Pilot Knob Vineyard

Chardonnay was our favorite, Franko Roja our 2^nd fav. Beautiful scenery and friendly bar tender makes it worth it including the wines.

My boyfriend got a groupon for a picnic for 2 and the experience overwhelmingly exceeded my expectations! The groupon descripton was vague on details, so we weren’t really sure what all was included. As soon as we arrived, we started out with 5 of their current tasting wines. Most of them are types that I don’t usually order but their Sweet Rose, Chardonnay, and Port were all fantastic. We proceeded to move outside to enjoy the rest of our picnic which included a cheese plate, meat plate, a warm baguette, fruit plate, chocolates, and 2 bottles of water. The vineyard is a beautiful getaway for the day in the peaceful Hill Country. The staff was friendly and made the experience memorable. The picnic also included 2 Pilot Knob wine glasses which was a nice bonus. Overall, I would highly recommend checking this place out!

The staff was great but the wine wasn’t. Owner seems to push staff to get patrons to buy food. It’s a winery not a restaurant.

I came to you guys last year. And I am coming again this year. Use a groupon to get a tasting of 3 different wines, excellent snacks (cheese, salami, bread and fruits) and extremely good service. Their pink wine (one of their bestsellers) is a little sweet but damn good as well.
Great place for a chilled out afternoon with a friend or a date. Using the groupon makes it pretty affordable.
The only reason for 4 stars is that they don’t have too much of a view. You have to do with barren farm land.

This is a lovey vineyard about 3 miles off Hwy. 183 that is well worth the detour. It family run and one of the owners was pouring the wine samples. It is $ 5 to taste 4 wines (note the pours are not as generous as at other wineries). The wines I tasted were good quality and there wasn’t one I didn’t enjoy. I ended up purchasing the Cuvee because it was unique within the areas wineries. They have a back patio and porch, that overlooks the lovely Texas Hill Country and Knob Hill.

My (now) wife and I first discovered the Pilot Knob Vineyard when we were looking for a location for a wedding reception. While we were a little wary on the drive out because of its somewhat rural surroundings, we fell in love with it once we arrived. We quickly decided it was the venue for us, and we couldn’t have made a better choice.
From the start, the owners were friendly and easy to work with. The price to rent the tasting room was more than reasonable and the wine was /​is great. The tasting room was perfect for our reception, spacious enough but still cozy. We received numerous compliments from our wedding guests, both on the wine and the location. All in all it was a great experience from start to finish. We would highly recommend the vineyard, both as an event venue and a great place to enjoy a wine tasting.

What a wonderful place to drink some delicious wine!
Staff is very friendly, outgoing and knows a lot about the wine business…:-)
You get 4 tastings for $ 5.00 — 2 whites and 2 reds
They have delicious food and always have picnic type specials… I recommend the peaceful drive out there to unwind from the stressful week.

On a Saturday Hill country Wine tour of four vineyards. The pluses:
They’re close to Austin
They do have lots of tables inside and on a covered porch for picnicking.
Their bread and olive oil was very good.
The downside :
We tasted two whites (cuvée and Viognier) and one red (blend) before calling it quits. Lackluster is all I can describe each of them.
This location is not the most picturesque spot in the area.
Facility is clean and functional but nothing special.
There doesn’t appear to be any production or bottling at this location. Just a retail location.
In short, ok experience if you’re in the area. Definitely not worth the trip from Austin as a stand alone stop.

Pilot Knob is a hidden treasure! My lovely wife and I, along with some dear friends, thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon experience at Pilot Knob Vineyard. The staff at Pilot Knob is very welcoming, friendly, and knowledgable. We began our visit with a wine tasting (2 whites & 2 reds) before thoroughly enjoying a picnic for four next to one of their fireplaces. The picnic itself (fruits, cheeses, salami, baguette w/​oil & herbs, chocolate truffles) was superb as well as generous enough for six in my opinion and their Franco-​Rojo Reserve wine complimented the picnic arrangement quite well. The ambiance at Pilot Knob is very relaxing and the vineyard has plenty of indoor and outdoor seating with picturesque views of the Texas hill country. Despite the long drive (New Braunfels), we are all looking forward to our next visit to Pilot Knob Vineyard during the Spring, it is well worth the drive!

Stopped in today on the way back to Austin from a camping trip after reading positive Unilocal reviews. The lady who helped us was very friendly and talked about their future available wines. Wine is not up to par to some Fredericksburg places like Becker and the scenery was meh. The prices seem a bit stretched for what you get. We got two tastings which only entailed three available wines (one rose’ and two red blends, one being a reserve). We took two bottles home, yet still charged $ 5 each for what could barely be considered a «tasting». Overall, I like supporting local Texas wine makers and Pilot Knob wine is decent but I prob won’t return; their are far better options to choose from in the hill country.

How cute is this place?! The owners were so sweet and so attentive that I didn’t want to leave. We just moved to the area so I checked out groupon deals and so glad we purchased this one. Their rose was delicious and I definitely will be back. What a hidden gem!

