Texas's grape-growing heartland: Mediterranean varieties on the Llano Estacado around Lubbock. Updated for 2026.
The Texas High Plains is the engine room of Texas wine, a vast, high, windswept plateau around Lubbock in the state's northwest where the great majority of its wine grapes are actually grown, even though most of the famous tasting rooms are hundreds of miles away in the Hill Country. Spread across the Llano Estacado at roughly 3,000 to 4,000 feet, the High Plains offers what grapes love: intense sunshine, hot days and cool nights, dry air, deep sandy soils, and irrigation from the Ogallala Aquifer. Those conditions suit the warm-climate Mediterranean varieties, Tempranillo, Viognier, Mourvedre, and others, that define Texas wine. This is farming country, less polished than the Hill Country but central to the industry, and a growing number of estates and tasting rooms around Lubbock, Brownfield, and Meadow make it a rewarding, authentic place to taste at the source.
Below are the Texas High Plains wineries we recommend most, from the pioneer Llano Estacado to key growers like Reddy and Bingham. Current as of October 2026.
The High Plains pioneer
A pioneer of the modern Texas wine industry, Llano Estacado in Lubbock is one of the state's oldest and largest wineries and the name that helped prove the High Plains could grow serious wine grapes. A benchmark, widely distributed producer and the essential first stop on the High Plains. Its Gruner Veltliner was named Grand Champion at the Fort Worth Stock Show's Vine 2 Wine International Wine Competition.
Good to know: Tastings; winery. Lubbock.
Our tip: Taste where the High Plains proved itself; the region's founding pioneer.
A pioneering family's quality leader
Run by winemaker Kim McPherson, part of a family that pioneered High Plains viticulture, McPherson Cellars in Lubbock is a quality leader known for food-friendly Rhone and Mediterranean varieties at fair prices, a cornerstone of the region and one of Texas's most respected names.
Good to know: Tastings; winery. Lubbock.
Our tip: Taste the Rhone and Mediterranean varieties; a pioneering family's quality leader.
Historic High Plains vineyards
One of the oldest estates on the High Plains, with some of the region's historic vineyards near Lubbock, Pheasant Ridge is a veteran producer of estate-grown wines, a quietly serious stop that connects visitors to the early days of Texas High Plains viticulture.
Good to know: Tastings; estate. Lubbock area.
Our tip: Taste estate wines from historic High Plains vineyards; a veteran producer.
A multi-generation growing family
A multi-generation farming family near Meadow who turned their High Plains grapes into their own label, Bingham makes well-regarded estate wines and supplies fruit to many Texas wineries, a grower-rooted name that embodies the agricultural heart of the region.
Good to know: Tastings; estate. Meadow.
Our tip: Taste the grower-estate wines; a multi-generation High Plains farming family.
One of the region's key growers
A major High Plains vineyard near Brownfield whose fruit is prized by top Texas wineries, Reddy also makes its own well-regarded wines, a grower-first name whose vineyards are among the most important sources of quality grapes in the state.
Good to know: Tastings; estate. Brownfield.
Our tip: Taste wines from one of Texas's most prized vineyards; a key High Plains grower.
A grower-founded High Plains label
Founded by longtime High Plains farming families, English Newsom near Lubbock makes a broad, well-regarded range from estate and regional fruit, a grower-rooted, hospitable producer that reflects the farming community at the core of Texas High Plains wine.
Good to know: Tastings; winery. Lubbock area.
Our tip: Taste the grower-founded range; a hospitable High Plains producer.
A welcoming Lubbock estate
A welcoming High Plains estate near Lubbock making a well-rounded range of regional wines, FireSky offers an easygoing, down-to-earth tasting in the heart of Texas's grape-growing country, a friendly stop for visitors exploring the High Plains at the source.
Good to know: Tastings; estate. Lubbock area.
Our tip: Taste the regional range in a welcoming setting; an easygoing High Plains stop.
A family estate near Brownfield
A family estate in the Brownfield area at the heart of the High Plains growing region, Oswald makes estate-driven wines from its own vineyards, a personal, quality-minded stop that showcases the farming roots of Texas wine at the source.
Good to know: Tastings; estate. Brownfield.
Our tip: Taste estate-grown wines at the source; a personal, quality-minded family estate.
The Texas High Plains centers on Lubbock, a long drive (roughly five to six hours) northwest of the Hill Country, so treat it as its own trip, often paired with a visit to Lubbock itself. Tasting splits between wineries in and around Lubbock (Llano Estacado, McPherson, Pheasant Ridge) and vineyard estates out in the farming country toward Brownfield and Meadow (Reddy, Bingham, Oswald). Base yourself in Lubbock, plan three or four stops, and favor spring or fall; summers are hot and the plains can be windy year-round. Because this is working agricultural country, some estates keep limited or appointment hours, so confirm before you go, and consider the Lubbock-area tasting rooms for the most flexibility.
Do not expect Hill Country polish or crowds; the High Plains is working farm country, which is exactly its appeal, you are tasting where the grapes grow. Do not underestimate the distances, this is a separate trip from the Hill Country, not a day trip from it. And do not assume everything is open on a whim, some vineyard estates keep limited or appointment-only hours, so plan ahead.
What is the Texas High Plains known for?
Being the grape-growing heartland of Texas wine. This high, windswept plateau around Lubbock, on the Llano Estacado at roughly 3,000 to 4,000 feet, is where the great majority of the state's wine grapes are grown, thanks to intense sun, hot days, cool nights, dry air, and sandy soils. It is the source of the fruit behind many wines poured across Texas, especially warm-climate Mediterranean varieties like Tempranillo and Viognier.
Which Texas High Plains wineries should I visit?
Standouts include the founding Llano Estacado and the quality-leading McPherson Cellars in Lubbock, the historic Pheasant Ridge, and key grower-estates out in the farming country, Bingham near Meadow, Reddy and Oswald near Brownfield, plus the grower-founded English Newsom and the welcoming FireSky around Lubbock.
Where is the Texas High Plains and how do I get there?
On the Llano Estacado plateau in northwest Texas, centered on Lubbock. It is a long drive, roughly five to six hours, northwest of the Hill Country, so it is best treated as its own trip, often combined with a visit to Lubbock. Fly into Lubbock or drive, then tour wineries in town and vineyard estates out toward Brownfield and Meadow.
What grapes grow on the Texas High Plains?
Warm-climate Mediterranean varieties lead: Tempranillo (arguably Texas's signature red), Viognier, Mourvedre, Syrah, Sangiovese, and other Spanish, Rhone, and Italian grapes. The high elevation, intense sun, hot days, cool nights, and sandy soils suit these grapes, and because most of Texas's vineyards are here, High Plains fruit ends up in wines poured all across the state.
Why is the High Plains important if the famous wineries are in the Hill Country?
Because it grows most of the grapes. While the Hill Country around Fredericksburg draws the tourists and has most of the tasting rooms, the great majority of Texas's wine grapes are grown on the High Plains around Lubbock. Many Hill Country wineries source their fruit here, so tasting on the High Plains means tasting at the source, often at the very vineyards (like Reddy and Bingham) that supply the rest of the state.
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