A new winery with certified-organic vineyards is open for sipping in Fredericksburg: Halter Ranch, based in Paso Robles, California, has debuted a luxury tasting room in the Hill Country on the famous Texas Highway 290 wine road.

Halter Ranch Texas is their third location, but their first outside of California.

Despite the winery's West Coast provenance, it's producing Texas-grown wines including a Texas Rosé that will be sold on-site only, as well as a Cabernet Sauvignon.

Besides the 13,000-square-foot tasting room, Halter Ranch Texas also includes a restaurant onsite called Restaurant H, featuring ingredients sourced in Texas. Even the butchering happens on a property neighboring the ranch. The menu, of course, complements wines poured in the two dining rooms.

Hansjörg Wyss, a philanthropist and conservationist from Switzerland, has even contributed some of his own private art collection.

Achieving organic certification
Although Texas is rich with "organic" wines on shelves, Halter Ranch's certification by a third party, California’s Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), proves it to consumers.

It is similar to organic produce sold in grocery stores, and in fact uses the same standards as the United States Department of Agriculture. From CCOF's website, certified organic products "must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients and meet USDA organic production, handling, and labeling standards." In Halter Ranch's claims, this means 100 percent organic grapes.

CCOF uses a six-step certification process that includes a submitted "Organic System Plan" and annual site inspections for as long as the winery chooses to renew its certification. It also means that each product the winery develops needs to be pre-approved by the nonprofit organization.

"Organic farming requires many inspections and audits, but most importantly, it requires patience,” says Halter Ranch winemaker Kevin Sass in a press release. “All geographical environments are different and, with careful evaluation, we hope to produce an outstanding wine representative of Hill Country terroir."

Halter Ranch's next frontier will be growing Blanc du Bois grapes, according to the release sent June 26. This varietal is native to the southern United States, and is especially favored for white wine in Texas. Sass plans to use the first harvest to make a sparkling wine.

The winery's Paso Robles location — its home base — was already certified organic in 2023. That certification was one of the main points of interest in its Texas opening in 2024.

Is organic growing actually better? General consensus among groups like the Mayo Clinic and colleges like Harvard is that there's little to no reliable evidence proving that organic produce is healthier than non-organic produce. Similarly, the sustainability benefits are situational, and produce variable yields; However, it is generally agreed that organic farming practices applied effectively are more sustainable.

"We have been welcomed warmly by the Fredericksburg community and are thrilled to contribute to the wine industry here by achieving organic certification," says Halter Ranch general manager and vice president Bryce Mullins in the release. "At Halter Ranch, we believe that organic farming not only produces superior grapes but also contributes to the preservation of our land for future generations."

Halter Ranch Texas is located at 8561 E US-290, Fredericksburg, Texas. Operating hours are 11 am-5 pm Wednesday-Sunday. More information about the winery is available at halterranch.com.