Would have never known about this amazing hidden gem of a winery without the awesome picnic deal on Groupon they had recently.
Driving to Pilot Knob felt like an adventure out to the middle of nowhere, as it is located outside Bertram, and not close to much of anything. The property is well situated on a peak of a slight hill, making the drainage ideal for the vines growing, and providing an excellent view over the countryside.
We had the awesome opportunity to have scheduled our picnic at the same time as their 3 year anniversary. They even called us in advance to warn us that we could reschedule for a more quiet romantic picnic time if we wanted, due to the anniversary party date. Already I was impressed by their quality customer service before even stepping foot in the winery.
This winery is highly pet friendly, and they even allowed our medium size, well behaved dogs into the tasting area for our pre-​picnic tasting. The staff warmly greeted us upon entering. Beth and Craig the owners were onsite and both incredible people. They have an amazing story behind how they started their winery, no story spoilers here, you will have to go visit to hear it yourself.
The tasting staff were informative, and friendly. There wasn’t anything on the tasting list that we didn’t like. For sweet wine lovers, the Sweet Rose 2013 is magic. The Viognier 2013 was slightly on the fruity side, but still liked it. The Franco Rojo 2012 was a good medium bodied red blend, but the Franco Rojo 2012 Reserve was just slightly more full bodied and due to the addition of the oak barrel put this into my happy wine taste bud zone. They only had 7 bottles left of their dessert wine, and they kindly gave us a sip, as they had just taken it off the tasting menu, and I immediately bought a bottle. My husband who doesn’t like port style dessert wines even liked this one. The Wine Club Exclusive Viognier Reserve 2013 was aged in Acacia wood barrels (the first winery I have ever been to that uses Acacia wood!), it was amazing, it got rid of that slight fruit bite and had that mineral tone that I appreciate in a strong Viognier.
They have a large indoor seating area, outside tables around a nice covered wrap around porch, and a great picnic table situated in the actual Cabernet vines. Yes, a Texas Cabernet that was planted as a bet resulting from a Château Saint Michelle Wine consultant challenge — we didn’t get a chance to taste it as the last batch sold out almost immediately… looking forward to trying that in the future. I loved the slightly larger outside covered area on the left side of the building that had a outdoor fire place, and live music.
They don’t typically do packed picnics, but they do have the meat and cheese plates available for purchase. The picnic cheese, fruit, and meat was tasty.
After the incredible experience, and the well rounded tasty wine list available, we became members. The bottle prices are typical Texas winery prices. Looking forward to the future exclusive wine releases and special events here. I think there is a bright future ahead for Beth + Craig. They already have a tiered membership bracket due to the limited bottle production + large membership sign ups.

All roads lead to Pilot Knob. Or at least that’s what it feels like as you’re driving the back roads and the Pilot Knob signs are guiding your way to the winery.
Very friendly people and dog friendly as well. In fact the owner’s dog will probably come out to say hello and walk around a bit.
You can get the wine tasting if you’re into the whole concept of wine tasting. But you would be paying for small portions (maybe half-​ounce tastings). A lot of wineries will waive the tasting fee if you buy a bottle; however this was not the case here.
Why do the tasting when you can just get a full glass of wine and either enjoy the large, open tasting room or the patio outside with beautiful views.
I’m typically a red wine drinker, however I drink whites in the summer when I’m spending time outside. I wasn’t too impressed with the red wine. But I’ve been drinking California reds for several years, and it’s really hard to make the change to Texas red wine. That being said, I haven’t really been impressed with any Texas red wine during the 3 months I’ve been here. The white wine, however, was just fine with me. After the tasting, I ordered a glass of white and went outside and felt an instant sense of tranquility as I sipped good wine and overlooked the Texas countryside.
Recommendation: Check it out. Get a glass of white wine, relax, and enjoy your time with other wine lovers.

I love wine but have only been to a handful of vineyards/​tasting rooms in my day. Pilot Knob is the best I’ve experienced thus far.
I went for the first time this past January when my cousin was visiting from Vermont. They only grow grapes for white wine in VT so she was excited to go to a vineyard where there was red wine for tasting. We had a great time learning about the varietals and blends and tasting the five wines they had available, and get this — it was only $ 5 to taste 5 wines. Not $ 5 each…$ 5 total. Plus you get the pleasantries of Craig or Beth, the owners, or their wonderful staff.
Fast-​forward to this Christmas when I gifted my mom a picnic at Pilot Knob. We started with a wine tasting with Craig and my mom decided which glass of wine she wanted with lunch. It was a beautiful day and we sat outside while Beth prepared our picnic basket. In our basket was a hot loaf of french bread to dip in herb-​infused oil, a plate of three kinds of cheeses, a plate of hard meat, a plate of the best green and red grapes and strawberries I’ve ever eaten, two bottles of water, and two squares of chocolate. It was SO yummy and the beautiful day with the sweeping views over the countryside made it all the more enjoyable. The picnic also comes with two free wine glasses to take home.
I highly recommend taking a trip out to Bertram to experience Pilot Knob. It’s really not that far out and you’ll be glad you went. Craig and Beth are the perfect hosts and you can tell they really love what they do. Their tasting room is beautiful as is the landscape, and their wines are extremely delicious.

