Chris Brundrett, co-founder of William Chris Vineyards, is a force to be reckoned with in the Texas wine scene. His winery, its growth, and his vision for Texas wines are as big as the state itself.
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Our show today was recorded in the gorgeous Wine Club tasting room at William Chris Vineyards, along the 290 Wine Trail in Texas Hill Country. Chris Brundrett, co-founder of William Chris Vineyards, is ubiquitous in the Texas wine industry. From his personal and political push to ensure wine labeled as Texas contains 100% Texas fruit, to his efforts to promote elevated service and wine education amongst industry members, to his charitable and philanthropic efforts to aid communities in Texas. Chris seems to be everywhere at once. He’s also done a great job presenting the many faces of Mourvèdre that are grown in Texas, via his numerous single vineyard and cuvee bottlings of the varietal.
He’s an affable man, who at the same time feels part evangelist, part farmer, part winemaker, and part CEO of one of Texas’ most recognizable wine brands. More importantly, he seems to be the kind of person you just want to be friends with, the kind of person who would be happy to help if you needed something, and the kind of person you’d be happy to lend a hand to if he asked. He’s the picture of the budding Texas wine scene, and I’m happy to share our conversation with you.
With that said, the Texas wine industry is bursting with wonderful, big personalities. From Sil over at Saint Tryphon, to Dr. Bob at Bending Branch. And from the picpoul blanc at Lost Draw, to the Roussanne at Kuhlman - fascinating, and wonderful wines await you at the most unlikely of locations and visits.
And as a final word, there is a lot of good food to be had in Hill Country. We loved Hill and Vine and Otto’s in Fredericksburg, I even grabbed a great panini at a roadside gas station that echoed the quality of Oakville Grocery, but the best combo of food, a relaxed and comfortable environment, a predominantly and not pretentiously dominant Texas wine list, and my favorite overall Hill Country restaurant, was 259 Brantley’s Bistro and Bar in downtown Boerne - spelled BOERNE. Boerne isn’t a wine town, at least not yet, but this beautiful Hill Country, riverside village offered an array of wonderful regular menu options and original specials. If you’ve visited and dined in the Finger Lakes, it was like a marriage between Ports, Kindred Fair, and Vonney’s roadside biker bar. I enjoyed the wild hog schnitzel, the mussels were the best I’ve had outside of Belgium, and the service staff always donned a pleasant smile and ensured your glass was full. The mussels were especially good with the Muscat Pet Nat by Saint Tryphon, and may have been one of the best Pet Nats I’ve ever had. Life was good in this place.
This may be the end of this short series on Texas Hill Country, but it is not the end of my coverage of Texas wines. I love this place - the people, the spirit, the service, and the sense that the best is yet to come. As a cool climate winemaker, the alcohol levels in some of the wines do take a bit of getting used to. I’ve produced Cab Franc with alcohol levels ranging from 10.8 to 12.9, but generally simply seek balance and a representation of what the vintage represented. Then again, Texas not only has a longer growing season than the Finger Lakes, it has a lot more sun and a lot more heat. The balanced wines though, are really something - and when paired with local cuisine and a cool night by the Guadalupe River, are the stuff dreams are made of. Chris Brundrett is another man who knows something about dreams - he knows a little something about making dreams come true. So without further ado, here’s the show.
S2 EP0039 - Chris Brundrett of William Chris Vineyards - Texas Hill Country AVA