Five Texas wineries and vineyards for hosting toastworthy meetings and events.
Cowboys, barbeque, longhorns, honky-tonk and … wine? Texas is known for a lot of things, but wine may not be top of mind for visitors to the Lone Star State. That, however, would be a huge mistake. Did you know that Texas was the site of the first vineyard in North America? It was established by Franciscan priests in the mid-1700s.
Today, the Lone Star State has more than 4,000 acres of producing vineyard farmland and is the fifth-largest wine-producing state in the country with more than 400 wineries. In fact, agritourism brings some 1.7 million tourists to Texas wineries each year, and Travel + Leisure named the state’s Hill Country, a Texan wine hotspot, one of its 50 best places to travel in the U.S. in 2021.
So why not make a day, afternoon or evening of it by planning and hosting an event at a Texas winery and vineyard? We’ve chosen five to showcase, but you can find others near you by visiting the Texas wineries map on txwinelover.com.
Messina Hof Bryan Estate Winery
Bryan
979.778.9463, ext. 234
One of Messina Hof Wineries’ four properties across the state (others are Messina Hof Grapevine, Messina Hof Hill Country and Messina Hof Harvest Green), Messina Hof Bryan is close enough to College Station, home of Texas A&M University, for urban conveniences but just far enough out to still see the stars. Surrounded by countryside, this is where Messina Hof’s operations began back in 1977 as a single-acre experimental vineyard. Today, Messina Hof is one of the largest producers of 100% Texas wine and is the fourth-largest Texas winery.
Event space available: There are four options with maximum capacities listed.
» Cellar Room: 40 seated and 80 standing
» Balcony: 40 seated and 80 standing
» Gallery: 175 seated and 200 standing
» Tent: 265 seated and 400 standing
Types of events held: All types, including retreats, showers, engagement parties, rehearsal dinners, off-site department development, murder mystery dinners and cooking parties.
Special event add-ons for groups: Tours, tastings (including blind wine tastings) and wine bottle decorating.
Catering: A full-service kitchen is on the premises, as well as The Vintage House Restaurant.
Additional amenities: A/V equipment and internet. Special requests can generally be accommodated.
Messina Hof Hill Country Winery
Fredericksburg
830.990.4653
Set on 10 acres in the heart of Texas wine country along Highway 290, this sister winery to Messina Hof Bryan opened in 2011. Located in Fredericksburg—the second-largest certified Viticultural Area in the U.S. with more than 9 million acres—the property’s vineyard grows Lenoir grapes, which are used to make traditional ports.
Event space available: Indoor and outdoor space that can accommodate up to 150 guests.
Types of events held: Special public events include Harvest Festival, Go Texan Dinner, Mother’s Day brunch, Spring Market, Easter brunch and Wine Club Pick Up Parties. Private parties include intimate corporate or social gatherings.
Special add-ons for groups: Wine tastings and cheese and wine pairings.
Catering: Available on-site.
Additional amenities: The venue’s Manor Haus B&B includes four themed cottages within walking distance of the winery and other popular local attractions. The winery is also a partner with Harvest Hosts, a network of wineries, breweries, distilleries, farms and other attractions that invite member recreational vehicle owners to camp overnight for free.
Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa
Johnson City
877.232.0138
Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa is in the heart of the rugged beauty of Texas Hill Country—home to more than 600 acres of thriving vineyards. Established by a founding family of Texas Wine Country, the Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa features two tasting rooms, a restaurant, an on-site microbrewery, 78 private villas and an outdoor event center, which showcases local, regional and national music acts.
“Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa offers a comfortable relaxed atmosphere of a home away from home with friendly, attentive and personalized service,” notes Jennifer McDaniel, Carter Creek’s catering sales manager.
“Being independently owned and operated gives us the ability to be much more nimble with meeting our clients’ needs, enabling attendees to enjoy all that the Texas Hill Country has to offer.”
Event space available: More than 41,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting space. The venue can accommodate up to 2,000 people on the pavilion lawn.
Types of events: Corporate and social gatherings.
Special add-ons for events: Brewery tours can be arranged, as well as beer and wine tastings and lawn games, such as cornhole. The resort also has an outdoor pavilion for live music.
Catering: Available on-site.
Additional amenities: Complimentary Wi-Fi, on-site A/V, and villas featuring private patios and separate bedroom and living spaces.
