About

Hi, I’m Bryan.

I began my career in software and tech in Austin, where I developed a passion for data, analytics, and uncovering meaningful insights hidden inside large datasets. A few years ago, our family’s path took an exciting turn when we entered the wine world. In 2016, we planted our family vineyard at Sandy Road Vineyards in the Texas Hill Country, and what started as a new venture quickly became a true labor of love.

When people visit our vineyard, they often ask the same questions:

• “Where should we go next?”
• “What other Texas wineries are making truly great wine?”

They are great questions, but not easy ones to answer. Texas is home to many talented wineries producing outstanding wines, and it is impossible for any one person to taste them all. So I approached the problem the way I would in tech: with data.

I started collecting and analyzing results from major international wine competitions to see which Texas wines were earning the highest honors in blind tasting. The results were remarkable. Texas wineries — and wines made from 100% Texas grapes — have been winning a tremendous number of Gold medals.

Top Texas Wines was created to make that information easy to explore. This site summarizes results from the past five years, starting in 2018, so you can quickly discover exceptional Texas wines and the wineries behind them.

Only wines that have won a Gold medal or better in an international wine competition judged by blind tasting are included. My goal is to continue updating the site with the latest results, helping wine lovers find the very best of Texas wine.

Cheers, y’all.