“Texas’ Premier Estate Winery” is what it says on Augusta Vin’s homepage. A bold claim for a winery that has only been in existence for 3 years. However, one visit will leave you in little doubt about owner Scott Felder’s seriousness. Conversations with people previously affiliated with the venture, including freelance consultant John Rivenburgh, confirmed this.

The first indication of Augusta Vin’s intent is in the scale of physical construction at the venue. The visitor drives in the main gate and then round a broad sweeping roadway that levels up into a straight shoot into the parking lot — 2,000 feet away. It was almost irresistible not to floor it on the empty morning that I visited. That would have been a mistake, for a number of reasons, but among them that I would have missed the labelling on each row of vines giving the name of the grape. Eleven varieties are planted at the estate and 6 at Hoover Valley Estate under long-term contract (hence warranting the ‘Estate’ designation). At present there are 60 planted estate acres and 40 more at Hoover Valley Estate. Little wonder that the drive in at the preferred 10 mph is reminiscent of entering a Tuscan estate.[…]