West Texas grapes you didn't know you needed
Outskirts · Lubbock · Winery Tasting Room · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 24, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Newsom Vineyards at Caprock Winery’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
When you think Texas wine country, Lubbock probably isn't the first city that comes to mind — and that's exactly the point. English Newsom Cellars is quietly doing something genuinely interesting on the High Plains, and the list reflects it: 37 labels, almost all pourable by the glass, built entirely around what grows here. It's a tasting room, not a restaurant, so come with curiosity and low expectations for ambiance.
The range here is legitimately surprising for a single-producer tasting room. Sure, you've got the obligatory Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec, but Sagrantino, Mourvèdre, Montepulciano, and a Picardan — a nearly extinct white grape from the Rhône — tell you that someone at English Newsom is paying attention. The Italian and Rhône varietals anchor a white lineup that also includes Roussanne, Viognier, Albariño, and a Moscato Giallo, which is not something you stumble across in West Texas every day. There are a few crowd-pleasers in the mix (Sweet Riesling, Flirt Blush) that likely keep the lights on, but they don't dominate the conversation.
Thirty-six of the thirty-seven bottles are available by the glass, which is essentially the entire list — a smart move for a tasting room format where discovery is the whole game. Pours run $8–$18, which is honest money for wines you can't find most places. No apparent rotation program, but when the list is this wide, you probably don't need one.
English Newsom Cellars Tempranillo — $13
Tempranillo on the High Plains is a natural fit — the altitude and dry heat mirror its Spanish homeland more than most American regions do. At this price point by the glass, it's a low-risk way to taste something genuinely regional and well-suited to the terroir.
English Newsom Cellars Picardan
Picardan is a nearly forgotten white grape from the southern Rhône that most wine drinkers have never encountered anywhere. The fact that English Newsom is growing and bottling it in West Texas is either audacious or inspired — probably both. Skip the Pinot Grigio and order this instead.
English Newsom Cellars Flirt Sweet White
Every tasting room has a gateway wine for the crowd that doesn't really like wine yet, and Flirt Sweet White is clearly that wine here. Nothing wrong with it, but you drove to Lubbock — you can do better than a sweetened white blend.
English Newsom Cellars Roussanne + Charcuterie board
Roussanne's natural richness and oxidative edge cut through cured meats and aged cheeses without the weight of a red. It's a tasting room staple pairing done right, and this grape actually has the texture to hold up to it.
The Bottom Line
English Newsom Cellars is a genuine Texas wine curiosity worth making the detour for — not because everything is world-class, but because where else are you tasting Sagrantino and Picardan grown on the Llano Estacado? Come thirsty, stay open-minded, and put the Flirt back on the shelf.
Texas Tech / University Area · Lubbock · Winery Restaurant / American Bistro
Burklee Hill at Skyviews is a Wild Card in the best sense — a genuine estate winery experience in the middle of Lubbock, pouring wines that actually reflect their place. If you're curious about Texas wine and not just tolerant of it, this list is worth your time.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Southeast Lubbock · Lubbock · Winery tasting room with light bites
If you think Texas wine is still playing catch-up, English Newsom Cellars will quietly adjust your priors. Come for the Tempranillo, stay for the view, and stop sleeping on what the High Plains can do.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Downtown (Buddy Holly Hall / Depot-area) · Lubbock · Wine Bar & Bistro / New American
Burklee Hill is the rare winery tasting room that actually makes you believe in the place it comes from. If you're eating in Lubbock and want something worth talking about, this is where you go for wine — full stop.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Greater Lubbock · Lubbock · Wine Tasting Room
Farmhouse Vineyards is doing something genuinely uncommon in Texas wine country — leaning hard into obscure European varieties with an estate-only focus and pricing that doesn't take advantage of the novelty. If you're anywhere near Lubbock and even mildly curious about what Texas terroir can do with Counoise and Malvasia Bianca, this is worth your afternoon.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Outskirts / North Lubbock · Lubbock · Winery / Tasting Room
Pheasant Ridge is a piece of Texas wine history that's still actively making that history, and five dollars gets you in the door. If you're anywhere near Lubbock and care even a little about where American wine comes from, this stop is non-negotiable.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
South Lubbock / 98th Street · Lubbock · Wine Bar & Retail Shop
The Wine Nest is the kind of place Lubbock didn't know it needed — a genuine small-production wine shop with real range and a Texas-first identity that doesn't feel provincial. If you care about what's happening in the Texas wine scene, this is a required stop.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Central Yountville · Yountville · Winery Tasting Room
Hope & Grace is for the Napa visitor who's tired of Cabernet tourism and wants something with a point of view. The list is short, the prices are fair for the appellation, and the small-lot focus gives you something to actually talk about on the drive home.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Parkway · Gatlinburg · Winery Tasting Room
Tennessee Homemade Wines isn't trying to be a serious wine destination and it's better for it — this is a fun, honest, local-first tasting room that delivers exactly what Gatlinburg visitors are actually looking for. Send your friends here if they want a taste of Appalachian winemaking culture, not if they're chasing a Riedel-and-Rhône experience.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Highway 128 / Red Cliffs Lodge · Moab · Winery Tasting Room
Castle Creek is a genuine Utah estate winery in one of the most visually arresting settings you'll ever drink in, and the wines are better than the novelty factor requires them to be. We wouldn't drive to Moab for the Cabernet, but if you're already there, skipping the tasting room would be the wrong call.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp