The Austin Winery

Ross McLauchlan, Cooper Anderson, and Matt Smith started The Austin Winery in a tiny warehouse in 2013, establishing the first full production, grape-to-glass winery inside Austin city limits. In 2017, they moved down to their new home in South Austin, expanding their capacity to just over 5,000 cases per year. The winemaking philosophy is simple: they partner with small, family-owned vineyards around Texas, only working with vineyards that take a holistic view on farming, using non-exploitative, organic, and regenerative practices that benefit the entire ecosystem. From planting to harvest, they stay in close contact with their growing partners, aiming to be as hands-on in the vineyard as possible. Cellar interventions are kept to a minimum, giving deference to the grape over the whim of the winemaker. Fermentations are with native yeasts with no added sugar or gimmicky techniques. The goal is to embrace what the vintage gives, aiming to acutely express site, variety, and year. All of the wines are produced exclusively by the Austin Winery team utilizing only Texas-grown grapes. Situated on the margins of grape tolerances and the turbulent convergence of several weather systems, the climate of Texas is unforgiving. There are no two years alike in Texas, and the diversity of The Austin Winery's wines reflects that ebb and flow. Texas wine, or rather the idea of Texas wine, has yet to be defined, and The Austin Winery's goal is to play in that blank space, drawing inspiration from around the world of wine.