Hawk’s Shadow Winery

The experience we had at Hawk’s Shadow was truly amazing. Not only did the team have a thorough understanding of the wine we tried but they were able to throw in details regarding the region, Texas wine in general, and some of the California greats. The views are breathtaking, the wine is divine, and again the company could not be beat.
I can’t wait to go back– this time I plan on spending the whole day out that way!

I can’t stop enough great things about Hawk’s Shadow, Doug, and the entire staff! Doug helped my fiancé plan the most amazing surprise engagement yesterday and I couldn’t have thought of a better, more beautiful place to share such a special day with our friends and family. Doug rolled out the red carpet for us! And did I mention the wine… Riesling and Rose were my favorites but the Reds were really great also. We will never forget Hawk’s Shadow and can’t wait to make our next trip out to enjoy the scenery and wine.

Recently, a friend unwisely tasked me with planning a kid-​centric day of educational fun. And with the deft skill of say, a vegan throwing a BBQ, I tried. But a few hours into the wonders of art, nature and a nine year old’s endless in-​car performance of the same 8 bars of «Hey Jude,» my zen went missing. And, as you do when you misplace something important, I tried to recall what I was doing when I last saw it. I remembered almost immediately… my zen was probably trapped at the bottom of a glass at a winery with a spectacular Hill Country view! Selfishly, under the pretense of possible horse and donkey sightings for the kiddo, I navigated towards Hawk’s Shadow. My bad judgment was rewarded. Owner Doug Reed provided insight into the making of the each wine and sipped along with us through several intriguing pours, including one he decided to name after my mother. Granted, his mother happened to have the same name, but that was probably just a coincidence, right? Anyway, the Patricia Rose was delicious, and I’m anxiously awaiting the release of the divine ¹⁰⁄₁₀. Can’t wait to go back!

We visited the winery last weekend for a birthday celebration. Don’t be discouraged by how far this drive is (from north Austin), the view, the wine, and the really friendly staff are worth it. All of the wines we tried were very good. The Big O and Tres Robles were our favorites and we bought both. One of the owners, Chip, kept bringing out the wines in the tasting selection and educated us with the different names they chose, the way it was created, and a few personal stories about the family. The wine cellar is pretty amazing to see too. The only improvement would be to offer more cheese plates. There were others who brought their own in and Chip told us they usually offer some but were running low that weekend. Nonetheless, it was a really nice experience with a wonderful view.

We were able to visit this winery as part of a private tour we booked with Discover Texas Wine Country Tours (also highly recommended). This was the highlight of our tour! Not only is the setting spectacular and the wines lovely, but the owners, Doug & Tom, are the most friendly and interesting hosts! Their wine cellar is amazing, painstakingly cut into the limestone. We were treated to a barrel tasting and saw the fossils (yes, fossils!) that were discovered during excavation. This is a must, but be aware it’s by appointment only except on Saturdays!

Hawk’s Shadow is a true hidden Hill Country Gem! We live in the area and were thrilled to see a winery open so close to us. We have been visiting the winery for nearly two years now and have watched their welcoming property grow into the spectacular place it is. I have visited countless wineries in Texas and Napa and this place is so much more than just a winery and a vineyard, it feels like home. You can relax inside in the tasting room, take a stroll through the winery, sit on the patio and enjoy the view, or take a spiral staircase downstairs to chill out in the cave-​like cellar room with natural rock walls. The owners and their network of friends and family have a passion that shines through in everything they do. Ask them anything, and they will treat you with some amazing stories about their winery journey and the wines themselves. As far as wines go, they really have something for everyone. From the Big O to Wild Child– we love it all! We wish the whole Hawk’s Shadow family continued success and cannot wait to see what the future brings.

The staff here make this place! The views are gorgeous and the wines are divine. We went our first time on opening day and immediately joined the wine club. I really feel these wines are going to go far! Love them!!!

Great view and friendly owners, but the wine needs A LOT of help. I love wine in general, but this wine was nearly undrinkable. I actually poured nearly all of my tastings out because they were all so bad (very bitter, flat, no body, terrible aftertaste). If you’re used to really good wine, this place unfortunately will disappoint. Hope they can improve in years to come.

Hawk Shadow has very fine wines and I really have enjoy every single bottle of white and red wine. You could not go wrong here. The people here are also dog friendly such a great Texas hill country view and lovely. I truly enjoy the all the white wines are my favorites. I joined the wine club with my husband and can’t wait for the new wine releases. This is truly a place to meet good friends and great conversation. They have a wine cellar you must see amazing! I was so intrigued by the way the owners explained the process. Thank you Hawk Shadow for bringing many of us together for wholesome fun with such fabulous wines. See you soon as we are now regulars !! If I could have given a 10 star rating I definitely would.
Gina Hansen

The experience of visiting this winery is unlike any other! Everyone is so friendly, passionate, and really try to get to know you. We joined the wine club at our first visit, and are impressed every time. The view is breathtaking, and the wines are consistently great! Highly Recommend!

The most welcoming and kind business owners I have ever met. They showed us the development of the new wine cellar and showed us around the property. Fantastic wine flight with 3 reds and 3 whites for $ 10. There is a meat/​cheese plate available for $ 5 as well. Beautiful views and a great experience overall.

