The winery that made Texas
take itself seriously.

William Chris sits on Highway 290 in Hye with the unhurried confidence of a place that knows what it is: a working Hill Country winery that earned its reputation in the vineyard and cellar — and, along the way, helped build the reputation of Texas wine itself.

Bill Blackmon and Chris Brundrett founded William Chris in 2008 with a shared belief that Texas fruit deserved to stand on its own. Their philosophy remains simple and unwavering: great wines are grown, not made. Every decision — from vineyard partnerships to winemaking techniques — starts with showcasing Texas fruit and the places it comes from.

Today, William Chris is the first and only Texas winery to earn a spot on the World’s 50 Best Vineyards list and was named the Austin Chronicle’s 2024 Winery of the Year.

Ranch country wearing a tasting room — farmhouse, teepees, and a photo frame everyone finds.

The property spreads across the kind of Big 290 landscape that still feels like ranch country wearing a tasting room. There is the restored 1905 farmhouse — the original tasting room — plus outbuildings, lawn space, teepees, vineyard views, and the William Chris photo frame that every visitor eventually finds. The modern glass tasting room and Hye Society members’ room look out over estate vines and the Hill Country elevation drop that makes Hye feel bigger than its map dot.

The land carries older stories too. Thomas Benjamin Washburn moved to Hye in 1869; after a dispute over a steer in 1875, he was killed and buried on the ranch. The winery sits on that history without turning it into a theme park — just enough local lore to remind you this was working country long before wine tourism arrived.

On the pour, the reds are the serious draw. Mourvèdre shows up reliably and worthily — Texas High Plains fruit with structure and warmth. Cinsault is the one that stuck with us: usually a blending grape, but William Chris bottled it alone after a strong crop year, and the result was memorable enough to make you rethink what belongs in a single-varietal bottle.

Grown, not made.

Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon round out the serious end of the list. The portfolio reads like a winery that knows exactly what it does best — Texas reds — and has spent years getting better at it. Reservations are smart on weekends — the lawn fills, the music starts, and nobody is in much of a hurry to leave.

Weekends bring live music on the lawn. Each year, an art contest sends winning work onto a vintage label — a small detail that fits the place better than any marketing deck would. The Enchanté mural on the corrugated barn wall tells you everything you need to know about how William Chris thinks about itself: Texas own, unapologetic, and a little bit French when it wants to be.

Long before national recognition arrived, William Chris was already making the argument that Texas fruit deserved to be taken seriously — and proving it in the bottle. If Texas wine has benchmark producers, William Chris belongs near the top of the list. It is one of the wineries many Texas wine drinkers encounter early in their journey, and for plenty of them it is where the journey starts.

From here, Ab Astris was next on the list — someone in Fredericksburg had told us to go for the wine.