice but not memorable. The Cabernet Sauvignon, however, was quite nice as it exuded the flavor I most seek in a Cab, which is the bell pepper finish. Were I to buy a bottle from here, it would have been this one. And the last taste, the Tawny Port, was the best. It was everything a port should be, which is a sweet sophisticated full-bodied flavor that would go great after any meal. Unfortunately, they were out of the port for sale, otherwise I’d probably be having some right now!
Summary
All in all, I am glad I visited this winery both for its unmistakable history and just the fact that as far as wineries go it is a diamond in the rough. Texas wines have a lot of catching up to do to reach what other regions like California have created, but it feels so nice to experience one of the wineries that started it all in this great state. If you make it out to the Del Rio area, you have to stop by for the experience, and hopefully this historic, boutique winery will have your favorite in stock!
