Windy Hill Winery only sold three different types of wines when I first visited them three years ago. Today, though the general look of the winery has stayed the same, that wine list has grown to almost a dozen offerings. The growth is paralled by the general trend of Texas wine industry, which has doubled its number of wineries over the same period of time.
So what makes the Windy Hill growth a standout? Owners August and Linda Meitzen have a noble goal to promote wines made from Texas grapes, specifically grapes grown in Washington County, where their winery resides. That’s not an easy goal, considering the challenges of Pierce’s Disease, Cotton Root Rot, and Black Rot in the region. So the Meitzens are experimenting with varietals that have proven higher survival rates against these diseases. They grow Blanc du Bois, Le Noir (Black Spanish), Champanel, Cynthiana, and Muscadine grapes.
The end products of this noble goal are rewarding. Windy Hill makes a Tejas Port made 100% from the Black Spanish grape that has rich berry tones not found in traditional ports. The Yellow Rose is a sweet Blanc du Bois blend with a beautiful initial nose that is somewhere between a Riesling and an ice dessert wine. The Brazos Red and Independence Red are made from the Chambourcin grape, a hybrid originally planted in France to blend with Cabs and Merlots. So if you’re in the mood for something different than the Cabs and Merlots of the world, Windy Hill can provide just the right fix. On the traditional side, Windy Hill’s smokey, spicy Red Sunset (a Ruby Cab blend) and fruity, semi-dry Sauvignon Blanc can excite the tastebuds, too.
Windy Hill Winery
4232 Clover Rd
Brenham, TX 77833
Donna Cooks 
Donna, are you ready for this? Not only is my mom from Brenham, but she actually went to school with Ed and Howard Kruse, the guys who changed Blue Bell from “the little creamery in Brenham” to the ice-cream institution we know and love today. I’m glad Windy Hill is making wine from local grapes. I was hoping you could get it at the grocers, as it’s usually cheaper that way, but it looks as if the only way you can enjoy this wine is to order it direct. Do you know if that’s the case?
Yes, unfortunately right now the only option is to mail order from Windy Hills, as is the case with most smaller Texas wineries.
I have never been to a winery. What’s wrong with me?!
We visited just the other day. We liked his products made from the winery’s grapes. Not so much for his new cab, merlot, or other varieties made from the “imported” grapes.
He did comment that his wines are sold at a few select retailers. A call might find one near you.
I am interested in touring Texas wineries. Do you have tours and taste testing?