Bell Springs Winery Review
Address: 3700 Bell Springs Road Dripping Springs,Texas 78620.
Phone Number: 830-483-9463
Tasting Hours: Thurs 12:00-5:00, Fri 12:00-6:00, Sat-Sun 11:00-6:00
Region: Texas Hill Country AVA, Texas
Reviewer: Becky Parr
Review Date: 8/23/2015
Reviewer: Becky Parr
Rating: 4
The Review
Its a pleasant drive from Fredericksburg into Austin; an hour and a half or so depending on where in Austin youre going, on highway 290. Right on the way is Dripping Springs, home to several great wineries, including Driftwood Estate Vineyards and Duchman Family Winery. But Ive already visited those on more than one occasion, so this time we thought wed try something different. The choice was Bell Springs Winery.
The Place:  Bell Springs has the dusty, unpaved parking lot thats so typical of Hill Country wineries. The tasting room is located in a smallish building, with a great wraparound porch for sitting and sipping and a lot of open space around it for concerts or parties in cool weather. We spotted what looked like a shack to the right of the building as we faced it; upon investigation, it turned out to be an outside bar, so it seems Bell Springs takes advantage of its grounds. A trip to the restroom proved amusing Bell Springs definitely has a sense of humor when it comes to toilet paper holders!
The People:  Two ladies staffed the tasting room on the Sunday that we visited. Marianne waited on us, and she and her colleague seemed to be having as much fun as we were. I think the only personnel this place lacked was a winery dog. They do have one, or did at one time they have a red blend named Needy Bitch after the dog! I kind of wished she was there, hanging out and begging for pets and treats. It would have fit with the places personality.
The Wines: Bell Springs only poured six wines, which I think is about perfect for a small winery. Here they seem to do a few wines and do them WELL. We started with the three whites, naturally. The EFP is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc. I thought it was a tad on the dry side; my husband said it tasted like pineapple gummy bears, which I found both descriptive and amusing!
The biggest surprise was the Drippin Sweet White. I typically pass on the sweet wines because I dont care for them. If I want syrupy sweetness, Ill drink a Coke, or order some kind of fruity margarita. But Marianne persuaded us to try the Drippin Sweet White. Its got a nice nose of peaches and, to my shock, its actually GOOD. Its not sickly sweet, just lightly sweet, and it tastes very pleasantly of peaches. It even has a light effervescence to it, reminiscent of a sparkling wine. Im not sure whose idea it was to pair this wine with club soda to make a spritzer, but my friends bought a bottle with the intention of doing exactly that. And if they break it out while Im at their house, Ill drink it.
We tasted the dogs namesake, Needy Bitch, which is a blend of Grenache and Pinot Noir. Dont let the unpleasant nose fool you the wine is quite nice and tastes nothing like it smells. The Sangiovese leans toward strawberries and is more tannic than the Needy Bitch, but not overly so. The star of the show among my crowd of six, though, was the 2013 Tempranillo. If you want tannins, this is your wine. I found it to be a bit big for my taste and perhaps even a little harsh, but my companions all went nuts over it. I can certainly see where it would be great with red meat. Bottles were bought. Thats another great thing about Bell Springs their prices are quite reasonable, especially for the quality youre getting.
The Experience:  We were all really glad we stopped here. I could see this being a place where wed hang out and come to events if we lived in the area. The personnel were among the highlights, as was the welcoming and laid-back nature of the facility. The wines good too!