The Best Wineries in Dripping Springs & Driftwood

The most serious wine in the area and the reason to make the drive. Duchman bet early on Italian varieties — Aglianico, Montepulciano, Vermentino, Dolcetto — and that bet has aged extremely well, because Italian grapes and Texas heat get along. The villa-style building and courtyard are lovely, and Trattoria Lisina sits right next door, which solves lunch before you have to think about it.

The Driftwood tasting room of Texas's founding estate, which started on Lake Buchanan in 1975. One of the prettiest rooms in the Hill Country, and the Tempranillo is among the best in the state. This is the stop that convinces skeptics.

A long-running local favorite planted on a hillside, with a terrace looking straight down the rows and out over the country beyond. The wine is approachable rather than intellectual, and the sunset is the point. Put it last.

Confusingly named — it is in Driftwood, not Wimberley — and a relaxed, unpretentious stop with a large tasting room. Easy on a group that wants somewhere comfortable rather than reverent.

Shaded, dog-friendly, picnic-friendly, and often the first winery an Austinite ever visits. It feels like a neighbor's back porch rather than a tasting room, and that is exactly the appeal. Good live music some weekends.

Hilltop views, an easy patio, and an unforced pace. Comfortable and low-key — a reliable middle stop that nobody in the group will object to.

High on one of the tallest ridges in the area, with a view that runs a long way. Small production, careful winemaking, and a deck worth lingering on. Best late in the afternoon.

Further out toward Hamilton Pool, with a shaded outdoor space and a genuinely rural feel. Worth pairing with a morning at the Hamilton Pool Preserve if you can get a reservation.

One of the most famous BBQ destinations in Texas — open pits, long communal tables, family-style plates, and a bring-your-own-beer policy. Right in the middle of the Driftwood wineries. The single best lunch stop on any wine day in central Texas.

Farmhouse ales, wood-fired pizza, and a huge ranch property with goats. One of the most respected breweries in the country and a completely different way to spend two hours.

Whiskey, gin, and rum made on a big ranch property with a restaurant, a lawn, and live music. Easy to spend an afternoon at.

Texas sotol — distilled from a desert plant, not agave — in a beautifully designed tasting room. Unlike anything else in the area and worth twenty minutes even if you are not a spirits person.

A brewery with a serious kitchen and a wide lawn overlooking a valley. Good food, good beer, and the most scenic non-winery patio in the area.

Italian cooking next door to Duchman, on the same property. Handmade pasta and a terrace. The most civilized lunch on a Driftwood day.