One trip changed a lot for owners Craig Stevens and Chesney Castleberry. During a safari, they witnessed the tragedy of rhino poaching, an experience that inspired them to get involved in conservation and create a sanctuary. Their 55-acre property became a home for Blake, their Texas-born rhino. And there is a winery here, too! Since opening in '22, it has become a natural extension of their passion for fine wine and a meaningful way to support their conservation efforts. The estate now includes nearly 10 acres of Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Merlot, & Malbec. With most vines in their 4th leaf, estate TX wines are still on the way, but visitors can already enjoy excellent Texas wines made from High Plains fruit along with South African ones. The McPhersons have helped craft many of the Texas wines, while Dr. Bob Young has contributed red wines aged in Texas oak. A team of South African winemakers helps support wines made from the Stellenbosch, Elgin, and the coastal area. The tasting room and back patio offer spacious seating, beautiful views of the Pedernales Valley, and direct views of Blake. The north-facing wine tasting patio is an extra plus design to have, especially with the Texas summer heat. For your testing selection, you'll have a list to choose from. For this tasting session a mix of South African & Texas (both reds & whites) were sampled. Starting off with the Sumatran Sparkles, this South African sourced bubbly is Pinot Grig based with notes of honeysuckle and citrus. Next from SA was their Wijde Sparkling. This white bubbly was blended with 53% Chard, 46% Pinot Noir, & 1% Pinot Meunier. It expressed itself with a floral aroma coupled with acidity and a bit of pear. Following that were two of the Crash label brands. Both Pinotage based, with the dry version a nice and light easy drinking wine featuring notes of strawberries with bright acidity. The sweet Pinotage bubbly version (lightly sweet) exhibited more of a cream sensation with a touch of cherries. Moving on to white wines, the first sipped was the '24 Albariño. This TX white wine has some good pineapple notes giving a pleasant tropical finish. The next white was the Texas High Plains 2025 Viognier. Sourced from Lahey, this one was quite impressive with apricot and lemon. The next Texas red was the '24 Horn Red Blend. This High Plains sourced fruit, comprised of 40% Malbec, 25% Dolcetto, 25% Sangiovese, & 10% Petite Sirah, had notes of clove and cherry going for it with even tannins and acidity. Texas Mourvèdre has been making big waves in the Texas wine industry, and their 2023 vintage has Grenache blended with it to yield an intense fruit forward wine with blackberry to satisfy the nose and palate. The final TX red wine sampled was the '24 Sangiovese. With cherry, raspberry, and a touch of spice, this classic Italian varietal was quite satisfying. For the South African red wines, the '22 Cab Franc was the first to sip. Part of the winery's Keras collection, this bold wine was loaded with big tannins and had a firm mouth gripper! Following that were two '22 Cabernet Sauvignons. One was also from the Keras collection with deep cocoa and raspberry notes and a fine tannic finish. Not quite as bold, but still big, the other Cab wine displayed more blackberry and plum notes with a bit of leather. Rounding out the tasting adventure was the '23 Five Species. This Bordeaux style blend had Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Malbec, and some Petit Verdot blended to craft a well-balanced, smooth, and elegant wine to savor all evening. With a long family history in the Hill Country spanning more than a century, Craig & Chesney are adding their own chapter to the region's evolving story. The estate offers one beautiful surrounding scenery, dedicated up-close viewing sessions with Blake, and local artwork displayed throughout the tasting room. At its heart, this place is a true rhino conservation effort, strengthened by excellent wines from South Africa and Texas that help support the mission. It is a unique gem in the Texas Hill Country. Cheers! read more

This is a must visit in Fredricksberg! The people are so nice and help you pick out a wine based on your preferences. They have an outdoor patio and indoor seating and most importantly a rhino living in the back! read more

Rhinory - Wineries Near Me - Fredericksburg, Texas

Ambiance: Rhino themed winery in Fredericksburg with onsite rhinos! We made a reservation for 6 of us to do a tasting - Bob did an excellent job at explaining the wines for us. The space is beautiful and there is a large outdoor area that faces the rhino enclosures. Blake the rhino is so cool to see! Parking onsite - they had a Tesla charging station as well. I do recommend making a reservation on the weekends. Merch available, clean space/bathrooms, and upscale safari themed decor. A must visit for a unique winery experience! read more

