- From Austin to Dripping Springs
- 35 min west on US-290
- From Austin to Driftwood
- 40–45 min southwest on FM-1826
- Between the two clusters
- 15–20 min
- Within a cluster
- 5–15 min
Cluster 1: Driftwood
Southwest of Dripping Springs, reached from Austin most directly down FM-1826 and FM-150. The densest and best cluster in the area, and the one to build a day around.
- Duchman Family Winery — Italian varieties, courtyard, Trattoria Lisina next door.
- Fall Creek Vineyards at Driftwood — the prettiest room in the area.
- Driftwood Estate Winery — hillside terrace, sunset views.
- Wimberley Valley Winery — large, relaxed room, despite the name.
- The Salt Lick BBQ — right in the middle of all of it.
- Desert Door Distillery — sotol, in a beautifully designed space.
- Vista Brewing — a wide lawn, a real kitchen, and a valley view.
Everything above is within about ten minutes of everything else. This is the single most efficient wine cluster within an hour of Austin.
Cluster 2: Dripping Springs
North and west of the town itself, in the hills off 290 and Ranch Road 12. More spread out than Driftwood — expect ten to twenty minutes between stops.
- Bell Springs Winery — shaded, relaxed, dog- and picnic-friendly.
- Solaro Estate Winery — hilltop patio, easy pace.
- Hawk's Shadow Winery — the highest ridge and the longest view in the area.
- Treaty Oak Distilling — whiskey and gin on a big ranch with a kitchen.
- Jester King Brewery — farmhouse ales, wood-fired pizza, goats.
- Deep Eddy Vodka — a tasting room at the distillery.
Cluster 3: the outer edge
Further west and south, and further apart. Worth including only if one of these is specifically what you came for.
- Westcave Cellars — out toward Hamilton Pool, about twenty-five minutes west of Dripping Springs.
- Wimberley — twenty minutes south of Driftwood, with Blue Hole and Jacob's Well.
- Hamilton Pool Preserve — about thirty minutes west, reservations required.
Drive times
| From | To | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Austin (downtown) | Dripping Springs | 35 |
| Austin (downtown) | Driftwood | 40–45 |
| Dripping Springs | Driftwood | 15–20 |
| Driftwood | The Salt Lick | 5 |
| Driftwood | Wimberley | 20 |
| Dripping Springs | Hamilton Pool | 30 |
| Dripping Springs | Johnson City | 35 |
| Driftwood | Fredericksburg | 75 |
Austin Wine Car
We know which order to do them in
Tell us your three wineries and we will sequence the route, book the tastings, and drive it. Door-to-door from Austin.
Not ready to book?
Routes that work
The Driftwood day (least driving)
Duchman, then The Salt Lick for lunch, then Fall Creek Driftwood, then Driftwood Estate for sunset. Total driving after leaving Austin: under twenty-five minutes. This is the most efficient wine day available near Austin.
The mixed day
Bell Springs in Dripping Springs, then down to Driftwood for lunch at The Salt Lick, then Duchman, then Driftwood Estate. About forty minutes of driving. Covers both clusters without doubling back.
The wine-and-beer day
Solaro, then Jester King for pizza and beer, then Duchman, finishing at Desert Door. Roughly fifty minutes of driving and a much more varied afternoon than three tasting rooms.
The water-and-wine day
Hamilton Pool in the morning with a reservation, then east to Bell Springs, then down to Driftwood for Duchman and a late lunch. The most driving of these four, and worth it in May and September.
Routes that do not work
- Dripping Springs plus Fredericksburg in one day — seventy-five minutes apart. Two separate trips.
- Hamilton Pool plus a full three-winery Driftwood day — the pool is thirty minutes the wrong way from Driftwood.
- Bouncing between clusters more than once — every crossing costs you fifteen to twenty minutes.
- Anything that requires being at Hamilton Pool, Jacob's Well, or Blue Hole at a specific reserved time in the middle of a tasting day. Put those first or skip them.