Escondido Valley
A remote west Texas AVA near Fort Stockton.
Escondido Valley is one of the regions almost no one visits on a wine weekend — remote, sparse, and out in west Texas — but it was an early site of large-scale vineyard planting in the modern Texas era.
- Established
- 1992
- Counties
- 1
- Elevation
- 2,600 ft
- Acres
- 32,000
- Soil
- Alluvial, limestone
- Climate
- High desert
About the region
The Escondido Valley AVA sits in west Texas near Fort Stockton, far from the Hill Country corridor. It has very few wineries; its significance is agricultural and historical rather than as a tasting destination.
History
Broad overviewEstablished in 1992, Escondido Valley was the site of one of the earliest large-scale vineyard plantings of the modern Texas wine era.
Geography & climate
Broad overviewAlluvial and limestone soils sit high — around 2,600 feet — in a high-desert climate. Cabernet Sauvignon and Chenin Blanc are the grapes most associated with it.
Grapes & what it’s known for
Best known for: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin Blanc, Early large-scale plantings.
This is a sparse, remote region; firsthand reporting is still pending and the copy above is a broad overview.
Visited by Wines of Texas
We haven’t visited a winery in Escondido Valley yet — they’re on the way.
AVA assignments may include Wines of Texas editorial mapping where TABC permit data does not specify an AVA.