Great Grapes

A few years ago, the notion of a wine trail in Texas would have been laughable. Now we're the fifth-largest wine producing state in the country. In the Dallas area alone, nine new wineries have cropped up in the last two years. So get your corkscrew and gas up!

Like the wine country in Napa Valley 50 years ago, most of the North Texas wineries are family-owned and -operated and produce fewer than 5,000 cases a year. Half the wineries tend to several acres of vineyards, planting Cabernet and Merlot. But they are experimenting with warm-weather varietals, such as the Spanish grape Tempranillo.

North Texas boasts two wine trails. The Munson Trail is named after T.V. Munson of Denison, who is credited with saving the wine industry in France with rootstocks he developed to resist a disease that wiped out entire vineyards in the late 1800s. The trail stretches from Wichita Falls to Pittsburg, with nine wineries in between. The Tarantula Trail, named for the train that connects Fort Worth to Grapevine, has eight wineries (nine if you include La Bodega at the DFW Airport) from Granbury to Tyler.

All of these wineries are worth the drive, but don't expect to hit all of them at once, especially if you taste along the way. Like any good wine trip, it pays to plan ahead.

September is the ideal time of year for exploring Texas wines. The weather is starting to cool, and many wineries are in the midst of crush. At LightCatcher Winery in Fort Worth, you get to do more than watch; you get to stomp grapes (September 4, noon-6 p.m.). And, yes, they will use those grapes in the 2004 vintage, so a pedicure wouldn't hurt.

We suggest blazing your own trail. Why not start in Rockwall at San Martino and end in Grapevine with a bottle under the arbor at Cross Timbers? Or start in McKinney at Lone Star Wine Cellars and head up to Lone Oak in Valley View for a tour of a Bordeaux-varietals-only vineyard. Either way you go, the following pages will help set your course.

Barking Rocks Winery

1919 Allen Ct., Granbury.

817-579-0007

HOURS: By appointment

PRICE FOR TASTINGS: $5 for three

TRY: 2002 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, $30

OTHER VARIETIES: Fume Blanc

NEXT YEAR: 2003 Cabernet Franc

Owner and winemaker Lawrence Tiberia and partner Sissy Andrews opened their charming tasting room in a converted rock barn in May. They entered their 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 2004 University of Houston Wine Competition, sponsored by the Wine Society of Texas, and came home with gold.

Cross Timbers Winery

805 N. Main St., Grapevine.

817-488-6789

www.crosstimberswinery.com

HOURS: Monday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m.; Sunday, 12:30-5 p.m.

PRICE FOR TASTINGS: $5 for four

TRY: Texas Blush, $10

OTHER VARIETIES: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay

In addition to his own wines, owner and winemaker Don Bigbie stocks 10 other Texas wines for tastings and purchase. While sipping the popular Texas Blush, which has won the People's Choice Award at Grapefest the past three years in a row, or meandering through the gift shop, ask Bigbie about the historic home's permanent resident - the ghost of Pattie Weatherman. Wine varieties change year to year.

Delaney Vineyards at Grapevine

2000 Champagne Blvd., Grapevine.

817-481-5668 or 806-872-3177

www.delaneyvineyards.com

HOURS: Tuesday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m.

PRICE FOR TASTINGS: $7 for up to eight

TRY: Texas Brut Champagne, $20

OTHER VARIETIES: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Claret, Merlot, Muscat Canelli

The gorgeous French chateau-inspired architecture makes Jerry Delaney's $6 million showcase vineyard the most impressive tasting room in North Texas. All sparkling wines are made in the methode champenoise, and wine master Benedicte Rhyne is also a French import. Buy a bottle of bubbly and stretch out on the back patio.

Homestead Winery at Grapevine

211 E. Worth St., Grapevine.

817-251-9463

HOURS: Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Sunday, noon5:30 p.m.

PRICE FOR TASTINGS: $5 for four

TRY: La Bodega de Mitchell Texas Cream Sherry, $45

OTHER VARIETIES: Cabernet Sauvignon, Muscat Canelli, Syrah, Pinot Noir

Winemaker Dr. Roy Mitchell is often credited with elevating the quality of Texas wine to world-class status. His awardwinning Texas Cream Sherry shouldn't be missed. While sipping this gem, scan the walls of the quirky tasting room, which are covered with the signatures of guests from Wisconsin to New York.

Kiepersol Estate Vineyards

3933 FM 344E, Tyler.

903-894-8995

www.kiepersol.com

HOURS: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

PRICE FOR TASTINGS: Free for groups of up to six

TRY: 2003 Texas Syrah Rose, $11

OTHER VARIETIES: Cabernet Sauvignon, Mengsel (blend), Merlot

VINEYARD CARRIAGE RIDE: Clydesdales pull an oldfashioned covered carriage through the beautiful estate. Call ahead for reservations.

Though the wines and winemaker Marnelle Durrett are young (she's 25), the estate looks as if it has been there 100 years. The lush vines behind the winery are picturesque, so bring a camera. A bed and breakfast is located seconds from the winery, complete with a large dining room and cozy bar. Ask for the story behind the winery's name. It's sure to make you chuckle.