When you hear of a friend’s upcoming wine tour, you most likely think of vineyards in California, Italy, or even Spain. Eden Hill is trying to change that. Chris Hornbaker has a love of wine, and believes that Texas grown wine can be just as good as wine grown in more “exotic” locations. He is making his dream come true in Celina, TX, located about an hour north of Dallas. Chris and his family graciously hosted the Dallas Farmers Market team to show us around his property and let us into the secret of making world-class wine in Texas.
Eden Hill is located on ten acres, which was purchased as a family project by Chris and his parents Linda and Clark. When the family first looked over the land, his mother proclaimed that they had found their “own patch of Eden” and the name stuck. Eden Hill broke ground in 2006 and Linda and Clark began to study viticulture while Chris studied enology. By 2008 they had begun planting vineyards of Orange Muscat and Tempranillo, and Chris had finished his degree. Their first bottle of wine was ready by 2010, and Eden Hill was made an official winery. Today they sell over fifteen varieties of wine made exclusively from Texas grown grapes. The vineyards have expanded to Brownfield, TX, and to Chris’s home, about four miles away from the original location. They are able to produce about 2000 cases per year, but feel that they are done expanding. The family wishes to stay small and focus on producing high quality wines.
And Eden Hill’s wine isn’t just good by our standards, it’s award winning. Their website lists 100 awards their wines have won in six years, from exclusively Texas wine competitions, to internationally renowned ones. They most recently won four awards at the Houston Rodeo and are looking to enter more competitions this coming spring. The Hornbakers are always striving for excellence and continue to expand their offerings. They are releasing their Tempranillo Moscato and Semi-Sweet Garden Red next weekend at the Dallas Farmers Market, and will be selling these new favorites, as well as their classics, by the glass or by the bottle. Chris is able to bring wine for pick up at the DFM, but it can also be bought online or at their tasting room, which is located on the vineyard property in Celina. They are open Thursday through Sunday from 1pm to 6pm. They also offer perks to residents of Taylor and Harvest Lofts, with 10% off bottles and half-off mimosas.
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