We have arrived at the #1 winery in the Texas Hill Country, and quite possibly the best Texas has to offer: Calais Winery!
Ben and his team (which I think is 2 humans and a dog) hand-craft and give so much attention and care to every aspect of the winemaking process. Unfortunately with such a small number of bottles produced each year, his wines sell out fast and usually earn a premium price. The tasting room is open Friday through Sunday, and available via online reservation only. To boot, his winery isn’t on most wine maps or brochures – the only reason I had even heard about this spot was via word of mouth – EVERY, yes I mean EVERY wine server I talked to in Texas referred me to Calais.
1) Wine = 4.9
2) Price Point = 2.8
3) Service = 4.8
4) Decorum / Scenery = 4.1
5) X factor = 4.8
Overall 4.34
(0-5 scale, anything above 2.5 you will have a good time)
Where to start with operation… What I love about Calais is that everything they produce is on the tasting menu. So many other wineries I visit leave their best wines off the menu, available via wine club or via a bottle purchase only. I find those practice a true travesty to you and I. All of Ben’s wines are available, which is just fantastic!
I did ding Calais on relatively high price points. His most affordable red is $55 (most of his reds are out of my usual range), and I recommend buying as much as you can afford, or feel like treating yourself with. He charges more because the wines are worth it, considering his extremely small production. The other thing I like is that his “ringer” wine, Gravitas, is indeed the best wine he has (compared to other wineries where their “flagship” wine is sometimes debatable and extremely overpriced for its quality).
His tasting room / cellar is in a small shed, dug into the side of a hill (they call this place the wine cave) and I love it! You are not going to have a breathtaking view of the local landscape. You will not see anything adorning the walls, or wine trinkets laying around to distract you from the tasting. But what you will find is his very practical wine equipment and storage gear: a simple scene for an un-cheapened, pure wine experience.
His tasting table is a long wood plank support by two barrels. I awarded high marks in the Decorum and Scenery category simply because I got to taste his wine as close as possible to where the magic happens. Wine is literally in the air while you taste. You get to see his operation, you get the owner and winemaker, and he lets his wines do the talking.
So now let’s talk about his wines. Each and every single one is simply amazing. They are so complex and bursting with deep flavor; not a single one of his wines is “just ok,” they are all great. Whites, reds, roses; it doesn’t matter. I would put his wines up against any other winery in the country. His Gravitas (a secret red blend) is amongst the top ten red wines I have had in my lifetime!
Ben is such a talented winemaker and is very knowledgeable. If you are a wine fan anywhere in the country, you need to add this winery to your bucket list. You won’t be disappointed.
For the reasons listed above I crown Calais Winery Cellars #1 of all the wineries in the Texas Hill Country (https://www.calaiswinery.com/)