I can’t even believe we’re in the last month of 2023. It’s cliché of course, but where does the time go? If you haven’t headed out to Texas Wine Country, December is a perfect time to go. Take advantage of cool evenings by the fire while sipping of some big Texas red wines. And the towns are absolutely transformed in the most magical way for the holidays. So let’s get to it.
Holiday Shopping at Slate Theory Winery
Indulge in the spirit of the season and join Slate Theory Winery for an extraordinary holiday shopping affair in their amazing underground cave! Shopping goes down on December 8th at 6pm for an exclusive event featuring local businesses offering a curated selection of goodies. Tickets are on sale now, at just $25 per person including access to the cave, a glass of wine, and charcuterie.
Make & Take DIY Charcuterie Class December with Signor Vineyards
Craft the perfect charcuterie masterpiece and enjoy some Signor Vineyards wine. This Make + Take DIY Charctuerie class includes a hand-made Signor logo charcuterie board to take home + jelly dish + and board fixins. Each board serves 2-4 people. Get fancy on Saturday, December 9th at 10:00 am. Tickets are $150.
Pedernales Cellars’ 15th Anniversary Celebration
Celebrate Pedernales Cellars’ 15th anniversary all weekend, Friday, December 8 – Sunday, December 10. And be sure to join them for wine and cake (available while supplies last) on Saturday, December 9th. Throughout the anniversary weekend, Pedernales Cellars will offer an anniversary wine bundle featuring Tempranillo Reserve, Viognier Reserve, and GSM – their first, second, and third wines, based on when they became permanent parts of their wine program. Reservations required for tastings. Reserve seats here or email [email protected].
Fall Creek Vineyards (Driftwood) Holiday Wine & Caviar Tasting
Fall Creek is popping the cork on a Caviar and Wine Tasting, Friday, December 8 at 6pm. And since Caviar is meant to be shared…the tasting is for two people and includes a pairing of 2 caviars (Ossetra and Royal Imperial), Cold Smoked Atlantic Salmon + 3 wines. Tickets are $159 per couple. This is definitely right up my alley!
Duchman Family Winery Holiday Wine Dinner
Join owners, Stan and Lisa Duchman, and Winemaker, Dave Reilly for a special Holiday Dinner paired with their favorite Duchman Wines. The menu features Heirloom Tomato and Plum Salad, Cioppino Risotto, Duck Scarpariello, Black Garlic Short Rib, and Goat Cheese Cheesecake to finish. Yum! Dinner starts at 6pm, Friday December 9. Tickets are $95.
William Chris Sparkling Styles Class
From traditional to modern to local, you’ll taste and learn about the variations of sparkling wine styles that are particularly enjoyable around the holidays. In this 90-minute course, prepare to consider the influence that grape variety, vineyard, and winemaking choices have on the final style of sparkling wine and its price. Five wine-tasting samples from Texas and the world will be used to guide a discussion of sparkling wine styles.
The corks are popping, Saturday, December 16 from 2-3:30pm. Tickets are $85.
Texas Hill Country Wineries Christmas Wine Affair
Tickets are now on sale for Texas Hill Country Wineries Christmas Wine Affair passport event. Tickets include a complimentary wine tasting and a 15% discount on 3+ bottle purchases at each of the 45+ participating wineries in the beautiful Hill Country.
The event begins on November 27th and runs through December 22nd, with 25 days to visit up to four wineries per day. Tickets are $65 individually, or two for $100. $5 from each ticket sold goes directly to the Texas Hill Country Wine Industry Scholarship Fund. Over the years, $55,500 has been awarded to 47 Texas students working towards a degree in Viticulture, Enology and Hospitality.
For more information and a list of participating wineries, click here. You can also now find a map of participating wineries on the THCW website.
Johnson City Lights Spectacular
Its crazy that I didn’t even know about the Johnson City, Texas, Lights Spectacular. With over a million lights, the city has been dubbed the twinkliest town in the Hill Country. So bright is the display that NASA reported seeing it from the International Space Station! How cool is that?!
The display is centered around downtown Johnson City by the historic Blanco County courthouse. And what a great way to visit some of the local tasting rooms in town (hello Farmhouse, Pebble Rock, Crownson and more!) which I literally just wrote about in my “Johnson City Centric View of the Hill Country” article. The display goes through January 8 and fingers crossed I can steal away for a couple of days with the kiddos.
Happy Holidays y’all!
**Cover image via Lights Spectacular, https://lightsspectacular.com
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