Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail - Colony Cellars Winery

Wildflowers and Wine...

Colony Cellars is one of seven wineries within relative close proximity to Houston, Texas that is included in this year's Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail.

My husband and I enjoy a sojourn into the countryside each Spring to enjoy seeing the bounty of the Texas wildflowers blanketing the fields and sides of the roads with their brilliant varicolored beauty.

It gives me a chance to capture an additional colorful picture or two ( or innumerable photos...according to my husband ) of more wildflowers in radiant bloom.

This year the wildflower show is reputed to be especially plentiful due to abundant rain that fell at the appropriate time to generate a lavish exhibition.

Since both of us also enjoy wine, we thought that this year we could combine our interests and partake of not only viewing the Texas wildflowers and photographing them, but also tasting some of the Texas wines that are less familiar to us.

Colony Cellars Winery...

Park any snobbish pretensions by the door as you enter Colony Cellars. The owners, Don and Ruby Corley ( also referred to as "Mr. C" or "Mrs. C" ) are the most genial and warmhearted folks you are likely to meet.

Their employee that was there yesterday is equally friendly and helpful as she assisted in pouring the samples of wine. And pour she and "Mrs. C" did!

Samples of 12 wines were served in four distinct categories. Fortunately a dump bucket is furnished and can be utilized at will.

Most of the time people entering their doors can sample four wines for free or taste all 12 for the meager sum of $3.00. For $5.75 they include snacks which is extremely reasonable!

As a participant of the Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail all 12 wines were included in the tasting and a cheddar fondue and Swiss fondue with white corn scoops and Galletas cookies were offered as well.

Grape varieties...

For those who are interested in the varieties of grapes grown by the Corley family, they include the following: Black Spanish, Magnolia, Blanc duBois, Carlos, Chambourcin, Noble and Cynthiana. These grape varieties grow well in this part of Texas.

Located about 30 miles northwest of Houston, Colony Cellars is located on a bit of a hill that is comprised of much sand according to Mr. Corley with whom we got to visit with for a brief time after our tasting.

With those varieties they blend wines for four distinct labels titled CRISP, SMOOTH, RICH and RANDOM HARVEST with a blanc, blush and red made for each label.

RANDOM HARVEST seemed like an interesting name and we learned what it meant. Little bits of wine remain from each category each year...not enough to bottle under a single label. So with these wines a new blend is created and as "Mrs. C" told us...she was "outvoted" when she suggested the name "potluck."

Ponds...

One of three ponds on the property is pictured above. This is pristine filtered water.

"Mr. C" told us that the water from the wine making process as well as drainage from rooftops is saved and routed into one of three ponds on the property. It is then filtered with the aid of fish and plant life and is circulated into the second pond where more natural filtering takes place. By the time it reaches the pond nearest the tasting room and gift shop, it is truly clean and usable water.

With the help of an underground watering system, the grape vines as well as the Christmas trees also grown on their property are all kept nicely watered.

Fermentation...

Whole cluster fermentation is used when crushing the grapes with the skins left intact and Colony Cellars is only one of two Texas wineries that does that.

It was explained to us that not only do they think that it imparts more flavor and color to the wines, but drinking their white wines gives as much in the way of health benefits as drinking their reds by utilizing this method.

Enjoyable get-away...

If you wish to escape from your everyday life...especially if you live in the city...and want to get a little country air and be treated by people with very friendly country manners, consider a trip to Colony Cellars Winery.

This is the beginning of their fourth year of selling bottled wine since opening for business in November of 2006.

Ultimately all 30 acres will be under cultivation.

Producing about 10,000 cases a year of wine, each year they add about 2,000 more to their total production.

You can contact them for private functions of all types as well as tours by calling this number: 877-377-WINE.

Picnic tables are set out in various locations on the property and the public is invited to utilize them.

Normal business hours are from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Thursday to Sunday.

Their physical address is the following: 35955 Richard Frey Road, Waller, Texas 77484.

While we had yet to view many bluebonnets, we saw these Texas wildflowers along-side the country roads shortly after leaving Colony Cellars and stopped to take a few pictures.

Closer to Brenham, we were to see numerous fields of bluebonnets. Many cars were stopped along the highway with people posing amidst the beauty of these signature Texas wildflowers...the bluebonnet.

Naturally we stopped and got some great photos. Stay tuned...

Colony Cellars Winery is one of the wineries featured on the Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail and worth a visit in this author's opinion.

You will be greeted by Texas friendly folks and if you like any of their sampled wines, you can purchase them on the spot. Their gift shop is filled with items ranging from various types of corkscrews to iron works and crafted butterflies among the numerous eclectic offerings. Something for everyone on your gift list!