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We decided to stop by here on a whim, and we're so glad we did! My partner and I ordered the signature tasting, and every wine we tried was delicious. There was a great variety, and it made for a really enjoyable tasting experience. While we were tasting, our waitress encouraged us to walk around the property and head outside to see Blake the rhino. We couldn't have timed it better, when we got outside, Blake had the zoomies! Watching him run around and play was such a fun and unexpected highlight of our visit. It was obvious he was having a great time, and it made the experience even more memorable. Overall, we had a wonderful time. Between the great wine, friendly service, and the chance to see Blake, this ended up being one of the highlights of our trip. We'd definitely come back the next time we're in the area. read more

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I was really excited to try this place since it was our first stop on our wine tasting trip. One of the coolest parts is that they have a male rhino on site that you can watch while you taste wine, and there are two experts there to answer any questions about him. We had a 9 year old in our group, so that was a big plus. We had a reservation, and when we arrived they walked us right over to our table on the patio. The weather was absolutely perfect, so I was really happy we got to sit outside. We did the $35 per person wine tasting. One downside was that I don't think they had any wines from Texas, which was a little disappointing. Service was also pretty slow. Our waitress seemed overwhelmed and the tasting felt rushed. Overall, the wine was decent and the property was beautiful. read more

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My experience with the Rhinory was...well it was mixed. The grounds were nice, staff were friendly and while their conservation efforts are to be lauded as a winery; well simply put: they aren't one. Their house wines all have South African provenance, there's nothing from the terroir in or around Texas. Moreover, the local wines they had could easily be found elsewhere, like a local grocery store without the premium added. It's basically a very fancy bottle shop that specializes in SAFer wines in an area that's known for having vineyards, something about that definitely colored my entire experience. read more

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If you're an animal and wine lover like me, you're going to have the best time at Rhinory! On top of serving delicious South African and Texas wines, the winery also serves as a rhino reserve. Our server did a great job discussing the winery's rhino conversation efforts and telling us about the rhino on property, Blake! We did the Signature tasting of 5 wines for $30. Pours were very generous. My favorite was the Sumatran Sparkles! read more

Rhinory - Wineries Near Me - Fredericksburg, Texas

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We love the Rhinory and stop twice a month for good wine and to see Blake, the rhinoceros on property. The staff is always nice and consistently provides excellent service. If you haven't been, you should definitely stop for a visit. The patio is great for family members and allow little ones to run around, play and let of steam while adults can relax and enjoy great wine. read more

Rhinory - Keras Cab - Wineries Near Me - Fredericksburg, Texas

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Don't get it twisted. This isn't a post about eating rhino. Spending the week exploring the Texas Hill Country where vineyards & orchards reign supreme. Yesterday we stopped off to visit a this very unique winery located on the outskirts of Fredericksburg. We were just there for a brief meeting, but were treated very well by the staff during our visit. You can see their mascot is a 4 yr old, well fed, well cared for S. Africa rhino named Blake, that enjoys the company of all who stop in to enjoy a glass of wine and a relaxing escape from the Texas heat. Stop in, take a break, and enjoy the fruits of the Hill Country. read more

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This winery was our first stop on our wine tour and our overall experience was a good one. From the moment we arrived, the host welcomed us with warmth and our server was very friendly and knowledgeable. The most unexpected--and delightful--surprise was getting to see a real rhino! It added a powerful and meaningful layer to our visit. Learning how our presence and support contribute to rhino conservation made the experience even more special. It's not every day you enjoy a beautifully crafted glass of wine while knowing you're helping protect endangered wildlife. If you're looking for a blend of great wine, thoughtful people, and a heartwarming cause, this winery is a must-visit. read more

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Cool winery with an even cooler mission. Love that the purpose of this winery is to help save rhinos. And it's even cooler that they not only have a rhino (Blake) on property, but are actively working to save and house more on property. I thought that it was nice that they offer a mix of local TX wines and S. African wines so you get a taste around the world. As an added bonus they also have 2 EV chargers available in the parking lot for guest. read more

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Had such a great time at The Rhinory! Tyler was seriously the best bartender, super chill, made us feel totally welcome, and even gave us wine glasses to take home just because. Like... what? That was such a nice surprise. (If you're the owner reading this, they had a small misprint on the letters, and he gave them to us as a gift. Please don't get him in trouble, it was a really sweet gesture and made our experience even better.) Also got to meet Blake, their 7-year-old rhino, and he's honestly beautiful. Such a cool experience being that close to him. Great wine, awesome vibe, and definitely not your average wine tasting. Highly recommend. read more

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This was our first time coming to this winery. It was very nice very laid-back and the people at the front check-in were very nice and helpful and then they escorted us back to the back of the building to where we were greeted by some more nice people and explained wines to us, and then they were explaining about the rhino and the cause that they are a part of Which is really cool. Hopefully we'll be able to come back again and try the food but overall I definitely be back. The atmosphere is really laid-back as well. read more