Maybe it was the gorgeous, warm weather.
Maybe it was the adorable, brightly colored umbrella and picnic table smack dab in the middle of the vineyard.
Maybe it was the delcious, freshly baked bread and cheese.
Maybe it was the friendly service (with an extra tasting compliments of the nice lady!).
Maybe it was the cute little baby grapes growing on the vines.
Maybe it was the Tiffany Blue tissue paper that was carefully wrapped around the take-​home glasses.
Maybe it was the perfect bottle of Cuvee.
Or maybe it was simply the combination of everything that Pilot Knob had to offer in addition to being accompanied by a handsome boy who doted on you the whole time. Yeah, let’s go with this last one.

We visit Pilot Knob for every release party as part of their WIne Club. Our last visit was for a kids Easter Egg hunt. Their wines are excellent — we like the sweet Rose and the red Franco-​Rojo. This is the closest tasting room and Vineyard to Austin — but a bit off the beaten path so you may want to call before visiting the first time. The owners and staff are very friendly. They serve a great cheese plate. The tasting room is a beautiful large building — check with them before visiting on weekends because they have weddings and events on some Saturdays.

I loved, loved loved this place! My husband and I came for a picnic (coupon for meat, cheese, bread, fruit, etc with wine tasting) today and had a wonderful time!
1. This place is NW of Austin, just beyond Liberty Hill. First star for that, since we live in the Parmer/​Mopac area and all the 290 vineyards are 40 minutes just to get south, plus the ride out there.
2. Our main takeaway is this place feels like you’re visiting a friend’s home on a lazy Sunday. It’s completely isolated from everything — nothing to see but hills and valleys. We sat on the back porch, listened to the soft music piped in and enjoyed the view.
3. The wine is superb. However, it is a bit more than other wineries in the area. Our bottle was ~$ 27, and other places off 290 you can get closer to ~$ 15. Overall though, it’s worth the price. Very well rounded, tasty and doesn’t leave a headache.
I think what I love most about this place is the fact you can tell a husband/​wife team opened this place up and work every day to make it a success. From the tasting room, to the beautiful patio and tasty snacks, I have to respect the thought and effort put into this new vineyard. Lovely place and I can’t wait to return!

We were lucky enough to get lost on the way to Florence winery and stumble apon this little gem.
Its got great wine, friendly owners, and a peacefull comfortable outside patio. We have been twice so far, and i definitely plan on returning!
Only suggestion i have would be to get rid of the tasting mat. As mentioned by another reviewer it is a bit odd. i felt like i was going to know a glass over, and i felt bad for them having to wash so many glasses.
If you get a chance, try the port. We went through the first bottle so fast, i bought two this visit!
I definitely recommend visiting Pilot Knob!

I could wax poetic for my love of the Knob. But, I fear any of my attempts at Knob love would just devolve into raunch… oh what the hell, maybe just a little:
There once was a place called Knob
Where a lass got drunk like a slob
It was no mean feat
To gorge on some meat
And swallowing it all was no prob!
meh…it’s no Chaucer…
Anywho, Hubby and I treated ourselves to a picanic at Pilot Knob Winery last weekend, on yet another gorgeous 75 degree November day. I had an ecoupon for a picnic which included a tasting, cheeses and meats and bread and fruit and chocolate, and wineglasses to take home.
When we rolled in on a Sunday afternoon (topless in my V_​lv_​, I might add :), we were the only customers there. I love small boutique wineries as you can really get a feel for the dream. The dream that *I* have of growing grapes and making wine. So this quiet Sunday, we really enjoyed sitting at the bar, tasting the wines and chatting up the pourer on the origins and future of Pilot Knob. The tasting room is large and airy, cavernous almost, and on this day had several kiddos running around, with one sweet boy in particular helping his mom out with clearing glasses and washing them, etc. Very cute and homey. Apparently the tasting room and grounds have only been open 18 months and right now the winery only has I think 5 acres of vines but intend to expand to 92 acres!
We tasted 5 wines and settled on the Franco Rojo to go with our picnic. We were offered anywhere on the grounds to hunker down but seeing as how the vines are all hibernating right now, we just set up on the back porch overlooking the area, the setting sun, and Pilot Knob which is just a hill really. We really enjoyed the serenity of sitting out there with our wine, no interruptions, daydreaming about someday having a house with just such a back porch, perfect for evening wine drinking. Oh, and the music was perfect as well, Pandora set on Edit Piaf. All vintage French and jazz music.
You could say it was the perfect afternoon interlude. Pilot Knob is quite out in the sticks, just enough of a hike to feel like you’ve had an adventure and quaint enough to bring back memories of Sonoma. We signed up for their email list and look forward to many more visits! I’ll try to keep the Knob Love on a more family friendly level, befitting the place.

I’m going to not go out on a limb here and say that if a place leaves you thinking about it for weeks and longing to go back, it deserves some love. Beautiful, serene, delicious, friendly, everything you want your sunday, or monday, or tuesday, or wednesday, oh just forget it… your thursday, friday or saturday to be… can’t wait to love on you again pilot knob.