Driftwood, Texas About twenty minutes outside Austin, down a winding country road, sits the small community of Driftwood, Texas. The roads are lined with scenery not uncommon in the Hill Country- ranch and farmland, lots of beautiful oak trees, the occasional longhorn, and one very familiar BBQ restaurant. A few miles down Farm to Market 150, just a little off the beaten path, you’ll find Duchman Family Winery. Making the turn into the winery property, you couldn’t be faulted for thinking you had somehow left Texas and ended up in the Italian countryside. Seventeen acres of vines line the driveway leading to the winery. Past the monument sign, a walkway crosses under a canopy of giant oak trees and over a bridge before reaching the winery. Once inside, guests are greeted by the soaring ceiling and stone walls of our tasting room. The production area, which covers over 18,000 of the facility’s 26,000 square feet, is on full view from the main hall. Red wine filled barrels, fermentation tanks, and our own state-ofthe-art bottling line are all on display. Drs. Stan and Lisa Duchman chose this little corner of Driftwood to realize their dream of making world class wine in Texas. Today, over a decade after the first wines went to bottle, the Duchmans and their partners continue to raise the bar for Texas wine. We invite you to join us in Driftwood to taste what we are working on next.
Drs. Stan and Lisa Duchman, Proprietors The Duchman Family Winery was founded in 2004 by Drs. Lisa and Stan Duchman in a quest to bring worldclass winemaking to Central Texas and the Texas Hill Country. A love for old world wines and a vision of the possibilities in Texas inspired them to work with viticultural consultant Bobby Cox and growers in the High Planes AVA to produce grapes that would allow their winemaker to experiment with making wines like Vermentino, Sangiovese, and Dolcetto. Under the careful direction of the Duchmans, their winery has become one of the most successful and innovative producers in Texas.
Dave Reilly, Winemaker A native Texan, Dave’s career in wine started in 2000 when his overwhelming lack of sense lead him to plant a vineyard in the Texas Hill Country. With no formal education in viticulture, Reilly credits his success to hard work, a library of books and the guidance from Texas viticulture experts Jim Kamas and Penny Adams. Dave was taken under the wing of veteran Texas winemaker Mark Penna in 2006, working as Cellar Rat, Lab Tech, Mechanic and Head Janitor. In 2008, Dave took over winemaking duties full time. His wines have competed and won medals in some of the most prestigious (and not so prestigious) wine competitions in the United States. Reilly’s winemaking philosophy is succinct, “I strive to make wines that are true to their varietal character using the highest quality grapes grown only in Texas”.
Award Winning Wines From the outset, the goal at Duchman Family Winery has been incredibly ambitious. The wines produced at Duchman would be on par with the finest varietal examples in the world, and no less than that would be acceptable. By carefully choosing varietals that are best suited to the soil and climate of Texas, working with the finest farming partners in the state, and adhering to exacting standards in the winery, Dave Reilly and his team continue to meet and surpass those lofty expectations. Since 2010, Duchman wines have been awarded over 100 medals in international competition and have been consistently recognized for excellence by top wine professionals. The signature style of Duchman Family Winery is decededly old-world, befitting our grape selection. White wines are bright and focused, never allowing oak aging or secondary fermentation to distract from the beauty of the fruit. Red wines are aged primarily in neutral oak, never relying on cooperage for character.
DISTRIBUTION PORTFOLIO
94 pts
Double Gold Medal San Francisco International Wine Competition
2017 TR EBBIANO Bingham Family Vineyard, Texas High Plains
Harvest Date: September 5 Brix at Harvest: 22 Alcohol: 12.5 PH: 3.31 Aging: stainless steel Cases Produced: 768 Vintage Notes: Warm spring weather brought early budbreak. Hot summer with well timed, plentiful rain. Early harvest with steep ripening curve, cool nights helped preserve acidity. Excellent quality fruit.
Tasting Notes: Tropical fruit and bright citrus on the nose and confirmed on the palate. Light bodied with lively acidity, bordering on effervescent. Food Pairing: Light seafood, tempura vegetables, poultry. Prosciutto and melon is a winery favorite for this incredibly enjoyable wine.
91 pts
90 pts
Gold Medal
James Suckling, American Wine Revolution
San Francisco International Wine Competition
2017 VER MENTINO Bingham Family Vineyard, Texas High Plains
Harvest Date: September 4, 11 Brix at Harvest: 23.5 Alcohol: 13.8 PH: 3.33 Aging: stainless steel Cases Produced: 1190 Vintage Notes: Warm spring weather brought early budbreak. Hot summer with well timed, plentiful rain. Early harvest with steep ripening curve, cool nights helped preserve acidity. Excellent quality fruit.
Tasting Notes: Citrus and delicate white flowers on the nose with a palate full of juicy grapefruit and green melon. Noticeable minerality and slight salinity. This wine is focused and precise. Food Pairing: Seafood, oysters in particular. Lighter poultry and dishes accented by basil pesto are wonderful pairings. Creamy, mild cheeses such as Brie are brilliant with Vermentino. Pear and fennel salad with speck is a favorite at the winery.