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Beautiful hill country venue with an actual rhino in the back patio area. We visited on a Saturday early afternoon. They were lightly busy. The servers in the glass and bottle area were knowledgeable of their wines and friendly. We sat in the back at the picnic tables and enjoyed a glass of wine. read more

Rhinory - Wineries Near Me - Fredericksburg, Texas

We enjoyed Rhinory today. We'd been here last year and brought a couple with us today who've not been here before. Matt was our host today and met us all at the door with glasses of wine in hand. We tasted a couple of wines, then ordered glasses. Blake was out and I got a few closeup pictures of him. read more

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The Rhinory -- all I can say is wow! What an incredible experience. We had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with Matt, David, and Blake the Rhino, and they were extremely knowledgeable while providing top-notch service. The wines were delicious, the property is beautiful, and their mission makes the visit even more special. We loved it so much we couldn't leave without joining the wine club. Highly recommend! read more

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We enjoyed our visit to the Rhinory. We had the Rhino Experience - 2 of the staff escorted us to the indoor facility to meet Blake the Rhino. They were very knowledgeable, explained all about the White Rhinos, the reason for them being hunted almost to extinction & the reason the owners brought Blake to Texas. The wines were very good - only had 1 Texas wine, reds were South African. We sat inside, as it was very windy outside which made it a little cool. Tasting room staff was very nice, did not rush us. I recommend this stop along the road from Austin to Fredericksburg! read more

Loved visiting Rhinory for my first wine tour in Fredericksburg. Our tasting was super fun and our host was very informative and knowledgeable. I also loved seeing Blake the rhino in his habitat while enjoying our selections. We also got to see him getting fed which was very cute. I thought the Rhinory was a unique and memorable experience and a great place for animal conservation and rescue. read more

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Drumroll please... My 600th review and I wanted it to be someplace special. My birthday winery. I chose this place because one of my friends worked with Rhinos when she finished her doctorate. It was a special surprise for her & a place I wanted to visit bc we arrived too late this last time we were there and could not get a tasting or any time to see the rhino. Blake is the young adult rhino onsite. My friend commented on how gentle he was. She had always worked with wild rhinos in a breeding program. I can see her frequenting this place often. There was a brief educational talk and it was quite informative. He is going to be part of a breeding g program when he reaches 8 years old. We sat at a reserved table inside with the freedom & encouragement to go outside & see Blake while we sampled our wines. This was by far the best winery experience of my birthday weekend. Mainly because many of my good longtime friends were there, but it was a super enjoyable experience. The wines were delicious! Our server was terrific! Very knowledgeable & great personality. She made the experience even more fun. We ended up joining the wine club. Really cool benefits like private parties. I guess any excuse to come back here & to Fredericksburg in general. I ended up taking 4 wines home from this place. That says a lot! read more

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Rhinory was such a cute stop right outside of Fredericksburg. Once we were seated, we were given a complimentary single tasting of wine. There were 3 wine flight options you could choose from: sweet, standard (a mix of red and white) and their reserve wines. Seating consisted of indoor, outdoor (at the entrance and in the back) and bar top. Our server was very knowledgeable about their wines and was the friendliest thing you ever did see lol. There's only one rhino on the property (for now) and you're able to view it from the backside of the property without having to pay for their rhino experience. Definitely a unique winery to check out! read more

Rhinory - Wineries Near Me - Fredericksburg, Texas

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Blake is the cutest and convinced me to become a member. Great atmosphere, great cause, and great wine. read more

Rhinory - Blake - Wineries Near Me - Fredericksburg, Texas

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What a great experience we had at this place I loved it! It was our first time here and Tyler made us feel very welcome he explained what kind of wines they had and he recommended us one he thought we'd enjoy and yeah for real I loved it! I'm not a wine person but I enjoy the wine they had there He also explained about the Rhino they have there the little Rhino is just 7 years old wow and the place itself is beautiful with a great view perfect for enjoying a glass of wine. read more

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This was my husband and I's first ever winery and we had a lovely time sitting on their patio. Heather had great knowledge both on the wine, chocolate pairing, and Blake the Rhino! We enjoyed watching the guinea birds running around the property and keeping Blake company. read more

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What a cool concept! Staff was so friendly and knowledgeable about Blake the rhino, and he was a lovely companion for our lovely wine. The tastings are affordable and delicious, and the place is gorgeous. Beautiful outdoor and indoor area with plenty of seating and the option to walk around. Will be back! read more

