Well I’ll be horsewhipped: Texas has a wine trail. More than one actually. I guess I never really thought about wine in what I think of stereotypically as a dry climate where horses and livestock rein supreme. I’ve often thought Texas would be an interesting place to visit and the people come across as being very open and warm, just like their climate. Now I can add wine rack-related benefits to my list of reasons to visit the Lonestar State.

I’ll just focus on three wineries, all clustered in between Boerne, Bandera and Comfort, three small towns South East of Kerrville.

The first, called Singing Water Vineyards, is a family-run operation. Their labels depict either glorious scenery or, in one instance, a golden labrador with a beautiful face. Their economically priced bottles include four 2009 vintages: a Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Sweet Lupe (perhaps the dog’s name?)

Comfort Cellars makes perhaps the most unusual wine I’ve ever heard tell of: Jalapeno. Listed as a cooking wine, the site suggests one could drink the liquid if brave enough.

Finally, Bending Branch boutique vineyard and winery can count itself among the pricier operations, with bottles starting at over $20, but most in the $40′s. They won Silver at the Lonestar International Wine Competition for a 2008 Tannat, an ‘intensely fruity’ offering. Silver was awarded for the the tropical acidity of Picpoul Blanc 2008. Finally, an ’08 Petite Sirah earned gold with blackberry and dark cherry flavors.

These three account for just a handful of Texas wineries, so if none of the above mentioned wineries or varietals takes your fancy, it’s a big state.