NV CANTO FELICE Texas High Plains
Blend: Trebbiano, Vermentino Residual Sugar: 2.5% Alcohol: 13.0 PH: 3.52 Aging: stainless steel Production Notes: This off dry wine is a perfect compromise between sweet and dry. Just as with our incredibly popular red Canto Felice, we started with world class base wines and turned up the fun.
Tasting Notes: Honeysuckle and peach on the nose. Palate is off dry with notes of ripe pear and juicy citrus. Food Pairings: Refreshing and slightly sweet, Canto Felice is fantastic with a little spice. We love this wine with Thai food. Also a perfect accompaniment to a hot weather picnic or a day by the pool.
2017 DRY ROSE Oswald Vineyard, Texas High Plains
Harvest Date: September 20 Brix at Harvest: 25.1 Alcohol: 14.1 PH: 3.52 Aging: stainless steel Cases Produced:192 Vintage Notes: High temps in spring brought an early bud. Early summer hail did significant damage, lowering yield. Hot summer, but well timed and plentiful rain. Earliest harvest in years. Excellent quality fruit.
Production Notes: 8 hours of cold soak before initiating fermentation at which point grapes were pressed and racked to steel tank. Tasting Notes: Rose petal and candied red fruit on the nose. Palate is full of wild strawberry with medium plus acidity and mild tannins. Food Pairings: Everything seems to work. Duck rillette, blooming rind cheeses, burgers, roast chicken, etc, etc.
2017 SANGIOVESE Reddy Vineyard, Texas High Plains
Harvest Date: August 25 Brix at Harvest: 24.1 Alcohol: 13.7 PH: 3.61 Aging: 6 months neutral oak Cases Produced: 582 Vintage Notes: Early budbreak due to warm temps. Spring hail and severe storms missed the Sangiovese blocks. Hot summer with plenty of rain led to a great, but early harvest.
Tasting Notes: Red fruit and spice notes on the nose, palate of raspberry, black cherry and a savory streak of roasted tomato. Food Pairings: Another versatile, food friednly wine, comfortable with grilled poultry and pork. Of course, a generous plate of pasta with a long simmered tomato sauce is always going to be a hit with this wine. We like this wine with a younger Parmesan for a cheese course.
90 pts James Suckling, American Wine Revolution
2015 MONTEPULCIANO Oswald Vineyard, Texas High Plains
Harvest Date: September 30 Brix at Harvest: 25.8 Alcohol: 14.8 PH: 3.62 Aging: 24 months, neutral oak Cases Produced: 1264 Vintage Notes: Spring was cold and very wet with historical rain in May. Summer was beautiful and warm, allowing for a perfectly ripe harvest just before rains on October 1. Fruit qualtiy was above average.
Tasting Notes: Red plum,violets and hints of pipe tobacco on the nose. Palate reveals black cherry and subtle dark chocolate with medium plus acidity and structured tannins. Food Pairing: Food friendly acidity makes the Montepulciano a versatile pairing wine. Hard cheeses, smoked meats and grilled game all pair well. The acidity makes this wine a nice pairing for rich, fatty steak cuts like a juicy ribeye. With a little age, the fruit begins to shine and this wine complements red sauce pastas and grilled pork.
2015 AGLIANICO Oswald Vineyard, Texas High Plains
Harvest Date: September 30 Brix at Harvest: 25.2 Alcohol: 14.5 PH: 3.62 Aging: 24 months, neutral oak Cases Produced: 1286 Vintage Notes: Spring was cold and very wet with historical rain in May. Summer was beautiful and warm, allowing for a perfectly ripe harvest just before rains on October 1. Fruit qualtiy was above average.
Tasting Notes: Dark fruit with notes of cedar and coffee on the nose. Palate is baked plum and dried figs with hints of baking spice. Tannins are firm, medium plus acidity. Food Pairings: Aglianico is a perfect pairing for braised meats and game dishes. With a little age, this wine mellows and becomes a nice accompaniment to smoked brisket and even burgers.
NV GRAPE GROWER S BLEND Texas
Source: Oswald Vineyard, Bingham Family Vineyard, Reddy Vineyard, Salt Lick Vineyard Alcohol: 14.8 PH: 3.62 Aging: 6-20 months, neutral oak The Grape Growers Project: We rely on the hard work and dedication of our grape growing partners, and this wine was created as a tribute to those farmers.
Tasting Notes: Dark red fruit, violets and notes of leather on the nose. The palate is bold and fruit forward, showing dark cherry and plum. Generous finish and balanced acidity make this wine a crowd pleaser. Food Pairing: This wine certainly has the chops for a fancy steak night, but we like to keep it simple with burgers, brisket, or a nice rack of ribs.
NV CANTO FELICE Texas High Plains
Blend: Sangiovese, Dolcetto RS: 2.75 Alcohol: 13.5 Aging: neutral oak for all base wines
Tasting Notes: Loads of red fruit on the nose with an off dry palate full of ripe strawberry and raspberry. Delicious finish.
Production Notes: Canto Felice means “happy song� in Italian. This wine is the perfect bridge between sweet and dry wine lovers. It has just a hint of sweetness to accentuate the fruit in an absolutely delicious blend.
