Across the Texas Hill Country, there are more than a hundred wineries and vineyards positively impacting their local economies. The growth of wineries in the Hill Country, many of which were established in the last 10-20 years, has contributed to a multibillion dollar wine industry statewide.

The industry’s growth has brought new businesses and jobs to Georgetown, where officials work to maintain “The most beautiful town square in Texas.”

With three different wineries on the square, a large number of tourists enjoy utilizing the square’s open container policy, Downtown and Tourism Director Kim McAuliffe said.

“They want to be able to shop, they want to explore ...,” McAuliffe said. “But they love doing it with a glass of wine in their hand.”

The overview


The Texas Hill Country wine region has experienced tremendous growth in recent years through the opening of new wineries and vineyards.

The Hill Country has largely contributed to Texas becoming the fifth-largest wine producing state in the nation with a total economic impact of more than $20 billion, according to a 2022 report by WineAmerica, a national wine industry association.

Georgetown’s economic development department started an initiative to attract more wineries to the city in 2010. The search led Grape Creek Vineyards to the square in 2013, and Barons Creek Vineyards in 2019.

Although the Hill Country climate comes with challenges, there is a movement toward more wineries growing their own grapes in the area.


Dan and Becca Marek, the original owners of The Georgetown Winery, which opened in 2006, continue providing the store with locally grown wine through their two vineyards in Liberty Hill and Rockdale, current co-owner Lori Mann said.



The background

Fall Creek Vineyards—one of the first wineries in the Hill Country—was founded by Susan and Ed Auler in 1975 in Tow. By 1991, the Hill Country was recognized as an official grape-growing region known as an American Viticultural Area, or AVA, after Ed Auler submitted a petition to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, Susan Auler said.


Spanning about 15,000 square miles, the Texas Hill Country is now the third largest AVA in the nation, according to Texas Hill Country Wineries. The nonprofit trade organization increased its membership from eight to more than 60 wineries since forming in 1999, Executive Director January Wiese said.

Over the last 10 years, the number of wineries has grown significantly across the state.

“It is booming,” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said about the state’s wine industry in an interview with Community Impact. “It’s one of the fastest growing segments of agriculture.”
Texas winery permits allow holders to:
  • Make their own wine
  • Purchase wine from other wineries
  • Self-distribute wine to retailers
  • Sell and ship wine to consumers
The approach

Popular wine destinations in the Hill Country, such as Fredericksburg, attract many visitors, Wiese said.


In Georgetown, people can visit two wineries with ties to Fredericksburg.

At Barons Creek, customers can expect to sip on more traditional wines grown both near Barcelona, Spain, and in Fredericksburg, Georgetown General Manager Hanne Walford said.

Grape Creek Vineyards is part of Heath Family Brands, which manages 65 acres across three properties in the Hill Country, CEO Brian Heath said. The Grape Creek vineyard alone produces 45,000-50,000 cases of wine a year.

Local wineries How it works


A majority of Texas wine is grown in the High Plains AVA near Lubbock due to its cooler climate. Many Hill Country wineries also serve selections grown in other states, said Valerie Elkins, co-founder of the Texas Wine Auction Foundation.

Grapes the Mareks don’t grow locally for The Georgetown Winery get outsourced from the High Plains, Mann said. Additionally, the store provides pinot noir grapes from the Willamette Valley in Oregon, and chardonnay and pinot grigio grapes from California.

More vineyards are opening in the Hill Country, however, as the acreage of grapes planted in the area has more than doubled over the last 10 years, Wiese said. Although the Central Texas heat can present challenges, some grape varietals perform well in the area, industry experts said.

“Wine and grape growers and wineries have learned a lot in the past two decades—a lot of what works and what doesn’t work in Texas,” said Andreea Botezatu, an associate professor and enology extension specialist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.

Top varieties grown in the Hill Country
  • Tempranillo: Spanish red wine grape that is new to Texas
  • Cabernet sauvignon: red wine grape across Texas that thrives above 3,000 feet
  • Mourvèdre: red wine grape that produces wines that are high in alcohol and have earthy notes with soft red fruit flavors
  • Tannat: Spanish red wine grape traditionally grown in Southwest France
The impact

The city of Georgetown has worked to promote wineries through The Georgetown Swirl, an annual food and wine event celebrating its 15th anniversary on March 1 next year, McAuliffe said. The growth in the community has been “astounding” for Mann, who grew up in Georgetown, she said.

“I think this is a great place to be for our business, and the city really set us up for success,” Mann said.

Texas A&M is also seeing more students pursue careers in the wine industry, Botezatu said. The university may consider starting a degree program for its viticulture and enology program, which currently allows students to receive certificates related to grape growing and wine making.

“I think we’re getting a more engaged workforce,” Elkins said about the Hill Country wine region. “I think that people see this as not a job, but they, a lot of the people here, are seeing this as a career.”

Miller told Community Impact he hopes Texas will surpass California and become the second-largest wine producing state in the country in the next decade.


Going forward

Hill Country wineries and organizations say they are projecting continued growth and innovative advancements in the industry.

The number of vineyards and wineries in Williamson County is growing, Mann said, adding she hopes The Georgetown Winery continues to be a destination for people wanting to learn about the beverage.

“We have locally made wine here in Williamson County,” Mann said.

Heath has plans to expand Heath Sparkling Wines with the installation of new equipment at Invention Vineyards, one of the brand’s facilities in Fredericksburg, which will make it the largest sparkling wine production facility in Texas.

“Texas wine is showing no signs of stopping,” said Karen Bonarrigo, secretary of the Texas Wine & Grape Growers Association.