Narrow Path Winery

What a pleasant and quaint little winery recently added to the shops along Main Street in Fredericksburg! Whether you seek to visit one of the Hill Country’s newest wineries or stop here to sit and sip some fine wine as a respite from strolling from shop to shop, this winery is for you. The Turbeville family has been growing grapes in the Texas Hill Country for about 15 years. They’ve also been making private wine for a number of years and have recently sought to expand into a commercial business to share their wines with everyone. On their one acre site, they grow Merlot and Pinot Grigio. Their 2012 Merlot was their first outstanding award winning private wine which is no longer available. They are also in the process of establishing a vineyard out on highway 290. Tempranillo, Mourvedre and Viognier are what could be planted, plus or minus a few others. Their winery went public about a year ago and they opened their wine shop back in November. Now their dream of «vine-​to-​wine» has come true! Singing Waters, McPherson, and Wedding Oak are helping them out with their initial wine productions. The focus is on quality dry wines. At their new tasting room, you’ll get to try five wines. The first two are whites with grapes sourced from the Lake County area of California. The 2013 Sauvignon Blanc is a nice crisp one and quite good on a warm December afternoon. The 2014 Viognier has nice floral and fruit notes. You’ll be in for a real treat with the 2014 Rosé Sec. Penny Adams from Wedding Oak helped make this one using Merlot and Pinot Grigio grapes from the Turbeville’s one acre estate. Yes Pinot Grigio in a Rosé! It is quite refreshing and very pleasant on the palate. The line-​up in the reds category is three deep. The 2014 Malbec was made with fruit sourced from Mendocino, California and has nice smoky and mocha notes with just a touch of earthiness. The McPherson’s from Lubbock helped make their 2013 Texas Select Red. This Syrah blend is a Rhone style wine that’s perfect for those Texas wild game dishes cooked with mesquite BBQ of course! Lastly, you’ll enjoy their 2013 Syrah. Another Lake County sourced wine, it’s very well balanced, not acidic, and has a pleasant cocoa and peppery finish. Upcoming future releases are another Syrah and if you can wait, a single varietal Merlot (eta 2017) from their estate as well as a single varietal Pinot Grigio. The customer experience is what it’s all about at this new winery and the staff is courteous, informative and very engaging. As word gets out, we’re sure they’ll outgrow their first tasting room shortly and we look forward to future releases. So come soon and enjoy the experience knowing that you were there in the beginning when it all first started. Cheers!

TL;DR? This cute, intimate storefront on the main drag of Fredericksburg refreshes the spirit and the palate after the cattle calls of Wine Road 290. A stop here is well worth your time and money.
My sister, mother and I moseyed on by this storefront during our last night in Fredericksburg celebrating my sister’s 30^th birthday this past weekend. We’d already been to three wineries that day, but this space shone. I’ve spent the past decade heading up to F-​burg for bachelorettes, birthday boozings, and day trips. Narrow Path is above and beyond the rest.
Is it the intimate and friendly customer service? Likely. The young gentleman let slip that he had been in the process of closing up shop when we’d wandered by, and then hastily assured us that he had no other plans for the evening and that we should take our time and feel welcome. He turned the «open» sign on the storefront around to «closed» while we were there, but then happily turned it back when a young couple met his eye from the street as he ushered them in. My mother and sister decided to share a sampling of the wines rather than each get one since we were on our way to dinner, and the clerk could not have been more gracious. It was also comforting to hear about his family’s business in the wine industry, how the market has changed, and how after 15 years they’re doing well with the increased tourism.
Is it the tasty wines? Likely that, too. I’m not a fan of the sweet reds that Becker Vineyards and Fat Ass Ranch & Winery are churning out. This place did Malbec in a way I hadn’t tried before but still enjoyed. The syrah, red blend, and viognier tastings were all delicious as well.
When in Fredericksburg, make certain your path leads you to Narrow Path.