Food Pairings: Hot weather red wine? You bet. Pair Canto Felice with burgers or brats at your next cookout and get ready for compliments. This is the rare red that holds up well to a slight chill.
PRIVATE LABEL SELECTIONS
SALT LICK CELLAR S BBQ BLENDS Texas
Just up the road from the winery sits one of the most famous barbecue destinations in the world. Just behind that barbecue joint are 50 acres of meticulously farmed grapevines. We source grapes from Salt Lick Vineyard each year, some of which we decided to make into wines that were perfect for enjoying with some smoked meat. You know the saying, “what grows together, goes together.� BBQ Red is a non vintage blend designed to be fruit forward with generous acidity, the perfect foil for a fatty piece of brisket. BBQ white is typical of Duchman white wine with crisp acidity and beautiful fruit, and it just so happens to be a perfect match for some smoked turkey and coleslaw.
SALT LICK CELLAR S FAR M TO MAR KET BLENDS Texas
Country roads are often marked as “FM” for farm-to-market or “RR” for ranch road. With Salt Lick Cellars and Duchman sitting only a few miles apart on a few of those very country roads, we decided to make a blend that was perfect for enjoying with our neighbors on a hot Driftwood afternoon. These wines are off dry, with a touch of sweetness that allows the fruit to shine. Ranch Road Red is an off dry blend created from Sangiovese and Dolcetto and the perfect addition to a piece of brisket with a streak of sweet and smoky barbecue sauce. Ranch Road White is a lightly sweet white blend of Pinot Grigio and Trebbiano that is thirst qunchingly good on a hot day and perfect for a day in a lawn chair with good friends.
2015 SALT LICK CELLARS SANGIOVESE Salt Lick Vineyard, Texas Hill Country
Harvest Date: September 8 Brix at Harvest: 23.4 Alcohol: 13.5 PH: 3.52 Aging: neutral oak, 16 months Cases Produced: 198 Vintage Notes: Mild spring with bouts of heavy rain necessitated extra care in the vineyard. June began a hot, dry summer with excellent numbers at harvest
Tasting Notes: Notes of red fruit and hint of pepper on the nose. Dark cherry and savory notes of roasted pepper. Food Pairing: Lots of flexibility with this winecan be a good fit for anything from burgers to spicy tomato based pasta sauces. Perfectly at home with a plate of pork ribs, and a hit with hard cheeses like a salty pecorino.
2015 SALT LICK CELLAR S GSM Salt Lick Vineyard, Texas Hill Country
Blend: 60.7% Syrah, 30.3% Mourvedre, 9% Grenache Alcohol: 13.7 PH: 3.52 Aging: Neutral oak, 25 months Cases Produced: 192 Vintage Notes: Mild spring with bouts of heavy rain necessitated extra care in the vineyard. June began a hot, dry summer with excellent numbers at harvest. Syrah and Mourvedre were standouts in 2015.
Tasting Notes: Dark fruit and notes of dried herbs on the nose. Blueberries with savory notes of olive and black pepper on the palate. Food Pairing: Grilled meat and game will work for sure. This wine is versatile enough to dress down with burgers of bbq. A favorite at the winery is seared duck breast with blackberry gastrique.
SALT LICK CELLAR S HILL COUNTRY BLEND Salt Lick Vineyard, Texas Hill Country
Blend: 42.9% Mourvedre, 29.8% Syrah, 12% Sangiovese, 12% Tempranillo, 3.3% Grenache Alcohol: 14.2 PH: 3.52 Aging: neutral oak, 12-20 months Blend Notes: This blend is made exclusively from Hill Country fruit and showcases the best of each season’s crop. As a non-vintage wine, the winemaker is able to select from a broader palate to create this blend.
Tasting Notes: Dark blue fruit notes with dried herbs, leather and hints of spice. Palate is bold and slightly savory with blackberry and black pepper notes. Food Pairing: Meat. This wine is a great companion to a grilled ribeye or venison loin.
PIEOUS R ED AND WHITE Texas
One of the hallmarks of all wines produced at Duchman is an aďŹƒnity for food. This pair of blends is no different. The Pieous wines were created to be paired with a very specific dish, Neapolitan pizza. The ethos of Nepolitan pizzerias mirrors that of the winery- utilizing only the finest ingredients to hand craft an artisan product with a strict adherence to quality standards. Pieous Red is fruit forward with a serious backbone and wonderful acidity. Perfection with a tomato based sauce. Pieous White brings stone fruit and citrus to the party, and the racy acidity is a perfecct foil for creamy, fresh mozzarella.
CONTACT Duchman Family Winery is proud to partner with Republic National Distribution Company for wholesale transactions in Texas. Please reach out to your RNDC representative to request samples of any of the wines in this catalog. Address: 13308 FM 150 W Driftwood, Texas 78619 For sales inquiries: David Smith, Classified Wine and Spirits Desmith5901@yahoo.com General Manager: Tommy@Duchmanwines.com 512.858.1470 ext. 113 Director of Hospitality (tours): Wineclub@Duchmanwines.com 512.858.1470 ext. 109