My Journey to Writing About Texas Wine
My wife and I began visiting Texas wineries shortly after 2010, more out of curiosity than conviction. We became regulars at Texas Hill Country Wineries passport events, joined more than a few wine clubs, and—like many people—celebrated a milestone anniversary with a trip to Napa and Sonoma. For a long time, that was the full extent of my wine world.
Back then, I was also that person—the one who would confidently say, “I like bold red wines,” and consider the matter settled.
The shift happened quietly, at a tasting room patio in a Texas winery. Mid-flight, I turned to Caroline and said, “I want to learn how to appreciate a wine for what it is—whether it’s a style I think I like or not.” That moment didn’t make me an expert. It made me a student.
Over the next eighteen months, I completed five formal wine courses and traveled through nine European wine appellations, tasting with growers and winemakers whose sense of place was inseparable from their wines. Paired with years of watching Texas wine evolve—vintage by vintage, vineyard by vineyard—it changed how I see what’s happening here at home.
With so much left to learn, one thing is clear to me: after seeing what great wine looks like around the world—and tasting it where it’s made—I’m convinced that Texas belongs in that conversation. The quality is real, the progress is measurable, and the commitment from growers and winemakers is unmistakable. My hope is simply to add my voice to those advocating for the people, places, and wines that are quietly redefining what Texas wine can be.
I hope you will join me in my Texas wine journey.
Don Huse
Formal Study:
WSET Level 3 Award in Wines (Merit) – Wine & Spirit Education Trust
WSET Level 2 Award in Wines (Distinction) – Wine & Spirit Education Trust
Level 1 Certificate – Court of Master Sommeliers
Advanced Specialist of Texas Wine – Texas Wine School
Specialist of Texas Wine – Texas Wine School
