Longhorn bulls, cacti, farms the size of small countries – these are just some of the things that come to mind when we think of Texas. Maybe some of you have also heard of the famous Texan BBQs and the beer that goes with it. The question is, is there any room for wine here? After all, it’s hot, it’s a desert and overall it just doesn’t feel quite right. At least that’s what I thought as I drove down a state road from Austin toward a winery I had found completely by accident while playing around with Google Maps and planning a one-day trip outside the city.
For this Texan unWined adventure, I recruited a few colleagues during our business trip to Austin. We wanted to see the real Texas, not just its big-city version. And visiting a winery is the obvious choice when you travel with me! To my surprise and delight everyone eagerly agreed and one colleague even offered to drive. I wasn’t planning to talk him out of that idea…
After 30 minutes driving west from Austin, we saw the first fence banners singing praises to Donald Trump and that’s when we knew we were in real Texas. Then we saw huge stretches of fenced land, herds of cattle and cars that to us Europeans looked more like monster trucks than vehicles used for grocery runs.
Our first stop was a roadside burger joint, followed by a climb up Enchanted Rock. Both places are definitely worth recommending! Afterwards, we set our sights on my winery. But after driving only a few kilometers, we saw a sign inviting us to another vineyard. Thirsty (for wine and for adventure both), we decided to stop right away. Luckily, this new place turned out to be an absolute treasure.
And so, kind of by accident, we ended up at Prochnow Vineyard. After passing through the entrance gate, we were immediately greeted by a very picturesque view: driveway studded by old trees, gentle hills, grape fields and a beautiful historic wooden house with a characteristic porch. Inside, we were welcomed by an elderly couple. As it soon turned out, they were the owners and winemakers. We were their only guests at the time and thanks to this we spent the next hour and a half in an intimate setting, experiencing the famous Southern hospitality firsthand.
The visit started with the usual surprise of: “what three Poles and an Englishman were doing at a winery deep in Texas?”. But the owners quickly recovered from the initial shock and family stories about their lives and their winemaking project soon followed. The winery is clearly their retirement plan, although the children also get involved a bit. The Prochnow family has German roots, just like many people in the area (the historic Fredericksburg is not that far).
We opted for a testing option including five wines. But in the end, we ended up trying everything on and off the menu, including homemade sangria and sweet wine. The idyllic feeling of drinking this incredible wine on the porch that followed, at perfect temperature and with a stunning view is truly hard to put into words. We were all equally moved by these intoxicating impressions and circumstances. As if that wasn’t enough, the owner, Ross, decided he would take us for a ride around the entire property on his mini “train” (you must see it in person). We saw his family home while hearing the stories centered around it. Ross also showed us the trees under which his daughter got married. As a farewell touch, we were given freshly baked homemade cookies… What more can I add?!
I am fully aware that the blissful state we were in might have influenced my ability to objectively rate the Prochnow family’s wines. But well, wine is also the place and its people. I managed to note down six wines. Even that was very hard to do, because I wanted to immerse myself completely in that beautiful moment. One clear and surprising observation was how incredibly fresh these wines were. With such high temperatures (the harvest takes place at the end of July), I expected big, full flavors rather than the nuance, freshness and elegance I had found.
And here are the wines from Prochnow Vineyard:
Picpoul Blanc – intense yellow color. Pleasant fruity nose. Very fresh on the palate, with strong acidity, but still a fairly developed body. ( 32$)
Roussanne – similarly intense color, but completely different flavor notes. Still pleasantly fresh, but without the striking acidity. Dominated by flowers, pear and honey. (30$)
Sangiovese Rosé – again, surprisingly fresh. Even though the wine is technically a rosé, the color is more rusty. Citrus and wild strawberries dominated. (35$)
Cabernet Sauvignon – three years in used oak barrels. Despite its full body and ripe flavors, the wine is quite pleasant to drink on its own without food pairing. Ripe blackberries and cherries clearly come to the forefront. (35$)
Tannat – here we’re dealing with distinctly pronounced tannins. There is also more plum, preserves and black fruit jam flavors. (38$)
Oma’s Sweet – a very successful muscat. Great balance of sweetness and acidity. Floral notes, dried apricots and peaches. (30$)
Prochnow Vineyard is just one of great many places in Texas Wine Country. On the way to the next winery, we found ourselves on a several-kilometer-long stretch literally surrounded by vines on both sides. As it turned out (I was ignorant about it), Texas is the third largest wine producer in the United States, so the sight of vast grape plantations shouldn’t be surprising at all. Because of that, I’ll try to return to the topic of Texan wines in future posts. See you next time!
Prochnow Vineyard, https://prochnowvineyard.com/.
Więcej nieWinnych Podróży wprost na Twoją skrzynkę? Zapisz się!