Arché Winery and Vineyards

Until recently, Saint Jo, Texas was not a place I'd ever heard of, let alone thought to visit.  It might be a small town, but it's contributing to the Texas wine industry in a big way.  

Arché Winery and Vineyards was our first stop in Saint Jo, and we were in for a treat.  The drive in was gorgeous, with rolling hills and quiet, peaceful terrain.  The tasting room sits at the top of a hill, and you drive a bit through the vines, which sets a nice tone for the visit. There's a large covered patio where you can enjoy the panoramic view while sipping your wine or, as was part of our experience, watch the wine-making experience as it happens. 

The tasting room required a reservation (thanks, Covid), and we got there as the doors opened.  Our server Dee, a sommelier who works also at Pappa's Steakhouse in Dallas, was knowledgeable and spent time talking through the wines with us. A little later, Greyson the winemaker came in to greet us and offer up a couple pours of items that weren't on the tasting menu before his father (the owner) came and invited us outside to learn about the stem-to-juice process. It was a great experience. 

Our tasting began with the 2016 Chardonnay, their best-selling, most popular white.  It was a light, champagne color with long legs, thick on the glass.  Not overly sweet, we pulled hints of pear and oak and enjoyed a bit of tang right up front.  But then, it felt buttery and full, and finished up with an oaky, savory feel.  

We moved then to the 2017 Precedence, a white blend of Estate grown Roussanne, Marsanne, and Viognier.  After the fermentation process, they add 14% Chardonnay and it makes for a great easy drinker.  It was sweet and tart, with hints of green apple and honey.  The finish lingered for a bit and opened up to a crisp, fresh veggie - maybe even hints of celery or bell pepper, making it a fresh, light wine.  

The 2018 Apex was the first red of the day, and we decided pretty quickly that it needed some food.  With hints of licorice and strawberry, it was full up front and nice dark berry fruits.  As the blackberry and raspberry tapered off, the Apex opened up with some cinnamon and left us with a dry, quick finish.  Add a little salami and the flavors really showed up.  It was a little like drinking velvet.  Soft, yet coarse. 

Our "off-menu" wine was the 2019 Texas Rose, a rose blend made up of 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Tempranillo, 18% Mourvèdre, and 8% estate Syrah.  Look at that list of grapes!  Big, bold reds with tons of flavor - what a great blend.  It definitely delivered in terms of flavor, and we picked up on all sorts of nuanced notes - peach, honeysuckle, strawberry, and maybe even a little melon.  It was dry and complex, and really a nice addition to the day. And, we learned a new word: Saignée.  

Saignée just means that the grapes are juiced quickly so they don't spend too much time in the skin, but the wine still retains its great color and captures just enough of the tannic acid to bring complexity and a little bit of a dry mouth-finish. 

We finished up with the 2017 County Line, a collaboration of sorts with a neighboring vineyard, Blue Ostrich (where we visited when we left).  Turns out, the winemaker here is married to the winemaker there, so the County Line is truly a family affair.  This wine was fantastic, by the way - a deep ruby jeweled color with a rich, earthy smell.  It was smooth and jammy, an easy drinker with deep berry flavors, but with a richness and a tiny hint of sweet.  Foxy, as they say.  

In all, this trip and tasting was really wonderful.  We learned a lot and got to see first-hand some parts of the wine-making process that we hadn't seen up close before.  Everyone was super friendly and welcoming, and they took the time to visit with us and even brought us to the vines to taste the fruits.  Family owned and operated takes on a whole new meaning when you're welcomed like family would be.  Take a day and head out to Saint Jo, sit and sip at Arche, and grab a bottle of that Texas Rose.  You'll thank us after!

Cheers, y'all!