Wine competition season is in full swing and the Texas Fine Wine wineries are already bringing home medals. All four wineries won Golds at the 2026 Houston Rodeo Uncorked! competition, with Bending Branch Winery winning a Double Gold for its 2020 Petit Verdot Reserve, one of its first wines aged in Texas white oak.
Bending Branch also won three Platinum medals at the second annual Fort Worth Vine 2 Wine Competition, two of which were for wines aged in Texas white oak, and Best of Herd Texas Winery at the 2025-2026 San Antonio Rodeo Stock Show & Rodeo Wine Competition.
Here’s the list of our top award-winning wines.
2026 Houston Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition
Bending Branch Winery
Double Gold, Reserve Class Champion, Texas Class Champion – 2020 Petit Verdot Reserve, Narra Vineyards aged in Texas white oak
Gold, Reserve Class Champion, Reserve Texas Class Champion – 2020 Reserve Tannat, Tallent Vineyards aged in Texas white oak
Gold, Reserve Texas Class Champion – 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Newsom Vineyards
Gold – 2021 Estate Souzão, Lost Pirogue Vineyard
Duchman Family Winery
Gold, Reserve Class Champion, Reserve Texas Class Champion – 2023 Tempranillo
Gold – 2023 Vermentino
Gold, Reserve Class Champion, Reserve Texas Class Champion – Grapes Growers BBQ White
Pedernales Cellars
Gold – 2020 Tempranillo, Daniel Vineyards
Gold – 2022 Tempranillo Reserve
Gold – 2023 Texas Tempranillo
Spicewood Vineyards
Gold, Texas Class Champion – 2023 Cabernet Franc, Texas High Plains
Gold – 2024 Grenache Rosé, EB Vineyard
Gold – 2022 Las Montanas
Gold, Reserve Class Champion, Texas Class Champion – 2022 Tempranillo, Dutton Vineyards
2026 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Vine 2 Wine International Wine Competition
Bending Branch Winery
Platinum/97 pts, Texas Reserve Class Champion – 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Newsom Vineyards
Platinum/97 pts, Class Champion, Texas Class Champion – 2020 Petit Verdot Reserve, Narra Vineyards aged in Texas white oak
Platinum/97 pts, Class Champion, Texas Class Champion – 2021 Texas Cowboy Cuvée Reserve, Newsom Vineyards aged in Texas white oak
2025-2026 San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo International Wine Competition
Bending Branch Winery
BEST OF HERD TEXAS WINERY
Double Gold/Best of Show Texas Red – 2020 Petit Verdot Reserve, Narra Vineyards aged in Texas white oak
Double Gold/Texas Reserve Class Champion – 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Newsom Vineyards
Gold/Top of Class – 2020 Tannat Reserve, Tallent Vineyards aged in Texas white oak