The Annual Texas State-Wide Non-Commercial Wine Show, a cherished Texas tradition celebrating homemade winemaking, was held Sunday, October 12th, at the American Legion Hall on the Austin County Fairgrounds in Bellville. The event, coordinated by the Gulf Coast Winegrowers Association in conjunction with the Austin County Fair, drew talented winemakers from across the state.
Homemade wine has long been part of Texas heritage, passed down through generations, often with a secret family recipe that makes each batch unique. This competition provided non-commercial producers from across Texas the opportunity to have their creations judged by a blind-tasting panel of expert viticulture judges.
The show is the only statewide non-commercial wine competition held at a county fair in Texas. Top awards included custom belt buckles for the Texas Overall Grand Champion Wine, Texas Overall Reserve Champion Wine, and Austin County Overall Grand Champion Wine, along with medals for Gold, Silver, and Bronze category winners.
Top Honors
Austin County winemaker David Fleming dominated the 2025 competition, taking home multiple awards including:
- Overall Grand Champion – White-Sweet-2025-1.5 Blanc Du Bois
- Overall Reserve Grand Champion – White-Dry-2025 Blanc Du Bois
- Austin County Overall Grand Champion – White-Sweet-2025-1.5 Blanc Du Bois
Category Winners
Red Wine – Dry
- Gold: Steven Franks (Nero D’Avola Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon), Grayson County
- Silver: Greg & Mary Hawkins (Petit Sirah), Denton County
- Bronze: Steven Franks (Petit Sirah), Grayson County
Red Wine – Sweet
- Gold: Texas A&M Graduate Students / Grayson College Students (Lomanto), Brazos County
- Silver: Billy Schaffner (Black Spanish), Austin County
- Bronze: Archie Davis (Black Spanish), Austin County
White Wine – Dry
- Gold: David Fleming (Blanc Du Bois), Austin County
- Silver: Tim Moudry (Blanc Du Bois), Harris County
- Bronze: Keith Froebel (Blanc Du Bois), Austin County
White Wine – Sweet
- Gold: David Fleming (Blanc Du Bois), Austin County
- Silver: Michael Goode (Blanc Du Bois), Colorado County
- Bronze: David Fleming (Blanc Du Bois), Austin County
Blush
- Gold: David Fleming (Blanc Du Bois), Austin County
- Silver: David Fleming (Blanc Du Bois), Austin County
- Bronze: Steven Franks (Nero D’Avola), Grayson County
Dessert/Port/Sherry Style
- Gold: Herb Gaspard (Black Spanish), Austin County
- Silver: Michael Goode (Lenoir), Colorado County
- Bronze: Teresa Barton (Cabernet), Wise County
Native Grape/Mustang
- Gold: Nicholas Reichardt (Mustang), Austin County
- Silver: Nicholas Reichardt (Mustang), Austin County
- Bronze: Nicholas Reichardt (Mustang), Austin County
Fruit/Berry
- Gold: Teresa Barton (Cherry), Wise County
- Silver: Nicholas Reichardt (Dewberry), Austin County
- Bronze: Billy Schaffner (Dewberry), Austin County
A Growing Tradition
This year’s show featured 15 winemakers producing 54 entries across 10 categories from seven Texas counties — Austin, Brazos, Colorado, Denton, Grayson, Harris, and Wise.
Organizers say the event continues to grow in both participation and reputation, drawing hobbyists who share a passion for Texas winemaking.
For those interested in participating in next year’s Austin County Wine Show, contact the Gulf Coast Winegrowers Association at www.growwine.org or visit the Austin County Extension Office at 979-865-2072. The competition is open to all non-commercial winemakers across Texas.
