Blue Ostrich Winery Behind the Scenes [Part 2]
Who: A Family that Makes Wine Together…
…as far as we know, it makes for some really delicious, absolutely noteworthy and well-deserved award-winning wine! In fact, their 2017 Viognier was recently deemed the best of the competition and honored with a double-gold at the San Francisco International Wine Competition.
But what really makes this place special is the people. When we first started planning our weekend getaway to Saint Jo, we knew we wanted to spend some time wine tasting and Blue Ostrich popped up on our radar right away. Owners Patrick and Julie along with their daughter, Presley, gave us a grand tour of the entire facility. Our entire crew has been on our share of wine tastings and tours in California, Washington and Texas… but this had to be one of the best experiences we’ve had yet.
What: Blue Ostrich Winery in Saint Jo, TX
Long before planting eight acres of grapes and well before the more than 2,700 square foot barn-shaped glass pavilion for guests to taste wine and listen to live music, the land where Blue Ostrich Winery now sits was once the foremost ostrich breeding and ranching facility in the Southwest. Before that, in the early 60’s until the late 80’s, Julie’s father utilized the land for cattle ranching and growing hay.
Eventually, the planning, planting and construction to convert the property to a vineyard began in 2009. Patrick and Julie opened their doors to willing wine goers in 2011. In fact, they’re celebrating their eight year anniversary next Saturday, Sept. 28, so stop by for a celebratory tasting if you’re so inclined! We’re big fans of the rose and Sangiovese in particular, but you really can’t go wrong because the staff will guide you to the right wines for your taste preference whether it be sweet, dry or somewhere in between.
“There’s a big push for agrotourism in this part of the state. It’s not just wineries. Ancient Ovens our neighbors over here do a food experience. We’ve got more and more boutiques and things in Saint Jo…There’s fun things to do here.”
Patrick Whitehead
Why: Beautiful Old World-Style Wines Handmade in North Texas
Presley Whitehead Davies showing us how they prune the vines during the offseason. She wears many hats, holding the titles of Vineyard Manager, Cellar Master and Tasting Room Operations. 
Blue Ostrich has won many awards. Most recently, they were awarded for their 2017 Viognier at the San Francisco International Wine Festival.
Patrick shared a lot of history and fundamentals of winemaking throughout our tour, and one of the things he stressed was selecting and planting the right vines for the climate.
“What we’ve figured out in more recent times is that most of Texas and our rugged terroir is better suited for Mediterranean-style grapes–old world grapes.”
Patrick Whitehead
There seems to be a common misconception outside of Texas that there can’t possibly be good wine grown in Texas. But, as Patrick shared their story with us, it’s evident that they’ve become students of the winemaking process over many, many years and have been diligent about educating themselves in the company of other winemakers in more well-known regions of California.
It’s because of this that Blue Ostrich has some truly special wines that have been grown, fermented and bottled right here in Texas. Pretty noteworthy stuff if you ask us.
How: Visit the Tasting Room (Just 1 Hour North of Dallas!)
I mean, that’s like a morning commute these days, right? We personally felt like it was a breeze to get there, and the views are a welcome change of pace from the hustle and bustle of the DFW-metroplex.
While you’re at it, we also encourage you to visit the North Texas Wine Country Association website to learn more about the Fall Wine Trail 2019. Right now they’re offering a passport for just $39.99, and in exchange you’ll receive a souvenir wine glass plus three tastings at each of the wineries on the list through the entire month of October.
Also, be sure to check out the fabulous spread “Two for the Road” by Edible DFW magazine. They have a comprehensive list of the wineries in North Texas along with sweet watercolor maps. The author also did a special feature on our friends at Blue Ostrich along with a handful of other wineries in the area.
Before we wrap things up, we want to extend a very, VERY special thank you to our friends Patrick, Julie and Presely for being so gracious with their time and sharing their story with us. It was such a treat!
Experience Blue Ostrich
The Blue Ostrich Winery tasting room is open Thursday through Sunday. See hours below for more detail.
Thursday 12:00 – 6:00 p.m. | Friday 12:00 – 7:00 p.m. | Saturday 12:00 – 7:00 p.m. | Sunday 12:00 – 5:00 p.m.
They’re located at 5611 FM 2382, Saint Jo, TX 76265
If you enjoyed our video and decide to visit the North Texas Hill Country, be sure to let us know by tagging us @thenotedexperiment on Instagram or Facebook. Cheers, noters!
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