Blue Mule Winery

Father-daughter farm winery near Fayetteville, Texas, pairing dry and sweet wines with donkeys, alpacas, and chickens

Best known for: Dry and sweet wines, including barrel-aged Lenoir

Blue Mule Winery is a father-daughter operation on a working farm north of Fayetteville, Texas, two miles from Warrenton. Mike Gamble handles the winemaking, while his daughter Ashley contributes to blending and helps tasting room visitors find wines that suit their tastes. Their division of labor gives the place its character: Mike works through the chemistry in back, while Ashley handles the conversation out front.

The wines cover dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and very sweet styles, so this is not a stop reserved for dry-red drinkers. Specific bottles worth knowing include Mary Margaret, a dry Sauvignon Blanc; Hijinks, a Pinot Grigio; Annie & Albert, a dry Tempranillo; and Cigar Box Jack, a dry, barrel-aged Lenoir. The small vineyard shares the property with more than 60 free-ranging chickens, six alpacas, and five donkeys. Farm life is part of the visit, not just scenery beyond the tasting room.

The hilltop tasting room opens Thursday evenings and Friday through Sunday from noon. Children are welcome with attentive adults; leashed dogs can visit the property but not enter the tasting room. For an overnight stay, the farm's Cozy Cottage has a king bed, kitchenette, and clawfoot tub—but no shower, a detail worth knowing before booking.