The 501 Winery

 On our way to the panhandle, we stopped in at The 501 Winery in Childress.  Renee served us several free tastings, and gave us the scoop on all the things: where the grapes are grown, what kind of wines they make, the story behind the winery's name, and then, a little local gossip.  It's nice to get a little insider information with your wine. 

We love grapes that are grown and harvested in Texas, and The 501 Winery falls right in that category; we were also pleased to see that some of our other favorite spots used grapes grown by this winery - it's impossible to go wrong with good fruit, and that's what they've got.  Given the list, we started with the White Diamond, a full-flavored, creamy white. An easy drinker for sure.  Roxanne's Rose' was sweet and dry, slightly peach-flavored, with a nice finish.  

While the whites were a nice starter, the reds stole the show for sure. Typically we move through a tasting by starting with lighter reds and moving to those that are heavier and more full-bodied, but this time, we decided to do the opposite, and I can't say we were disappointed in our decision. We began with the 2015 Sangiovese from Bishop Vineyards. Up front, it was light and berry in the nose, and that first sip was super dry, but boy did it linger.  As it opened up, we picked up hints of cranberry and pepper, a little oak, and its nice, long finish ended sweet and satisfying.  

Their best-seller, the Circle B was next.  This red blend was smooth, silky, a little chocolatey, and hinted at some dark berries.  Not nearly as dry as the Sangiovese, but absolutely as pleasing and delicious - could easily pair with something as simple as a burger or as heavy as an ossobuco. We like finding wines that are simultaneously light and heavy, rich and easy. 

We finished off with the Buckcreek Select, a sweet red, and it was a nice way to round out the tasting. While we tend not to be huge fans of sweet wines in general, the Buckcreek was light and not offensively sweet, which isn't something we find too often.  This would be the perfect wine for someone looking to transition to reds from whites! 

Before we left, we noticed this really great black and white picture on the wall behind us. It was The 501 train that used to travel from Fort Worth to Denver.  Turns out it's also how the winery got its name.  The train would stop through Childress on its way from Denver, logging 501 miles in the process, before moving on to Fort Worth.  And thus, The 501 Winery was born.  While you can't take a train out to Childress anymore, it's definitely worth the drive - stop in next time you're passing through. We know Renee will take really good care of you. Cheers, y'all!