Rhinory - Wineries Near Me - Fredericksburg, Texas

Experienced a sweet wine tasting at the Rhinory on Saturday. Our pourer was Matt. He was polite but seemed spread too thin between his clients. The tasting he gave the other person in my party were at or above the pour line (marked on the glass) but mine were below the line for all 5 tastings I asked for him to fill up to the line for my favorite of the tasting, which he did. It felt inconvenient for the pours to be short each time, and even though he watched the pours, he still poured the following glasses short. No one should have to ask to get the portion we pay for. Even though accidents happen, at bare minimum, please make sure the pours after the mistake are actually at the correct height and maybe even offer a small incentive for the inconvenience. Besides the service, we had conversations with other employees behind the bar that were great! On another note, the rhino was my favorite part though! It was a very fun experience and if you're looking for a winery to bring children to where they can run around and be entertained, this is the one. Comparing the wine to the other wineries around, this is subpar in my opinion. But with the rhino and the younger atmosphere, it made up for the lack of the pours. read more

Rhinory - Blake the rhino! - Wineries Near Me - Fredericksburg, Texas

Interesting concept which did get us to pull in and check it out. There is only one rhino at this time (Blake) but he was fun to watch. A lot of the wines were from South Africa but they did have a handful of Texas wines. The staff was friendly and helpful. It was a little warm outside so we wandered inside to cool off. All the indoor seating had "reserved" signs despite only a few being taken up. We let the server know we were looking to cool off and she immediately seated us. Not exactly sure what's happening with the seating but I imagine we won't be the only people looking for a cool place to sit in the summer. Overall the wines were lovely and so was the staff. read more

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What a neat experience we had today! So unique and enjoyable and the wine even better. Our hostess was educated and so charming. Love we can help give back to the rescue of the Rhinos. We will definitely be back!! read more

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Loved everything about this winery, this was such a great experience! First, the wine ... amazing! We all got flights and loved each one that we got. All their wines are either from Texas or South Africa. They also sell snacks like chips and mini charcuterie packs. Second, absolutely love the cause for rhino conservation. This absolutely sets it apart from all the wineries for sure! During our visit we got to see Blake the rhino. Once you enter, you cross through the inside taste tasting, which was nice and cool. Once outside, there are benches with no cover and on the other side is a larger seating area under trees. Personally, I liked the benched no cover side that we were seated at because we could see Blake better, especially when he roamed over to our side, the only disadvantage is the there is no cover from the Texas sun. The service was great too! Heather was awesome! She told us the story of the winery, gave great recommendations and great to talk to also! She was very knowledgeable about their wines. Definitely make reservations because this is a must go to! read more

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Every time we stop in for a wine tasting or a glass of wine, Heather makes us feel welcome and special while helping us discover our favorite wines. The atmosphere is relaxing and inviting, with beautiful surroundings that make it easy to linger and truly enjoy the experience. I've brought several friends to Rhinory, and each of them has loved their visit. And Blake is such an added bonus! During my last visit, he was rolling in the mud, then popping right up and sprinting off to the next spot--it was such a joy to watch. I'm also a wine club member, and the member pickup parties are always top‑notch: educational, well‑organized, and paired with great food. Rhinory truly delivers a consistently wonderful experience. read more

We had a reservation for a tasting and they gave us a nice table with comfortable chairs on the patio under some ceiling fans. It was a relaxing spot. The wine tasting was a little slow paced for my taste, as our server would leave in between pours, but I think this is not an issue-- I'm just used to pourers who stay with you throughout the experience. I'll also note that they were busy on this day, so I don't blame him for giving us some time to enjoy wines while he tended to other customers. I would go again for sure. The tasting was $30 and we got to try 6 wines. read more

Beautiful winery. Variety of wines to chose from, offers two tasting selections, Signature and Reserve. They also offer a sweet wine selection. They have charcuterie boards on the menu, but are a bit on the smaller sides. Blake the Rhino roams at the edge of the winery, you can walk up to the fence and take pictures. Service was excellent, was seated and served right away. Friendly staff. read more

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What a great place! We had a terrific time sampling some TX hill country wine and hanging out with Blake the rhino. The staff was excellent. The atmosphere was very cool. Definitely enjoyed it and will be back. read more

