We've visited this winery twice to try their tasting menu. Both times, the staff have been very…read morekind and helpful and it's been a great experience. We came as part of a larger tour across multiple Driftwood area wineries with reservations for their tastings. They have a set tasting menu and a staff member will guide you through each of the pours with explanations of the flavor profiles. On our last visit it was a mix of whites, reds and a sweet wine at the end. The pours are generous and all their wines have tasted great. You can order some snacks like a charcuterie plate on the side. The space is beautiful and I've heard they have a venue on the estate for hosting parties or weddings. They have a beautiful outdoor garden that makes for gorgeous photos or relaxing outside. Check this spot out on your next Austin area winery tour!

The winery is lovely. The people are really nice. We showed up for our wine tasting appointment and…read morewas told they did not have it, in fact had no tastings at that time. Luckily my sister had the reservation email to show them because the girl just kept repeating the same thing until someone senior came by to help us. The wine was tasty but the tasting itself was only moderately enjoyable. The main reason was the tasting was 30-40 minutes long and we just had to stand at a counter. We couldn't order food at the counter either. We are used to tastings being at a table where we do the tasting, order bottles we enjoyed while noshing on food from the menu. Standing for 40 minutes at a counter was not expected or enjoyable. One of our family members has a disability and is unable to stand that long so he and my husband sat outside while the ladies did the wine tasting inside at the counter. It was really disappointing as the expectation was a nice afternoon at the winery with the group and it ended up being two separate groups and standing the whole time at a counter wasn't enjoyable. The wine was good. We brought two bottles home. The experience left a lot to be desired.

Whenever we take day trips from Austin to Hill Country we like to find new places (new to us) to…read morecheck out. On our way home from Wimberley, we decided to have a #sundayfunday at Driftwood Estate Winery. First, I'll say it's a crazy gravel road to get there. Not crazy bad just be cautious as there are crossing deer and other animals that can dart out at any given moment. Also, it's a country backroad and they're not known to be the smoothest. Wasn't bad at all, just want folks to be aware. I love this winery so much that I didn't want to leave. Everyone working was so much fun and so helpful with decision making. We chatted them up and got to talk dogs among other things. I went with the Starry Night (sweet Prosecco) and loved it so much now that I am at home I wished I bought a bottle. My boyfriend had a hazy ipa from Driftwood Brewery as well as a glass of Albariño (dry white). Both were amazing. The vineyard and winery grounds are nothing short of gorgeous. Beautiful and relaxing Hill Country scenery for as far as the eye can see. I was so relaxed sitting outside with a gentle breeze, the sunshine, the view, and my glass of sparkling that I didn't want to leave. Our dog who originally hails from Hill Country was right at home and had a blast on the grounds. We spent over two hours relaxing and taking in all of it. Definitely plan to return. Love, love, love.

Exploring Austin's Hill Country was one of the best decisions we made when visiting friends in…read moreTexas. There was not enough time to go on a wine tour, so I had to figure out which winery to visit. I wasn't familiar with the area and randomly chose Driftwood Estates, which was a surprising highlight of the weekend! Was this real life?! Was I dreaming?! Standing on top of the hill, I was in deep admiration of the panoramic, gorgeous, and breathtaking views! It made me forget about busy city life and I only wanted to appreciate the beauty of nature and all its glory on such a perfect day (while sipping on a glass of wine)! I really did feel like I was in another world - filled with serenity, solitude and relaxation! We did a tasting and enjoyed the reds, which were more on the dry side, but I didn't mind because I prefer dry red wines. I definitely recommend the Sangiovese and Alamo Red. The bar area was a little crowded that day, so we didn't get to interact too much with the staff to learn more about their other wine offerings. There is a store next to the bar area. You can buy cute wine themed souvenirs for family and friends back home. They also have a small cafe - you can get some light bites and head outside, find your perfect cozy spot, and enjoy those breathtaking views! (Caution: There is plenty of parking at the winery, but please be careful and drive slow because of the bumpy gravel road).

I planned my brother's rehearsal dinner at Bell Springs from California, and Heather made the…read moreentire process practically painless! Since I had never physically been to the venue, we had a few extra details to work through... including the time difference, planning the layout remotely, and selecting the best wine and beer pairings for the food. Heather was incredibly helpful, providing photos and all the information I needed to feel confident planning everything from afar. We ended up having some unexpected weather roll in, but that was no issue for Heather. We quickly pivoted and moved the event inside without missing a beat. She even helped us with the setup and truly went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect. The food and drink selection was a huge hit, the service was amazing, and the entire evening came together beautifully. You can tell Heather genuinely loves what she does... it shows in the care she puts into every detail. Everything went perfectly, and we truly couldn't have chosen a better location for my brother's rehearsal dinner. I highly recommend Bell Springs!

I've been coming to Bell Springs for 16 years and it's my favorite Dripping Springs winery. This…read moretime I tried the brewery. The porter was good but a bit to heavy for a summer afternoon, so I got the Scotch Ale the first round and the IPA for the second round. The Scotch Ale at 8.0abv comes in a small 10oz pour and the IPA was a full 16oz. In the past the riesling has been my fave wine wise. Both were full flavored and refreshing to drink on the patio with my dog. The service here has always been so friendly. The wine tasting are guided by pros that are well educated about wine. The same for the brewery where they'll give you free tasting cups. The outside country location is so beautiful. Like being on a ranch. Picnic tables, lawn games, and often live music (or at least good music over the speakers). Btw, as a dj myself I wonder if they'd ever like some jazzy house grooves or something on the patio on the weekend? What would that involve to do periodically on an afternoon?

