Take Highway 290 west out of Austin to Dripping Springs, turn south on Ranch Road 12, east on County Road 170 (also known as Elder Hill Road) and look for Driftwood Vineyards about a quarter-mile down on the right. The address is 4001 Elder Creek Road. Driftwood offers a dozen wines, and a typical tasting runs pretty quickly. Bring along some things to nibble on, buy a bottle of their highly-recommended 2006 Chardonnay or 2006 Super Texan, find a spot on the deck and soak up the view of the vine-filled valley spreading out before your feet. Driftwood Vineyards is open daily 10am to 6pm.
Drive back out to Ranch Road 12 and drive east until you come to the town of Driftwood, then go a couple miles south down FM 150 West to #13308: Mandola Estate Winery. Mandola is dominated by a large stone building with a red tile roof, rather like what you'd expect to see in Italy. Though the Pinot Grigio here is popular, the Vigonier is superb. The winery's open Tuesday to Friday from noon to 9pm, Saturday 11am to 9pm and Sunday 11am to 8pm. Weekend tours are given hourly starting at noon, with the last at 7pm.
Return to FM 150 West and head north back to Dripping Springs and from there go west-northwest to Johnson City. Turn east on Ranch Road 2766 and go down to Texas Hills Vineyard at #878. Texas Hills has an environmentally-friendly main building built of rammed earth. The winery offers 15 wines, of which the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2007 Due Blanco and especially the 2005 Orange Muscat receive highest marks. The winery is open Monday to Thursday from 10am to 5pm, Friday and Saturday from 10am to 6pm and Sunday from noon to 5pm.
Head back west down 290 past Johnson City and Stonewall. Turn left on Woodrose Lane and at 662 Highway 290 you'll find Woodrose Winery. This seven-acre winery offers 10 different wines, but make sure to try the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon. Woodrose is open from Monday to Friday from 11am to 6pm, Saturday from 11am to 7pm and Sunday from noon to 6pm.
Go back to 290 and continue west until you get to Texas Hill Country Wine Torre di Pietra Vineyards at 10915 Highway 290. The winery offers nineteen different wines, but the Hill Country Sangiovese, Hill Country Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Hill Country Primitivo are highly rated. The winery is open daily from 11am to 6pm. Sunday to Thursday from 10am to 6pm and Friday to Saturday from 10am to 7pm.
Proceed next to Becker Vineyards--probably the best-known winery in Texas. If you leave Torre di Pietra and go back to Highway 290, turn west, and on the south side of the road you'll see Becker Farms Road. Turn left here until you come to #464. The wines here have received many honors and awards, but give special attention to the 2004 Becker Vineyards Barbera Peter's Prairie Vineyard, the 2005 Becker Vineyards Vigonier and the 2005 Becker Vineyards Iconoclast Cabernet Sauvignon. Becker is open from Monday to Thursday from 10am to 5pm, Friday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm and Sunday from noon to 6pm.
Finish by heading out to Grape Creek Vineyards at 10587 East Highway 290. Like most of the wineries in this part of the Hill Country, its main building is built of stone and designed in the style of 19th century German-Texas barns. Grape Creek offers 21 wines, but try the 2006 Cabernet Trois. Grape Creek is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm, Saturday from 10am to 6pm and Sunday 11am to 5pm.