Rhinory - Blake the rhino - Wineries Near Me - Fredericksburg, Texas

Wonderful winery and the staff was very friendly. I will definitely visit again next year. The wine was definitely my type of red wines and the outdoor seating looked very nice (sat inside due to the flies this time though). Beautiful entrance and statues of Rhinos. No pets allowed, so I brought my dog back later for some pics. The Rhino was very active and a staff member was there interacting with him and answering any questions people had. I took my parents and my dad was joking a lot with the staff and they handled him well, lol. The wine tastings have gotten expensive everywhere so I only did the basic tasting because the high end tasting menu was just too much. My advice is to know what you like before you go. They gave me a tasting of a high end wine for free since I was going to buy, so that was nice of them. read more

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I brought my family to Rhinory expecting a fun, welcoming experience, but what happened was completely unacceptable. We were seated and then completely ignored for well over ten minutes, while several other groups around us including some who arrived and were seated after us received immediate attention, drinks, and friendly service. It became painfully obvious that we were being treated differently. There's no reasonable excuse for being overlooked so blatantly when the staff was actively engaging with others around us. It felt discriminatory and humiliating, especially because I had chosen this place specifically to share a good time with my family. After waiting as long as we did without so much as a greeting or acknowledgment, we decided to leave. read more

Eons is most flavorful wine I've had in hill country. Love the concept and staff explained things very well. Outdoors and indoor seating are good options. Open area for kids to work out some energy read more

We arrived with hopes of getting to see and or meet Blake the Rhino. When I looked online closing time was 5:30pm and we showed up at 4:45. We went by the fence and looked at Blake and we're informed by the Security that we needed to get away (understandable) from the fence. Yet Blake was 25 yards from and there were 2 fences between us. We begin to head in and a woman steps out and tells us they are no longer serving drinks. I informed her online closing states 5:30 not 5pm and this might be something they need to add on there social media sites. Needless to say a party of 4 willing to have drinks and watch a Rhino went elsewhere. read more

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Great drinks, plenty of seating and a rhino! We reserved a table but didn't realized it was reserving access to the back picnic tables, instead of a table inside. They did have plenty of tables to choose from in the summer so walk ins would work, but now that it's nicer out or going with a big group, I recommend a reservation. Lots of great seasonal and curated wines. read more

A definitely different winery experience. They have Blake, a juvenile native Texan rhinoceros on the premises. It is a beautiful space, with lots of windows overlooking Blakes homestead. The staff is very cool, and loved sharing Blake info - we definitely learned a lot about rhinos in general and Blake in specific. Some very tasty wines - we ended up taking some excellent Albariño home. I know there's about 1,789 vineyards in the area - make sure you visit Rhinory! read more

Friends and I were driving around collecting door prizes for an event. First stop Rhinory. Wait, lets back up. We arrive in West Austin and had a group breakfast. Gas tanks brimmed to make the drive to Gillespie County. Now, the Rhinory. GF is super excited to meet Blake (the rhino); she would to proclaim 5 stars for him. We started at the porch asking for a donation. Handing over our business card and tax documents. OH, so and so isn't here. You'll have to email. And that's basically what we got the entire day at every place. Gas money times 11 cars wasted. No, I can't give 2 stars for that. Here's my take of this place. As I said we had just had breakfast. Day drink? Buddy isn't much of drinker. GF is already checking out Blake; we stroll over to the outside bar for a glass of sparkling. Dudes pouring telling us his spiel; plops 2 glasses on the top and asks for $43. Buddy is always trying to pay; mouth drop. Eyes wide open like he's seen Bigfoot. The proceeds go to wildlife and Blake's future GF when he's old enough to mate. Meanwhile, the owner is raking in all the hay. I could see $20-25 but this is 290 highway robbery. Keep driving folks! read more

Texas, you are lucky to have such fine South African wines. If you have not been to Rhinory, you have to get yourself here soon! I love the design that the owners went with here. From the main entrance, the rear of the property where all the action (and Rhinos) are hidden. You initially feel like you are entering a small production facility with a decent-sized indoor area that will be packed. Restrooms are limited here, so I'd recommend using them right away. Once you organize your group after checking in, I think the only place to spend time is in the back tree-covered gardens. The teams working are well prepared for the busyness of weekend traffic, and I was blown away that they even took the time to chat with me about their wines. As a sommelier, this made my day. I tried so many wines before making decisions for the group. The pinotage is perfect. The blanc de noirs is sublime. The grapes that this group has access to are truly magical, and we are fortunate to enjoy them. I will definitely return when I go back to Texas. My vibe was so relaxed, happy, and this place knows how to make people feel in their element. read more

Rhinory - Wineries Near Me - Fredericksburg, Texas