We visited on a Saturday with our dog. Plenty of free parking in their private lot. The grounds are…read morespacious with outdoor seating in the sun or shade - you can bring your own camp chairs or blankets to sit on or there were some picnic tables too. In the tasting building, there are clean bathrooms and plenty of tables and chairs. There are food options but we didn't try any food this visit. We were offered small samples prior to picking our wine. All of the wine we tried was excellent. We like dry red wine. The staff were friendly and accommodating.

Stumbled upon Westcave on our route to Fredericksburg - it was one of our favorites. We opted to…read moretry the beer flights and absolutely loved all of them. We ordered the pulled pork nachos to share and it was unbelievable - generous topping to nacho ratio with very unique toppings of slaw, pickles and pulled pork combination. It was a nacho plate to remember! Highly recommend stopping by for a beer flight + food.

If you're in Blanco or just passing through our small town, you HAVE to stop into Esparanza Winery!…read moreIt's a cozy place to grab a great glass (or bottle) of wine and you'll absolutely LOVE chatting with Owner, Judith. She'll provide you with personalized service and will share the history of her winery, vineyard, and event center (Spring Branch). Esparanza Blanco even has some cute gift items and books to "take one, share one" inside. Gift a bottle of wine to friends and family! Give this cute spot a visit!

Friendly and very knowledgeable about the product.. Read…read moreall the reviews before coming in and I must say they are very accurate ..got us some wine to go and a free taste of all other wines. Thank you

The Mead is always excellent and their sitting area is so relaxing! Always my first stop on way to…read morefredricksburg!

**Disclaimer *** I am not a drinker so I can't tell you how the mead tastes only my the experience…read moreI had in the tasting room. They had a large group at the bar when we arrived so we did have to wait a bit and they didn't tell us what we needed to do to get the tasting. They gave the party some flyers and a pen. One section said "not by the glass" so they presumed that meant not for the tasting. When we brought the slips up the employee said they could try the ones that said "not by the glass", my husband said "We aren't with that group" (sometimes they give large groups perks) and the employee said, "I'm old, not stupid." Which embarrassed me and the other person as the large party heard him. It took a very long time to get through the tasting and I honestly don't think my party finished, we were just ready to leave. We had ordered pretzels which we got as we were walking out!! They do give a military discount. With all the other distilleries, wineries, and tasting houses you should watch the sarcasm and/or attitudes. IMO

What an amazing little winery!…read more We are visiting Austin for a month and wanted to do something fun for my boyfriends' birthday. Crowson came highly recommended from our friend who lives in Austin, so we made a reservation for 6 people on a Saturday for a wine tasting. They are taking Covid precautions, everything was socially distanced, our tasting was outside (and thankfully they had heaters so we were quite nice and warm), and everyone was wearing masks! The wine was absolutely delicious and we all loved the wine we had here. One of only two places in Texas that has natural wines (nothing added). This is a very cozy, homey, winery- they make you feel so welcome, are very gracious and just a fun time ! Henry and his dad were a delight. Highly recommend this place!

We stopped by Crowson for a wine tasting when we were in Fredericksburg earlier this month, and it…read morewas such a special experience. Mr. Crowson (the father of Henry Crowson - the owner and winemaker, who might be a co-owner but is definitely very involved at the winery) welcome us in for a wine tasting. Since we were the only people there, it ended up being a very private, personal experience! Mr. Crowson tried the wines with us and talked to us about each. He also told us about the Crowson's non-interventionist approach to winemaking. If you enjoy or are interested in natural wine, low/no intervention wine, orange wine, or any other term that's being used right now, Crowson should definitely be on your list for a day or weekend of wine tasting in the 290/Fredericksburg/Johnson City area! (I am a fan of the low/no intervention movement, and I knew I wanted to visit Crowson when we were in the area! It's the most natural/low-intervention of all wineries in the area that I am aware of!) The wines we tasted were interesting and delicious and varied (not a tasting where all the wines take remarkably similar). The space is charming, beautiful, and very comfortable, and Mr. Crowson played some great records during our visit which added even more fun to the experience! And of course, the customer service couldn't get better than a personal tasting with Mr. Crowson, who made this a very special visit. This is a smaller winery, so I recommend you reach out to them to schedule a visit, so you can be sure they are there and open. Because you don't want to a miss a visit to this very special winery.

Great place. We have been coming here for years and continue to enjoy. We brought our dog with us…read morethis time and really enjoyed an outdoor tasting. The wines as always are tasty and reasonably priced. Beautiful property, plenty of room to space out, and following covid protocols. We called to make a reservation but got their voice mail. Impressively, even though we did not leave a message, Doug called us back promptly and got us scheduled for an impromptu tasting. Their tasting room manager was our host and we had a great experience. We will continue to come back!

Once again, lovely people here. The outside tasting area is nice, but not overly scenic. Pretty…read moresecluded and quiet, which is refreshing. Pray hefty tasting pours. The whites were clean and crisp. Not a big white fan, but quite drinkable. Really liked the tempranillos, which is pretty typical of Texas wines.