This place is a hidden gem. A relatively new winery, this place has already nailed it. Their goal is to keep it small and the owners are so charming. We left with a bottle of Wild Child and a bottle of Luna. While everything was great we thought these two were stand outs.
In addition to amazing wine and people, this winery has the most amazing views. Wow! We can’t wait to comeback.

Went a couple of months ago with a friend who was visiting from Arizona. We had a great time and really enjoyed the owners passion for his business. Just finished our last bottle of wine from there. I guess it is time to go visit again. We save the Texas Gal for the last one.

Just north of Dripping Springs, but south of the Pedernales River are some spectacular Texas Hill Country views. What a perfect place to establish a vineyard and winery! This all family run business has done just that. Owners Doug Reed, Tom Reed, and Chip Concklin opened up their tasting room in February 2014 and are serving some great tasting Texas wines along with generous Texas hospitality. Tim Drake from Flat Creek has assisted with some consulting, as well. They currently have seven acres planted on the estate with one area on its fourth leaf and the other on its ninth. Varietals include: Grenache, Syrah, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Mourvedre, Nebbiolo, and Aglianico. The vines look quite healthy and cared for. As we all know, great wine starts with great grapes. Most of what is currently available for tasting has been sourced from the Texas High Plains while the estate vineyard has been maturing. There are three whites for tasting, but by no means are these your traditional white wines. As the owners will tell you, they make and serve «red style white wine for red wine drinkers». The 2011 Orange Muscat is dry with some tawny toasted notes, making it quite unique compared to other Orange Muscats in the state as this one is dry without the sweet side that traditionally is used for this varietal. The 2012 version (same vineyard, different year) labeled, Big O, has a bit more alcohol, but also tastes just as good yet completely different from the 2011. Who thought that dry Orange Muscats could taste this good without being sweet, but the owners have done a fine job on those two. The barrel fermented and unfiltered Chenin Blanc will initially present the buttery notes with a lovely smoothness then finishes off as citrusy. The Texas Gal, a blend of Chenin Blanc and Muscat Canelli, has a hint of sweetness but not too much. For the reds, the 2012 Tres Robles is a blend of 78% Mourvedre and the rest comprised of Malbec and Syrah. It’s light oak notes compliment the very strong strawberry, pomegranate and rhubarb aromas on the nose. Their local estate produced 2011 HSV is sold out but not to worry! A new vintage is already bottled and should be released by Fall 2014. You’ll also be in for a treat with their Wild Child 2. It has a nice smokiness yet remains quite smooth. They also have a Tempranillo barrel aged in Hungarian oak for twenty months… expect this one to be superb. Twenty months is a good bench mark for the winemaker. After all, quality cannot be rushed. Also in the works is a Syrah that is quite herbaceous. It, too, will be great on its own or as a complimentary blend in the future. When we visited, they were just about ready to harvest in the next day or two as the sugar was looking good on the fruit. We sampled some of their yet to be harvested Tempranillio grapes and they had wonderful flavors and characters for this yet to be aged juice. You could tell that the 2014 Tempranillo is going to be great tasting wine and a keeper for the cellar! We really enjoyed our initial visit to this up and coming rising star for Texas Hill Country Wineries. The owners and staff (family members) are extremely friendly, make you feel comfortable and at home, and are very happy to visit with you about what is going on at the winery. Hopefully, their future crops will be fruitful and their cases will multiply! We are definitely going back to check in and see how things progress and pick up some of the new releases. Cheers and Welcome to the Texas Hill Country Winery industry Hawk Shadow!

If ever an experience deserved 5-​stars, this would be it. I had no idea what to expect when my boyfriend and I pulled up to the winery. We saw a group of people sitting at a table and had to ask if we were in the right place. Well it turned out that we were, so we sat down a ended up getting the most amazing wine tasting experience I’ve ever had (it blew Napa out of the water).
Incredible views, unbeatable hospitality and the two brothers who own it sat down and chatted with us like we were lifelong friends. It happened to be crushing season (june-​aug) while we were there and they even let me get in on the wine-​making action!
Don’t miss this little gem!

The owners have incredible knowledge are happy to share it with you! The view was beautiful and the hospitality is outstanding. By far the best part is barrel tasting! Ask them to tell you why they named the winery Hawk’s Shadow. I thought it was a great story! The Tres Robles red was fantastic and the white that had effervescence (I forget the name) was surprisingly crisp and much less sweet than I expected which is a good thing.

This place is a gold mine! Lisa, Doug, and Sarah Lee are the best! The wine is so good and they really provide a great experience!

Our wine tour guide made us an appointment for a tasting here and we loved it! The brothers went above and beyond to be hospitable and kind to us. And the wine was so delish… we bought two bottles. This was our last stop for the day, so we definitely cant wait to go back when we havent had so much wine beforehand ;)

Amazing! The service, hospitality and wine is the best I have had on the wine trail!

This new winery is about to open. Full disclosure: a good friend and his family are part owners. Nevertheless, their first two wines — an orange muscat and the red estate blend are strong first releases. Check them out!