40th ANNUAL GRAPEFEST® ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF THE
2026 PEOPLE’S CHOICE WINE TASTING CLASSIC
The four-day festival took place on Historic Main Street September 17, 18, 19 and 20, 2026
GRAPEVINE, TEXAS (September 20, 2026) – The votes have been counted! The 40th Annual GrapeFest – A Texas Wine Experience presented by Bank of the West is proud to announce the winners of the People’s Choice Wine Tasting Classic sponsored by Audi Grapevine.
The Largest Consumer-Judged Wine Competition in the Nation took place in Historic Grapevine’s Cotton Belt Railroad District during the four-day wine festival. Thousands of eager participants took part in ten 90-minute tasting sessions. There were more than 150 wines to taste from 40 Texas wineries. Guests received a wine reference guide and using an all-new electronic ballot they voted for their favorites at the end of each session. Awards were presented Sunday, September 20 at 5 p.m. in the People’s Choice Pavilion.
2026 People’s Choice Wine Tasting Classic Winners:
Red: Bold <1.5%
- Gold: Bowen Family Wines | 2021 Bowen Cabernet Franc Reserve
- Silver: Bull Lion Ranch & Vineyards | 2022 Malbec
- Bronze: Messina Hof Winery | 2022 Sagrantino Reserva
Red: Blends <1.5%
- Gold: Bowen Family Wines | 2021 Bowen Noble Blend
- Silver: Bull Lion Ranch & Vineyards | 2020 Texianti “Texas Chianti”
- Bronze: Blue Ostrich Winery | Factum XV
Red: Medium <1.5%
- Gold: Bowen Family Wines | 2021 Bowen Mourvèdre Reserve
- Silver: Blue Ostrich Winery |2024 Petite Sirah
- Bronze: Landon Winery | 2023 Tempranillo
Red: Light <1.5%
- Gold: Bowen Family Wines | 2021 Bowen Montepulciano Reserve
- Silver: Messina Hof Winery | 2024 GSM
- Bronze: Bull Lion Ranch & Vineyards | 2022 Sangiovese
Red: Sweet >1.5%
- Gold: Silver Dollar Winery | Boot Scootin’ Boogie Chocolate
- Silver: Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards | Besitos de Chocolate
- Bronze: Red Dirt Cellars | Red Dirt Cellars Sangria NV
White: Dry <1.0%
- Gold: Whiskey Road Winery | Blanc du Bois
- Silver: Crazy Wines | Jalapeno Blanco
- Bronze: Bingham Family Vineyards | Cloudburst 2024
White: Off Dry <1.5%
- Gold: Silver Dollar Winery | Boot Scootin’ Boogie BOB’s JALAPENO
- Silver: Messina Hof Winery | 2024 Artist Series Gewurztraminer
- Bronze: Blue Ostrich Winery | 2025 Viognier
White: Blends <1.5%
- Gold: Silver Dollar Winery | IM’Peached
- Silver: Wintergrass Vineyard & Winery | 2025 Wintergrass White
- Bronze: Morris Ranch | 2022 Proprietary White
White: Sweet >1.5%
- Gold: Messina Hof Winery | Angel Late Harvest Riesling (NV)
- Silver: Landon Winery | Yellow Rose NV
- Bronze: Blue Ostrich Winery | Sweet Serendipity
Blush/Rosé
- Gold: Silver Dollar Winery | Boot Scootin’ Boogie Watermelon Rosé
- Silver: Housewife Rebellion | 2024 Rebel Rosé
- Bronze: The Pour Girl | Rosé Wine
Pictures of the winners are available upon request.
Below is a full list of wineries and their locations that participated in this year’s event:
- Adega Vinho - Stonewall
- Becker Vineyards - Stonewall
- Bingham Family Vineyards – Meadow, Grapevine
- Blue Ostrich Winery – Saint Jo
- Bowen Family Wines – Johnson City
- Bull Lion Ranch & Vineyards – Chalk Mountain & Grapevine
- Christoval Vineyards - Christoval
- Crazy Wines, LLC - Mineral Wells
- Cross Timbers Winery - Grapevine
- Descarado Wines – Coppell
- Diamond Vineyards - Fredericksburg
- Eden Hill Vineyard & Winery - Celina
- English Newsom Cellars - Lubbock
- Frascone Winery - Anahuac
- Hilmy Cellars – Fredericksburg
- Housewife Rebellion - Grapevine
- H-Wines - Coldspring
- Juniper Cove Winery - Whitney
- JW Hardin Wine Co. - Comanche
- Landon Winery - Grapevine
- Lewis Wines – Johnson City
- Llano Estacado Winery – Lubbock
- Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards - Pittsburg
- Lost Oak Winery – Burleson
- McPherson Cellars - Lubbock
- Messina Hof Grapevine Winery – Grapevine
- Morris Ranch – Fredericksburg
- Noblemen Wines - Kerrville
- O'Farrell Country Vineyards - Atlanta
- Portree Cellars - Johnson City
- Red Dirt Cellars - Grapevine
- Rio to Red Winery - Sherman
- Sandy Road Vineyards – Johnson City
- Silver Dollar Winery – Bedford
- Tara Vineyard & Winery - Athens
- The Pour Girl - Dallas
- Valle della Pace Vineyards & Winery - Lindale
- Valley Mills Vineyards - Valley Mills
- Whiskey Road Winery - Grandview
- Wintergrass Vineyard & Winery – Cleburne
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