Dry Comal Creek Vineyard & Winery
1742 Herbelin Rd.
New Braunfels, TX 78132
(830) 885-4076
Website: www.drycomalcreek.com

Upcoming Events:

“Order of the Purple Foot” 6^th Annual Grape Stomp (posted 7/24/2008)

Winery U!

Our review

Dry Comal Creek Vineyard & Winery is located outside New Braunfels just off Texas State Highway 46. Dry Comal Creek was founded in 1998 by Franklin D. Houser. Like many of the folks in the Texas wine industry, Franklin left a successful career as a lawyer to pursue his dream of making wine.

Also like most Texas vintners, he has had his share of hard times. Just after planting 4,000 vines in 1996, Dry Comal Creek turned wet in 1998, flooding the vineyard that was in a flood plane. Following the flood of ’98, Dry Comal Creek was struck by Pierce’s disease which destroyed almost all of the vines. Not to be deterred, in 2000 Franklin replanted the vineyard with Norton (a grape cultivar possibly derived from Vitis aestivalis) and Spanish Black (Vitis labrusca). Both Norton and Spanish Black are resistant to Pierce’s disease.

The day we stopped in to visit Dry Comal Creek vineyard, they were pouring 12 different wines, but only two wines were made from 100% Texas grapes, the 2006 Spanish Black ($29.99) and the 1096 Port ($75.00). The ’06 Spanish Black is dark violet in color with a dark fruit driven nose. In the mouth, the wine is somewhat soft with relatively low acid. If you are not familiar with wines made from Spanish Black grapes (also called Lenior), you should give this wine a try. The combination of mouth feel and flavors is very interesting, and some people just love it.

The 1096 Port is very popular and is frequently sold out at the winery. The port is extremely dark with lots of dried fruit aromas. In the glass, the port is strong with a rich mouth feel.

The rest of the wines available when we visited were made from grapes from all over. Mr. House says that all his wines are “Texas style”. He defines Texas Style as fruit forward wines without an abundance of tannins, and his wines reflect his thoughts on the subject. We liked his ’07 Orange Muscat ($17.99), his Foot Pressed Red ($12.99), and his ’06 Syrah/Shiraz ($23.99).

If you happen to be down on the Guadalupe River, stop in and see the good folks at Dry Comal Creek. They will be happy to see you.

Listings of all wineries in Texas

We've reviewed the wineries listed in bold.

Central Texas Wineries

Alamosa Wine Cellars • Becker Vineyards • The Bella Vista Cellars • Bell Mountain Vineyards • Brennan Vineyards • Chisholm Trail Winery • Comfort Cellars Winery • Driftwood Vineyards • Dry Comal Creek Vineyard & Winery • Fall Creek Vineyards • Fawn Crest Vineyard • Flat Creek Estate • Fredericksburg Winery • Grape Creek Vineyards • Lost Creek Vineyard • Mandola Estate Winery • McReynolds Wines • Pillar Bluff Vineyards • Poteet Country Winery • Rising Star Vineyards • Sandstone Cellars Winery • Singing Water Vineyards • Sister Creek Vineyards • Spicewood Vineyards • Stone House Vineyard • Texas Hills Vineyard • Texas Legato • Three Dudes Winery • Torre di Pietra Winery • Wimberly Valley Winery at Driftwood • Woodrose Winery

North-East Texas Wineries

Barking Rocks Winery & Vineyard • Bluff Dale Vineyards • Brushy Creek Vineyards & Winery • Carmela Winery • Collin Oaks Winery • Crossroads Winery • Cross Timbers Winery • Delaney Vineyards at Grapevine • Grayson Hills Winery • Guerra Vineyard & Winery • Homestead Winery at Denison •  Homestead Winery at Grapevine •  Homestead Winery at Ivanhoe • Inwood Estate Vineyards • Khatter Vineyards • Kiepersol Estates Vineyards • La Bodega Winery • La Buena Vida Vineyards at Grapevine •  La Buena Vida Vineyards at Springtown • Landon Winery • Lightcatcher Winery • Lone Oak Winery • Lone Star Wine Cellars • Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards • LouViney Cellars & Bistro • Maydelle Country Wines • Paris Vineyards • Red Caboose Winery • Red Road Vineyard & Winery • San Martino Winery & Vineyard • Sunset Winery • Su Vino Winery • Sweet Dreams Winery • Tara Vineyard & Winery • Texoma Winery • Times Ten Cellars • Triple “R” Ranch & Winery • Wales Manor • Weinhof Winery • Wichita Falls Vineyards & Winery

South-East Texas Wineries

Bernhardt Winery • Bruno & George Wines • Circle S Vineyards • Colony Cellars • Frascone Winery • Haak Vinery & Winery • Lehm Berg Winery • Messina Hof Winery & Resort • Piney Woods Country Wines • Pleasant Hill Winery • Purple Possum Winery • Rosemary’s Vineyard & Winery • Tehuacana Creek Vineyards & Winery • White House Winery • Wimberly Valley Winery at Old Town Spring • Windy Hill Winery • Yepez Vineyards

West Texas Wineries

Bar Z Wines • Cap*Rock Winery at Lubbock • Delany Vineyards at Lamesa • La Diosa Cellars • Llano Estacado Winery • Luz de Estrella Vineyards • Pheasant Ridge Winery • Ste. Genevieve Wines • Val Verde Winery • Zin Valle Vineyards