Llano Estacado Winery
Lubbock
806.745.2258
Located right outside of Lubbock, Llano Estacado Winery is surrounded by vineyards and lush cotton fields. Event space includes the vineyard, lawn, dedicated event space and a tasting room.
“Llano Estacado Winery is such a beautiful place to spend your afternoon sipping wine or to plan your next event. Our flexible event space fits any vision and will be a memorable experience for all attendees,” says the venue’s hospitality director, Kaycee Giroue. “We are honored to be one of the most historic wineries in the state and to share that with new visitors every day.”
Event space available: Several indoor event spaces can hold from 16 to 200 people seated. The venue also can accommodate up to 2,000 people reception-style through a combination of flexible indoor and outdoor spaces.
Types of events held: Business meetings, board meetings, retreats, presentations, charity events, social events and weddings.
Special add-ons for groups: Wine tours and tastings can be arranged.
Catering available: No on-site catering. A preferred vendor list is available.
Additional amenities: Projector and auxiliary cord, microphone, and surround-sound audio.
Spicewood Vineyards, Event Center
Spicewood
830.693.5328
Nestled on a 25-acre vineyard, Spicewood Vineyard’s event center is a “Texas chic” mix of exposed limestone, granite and dark wooden beams. Surrounding the property are a soothing creek, oak shade trees and a fountain.
“The moment you get on our property you are moved by the sprawling beauty of the rolling vineyards and the sound of the babbling brook. One can’t help but feel relaxed and inspired by their surroundings,” says event manager Lauren Sposetta. “It’s a great place for a company to invite people, whether it’s for a party or a place to unplug from the outside and get into a creative headspace for working.”
Event space available: Up to 200 for a seated dinner and 300 for a cocktail-style reception.
Types of events: Weddings, corporate events, rehearsal dinners, celebrations of life, meetings and tastings.
Special add-ons for groups: Tastings and tours.
Catering: No on-site catering available.
Additional amenities: Internet, day-of coordination, tables and chairs.
Wine Region
Texas is home to more than 36 species of the Vitis grapevine family—more than any other region on earth—with 15 being native to the state. There are five grape-growing regions in Texas.
Region 1 // High Plains and Handle: 2,685 bearing acres / producing 7,817 tons of grapes
Region 2 // North Texas: 398 bearing acres / producing 777 tons of grapes
Region 3 // Gulf Coast: 305 bearing acres / producing 455 tons of grapes
Region 4 // West Texas: 395 bearing acres / producing 1,293 tons of grapes
Region 5 // Hill Country: 758 bearing acres / producing 1,321 tons of grapes
Hit the Trails
Does your group want to head out for a day trip of tastings? Lucky for you, wherever you happen to be in Texas, there’s a trail for that. (Source: txwinelover.com)
Bay Breeze Wine Trail (Gulf Coast)
baybreezewinetrail.com
Cross Timbers Wine Trail (North Texas)
crosstimberswinetrail.com
Dallas Town and Country Wine Trail (North Texas)
northtexaswine.com
Driftwood Wine Trail (Austin area)
driftwoodwinetrail.com
Dripping Wine Trail (Dripping Springs)
drippingwinetrail.com
Grapevine Wine Trail (Grapevine)
grapevinewinerytrail.com
Guadalupe Valley Wine Country (Central Texas)
guadalupevalleywinecountry.com
Piney Woods Wine Trail (East Texas)
pineywoodswinetrail.com
Red River Wine Trail (North Texas)
txwinelover.com
Sam Houston Wine Trail (East Texas)
samhoustonwinetrail.com
Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail (Southeast Texas)
texasbluebonnetwinetrail.com
Texas High Plains Wine and Vine Trail (Lubbock area)
highplainswinetrail.com
Texas Hill Country Wineries (Fredericksburg)
texaswinetrail.com
Texas Independence Wine Trail (South and Central Texas)
texasindependencewinetrail.com
Thirsty Oaks Wine Trail (Hill Country)
thirstyoakswinetrail.com
Top of the Hill Country Wine Trail (Hill Country)
topofhillcountry.com
Way Out Wineries (Southwest Texas)
wayoutwineries.com
Wine Road 290 (Fredericksburg area)
wineroad290.com
