On Friday, April 7, 2023 we left Hord’s Creek Campground in Coleman, Texas and drove 205 miles to a Harvest Host location, Reddy Vineyards in Brownfield, Texas for a one-night stay.
I was excited that our route took us through Sweetwater, Texas. Fans of the squared-circled know that professional wrestling superstar Barry Windham hailed from Sweetwater, along with his legendary father Blackjack Mulligan and younger brother Kendall Windham. Barry was always my favorite because he was highly skilled in the ring, but probably also owing to him being close to my age and getting to watch him from the beginning of his career until his retirement. Sadly, I could find no monuments to this wrestling family dynasty in researching the town before we arrived or as we passed through.
The town of Brownfield, Texas, located 39 miles southwest of Lubbock, bills itself as “The Grape Capital of Texas” although they are also known for growing cotton and peanuts. Reddy Vineyards’ 330-plus acres of land sits at an elevation of 3,305 feet and produces 38 different varietals, making it one of the most diverse vineyards in Texas.
We parked in the dirt/gravel/rock parking lot to the east of the main building. The land north, west and south of us was covered in vineyards for as far as the eye could see. The land east of us held grazing sheep. Cindy and I made our way inside to let the owner know we were there. Harvest Host locations usually only ask that you make a purchase while you stay for free on their property. Since we enjoy wine we always look forward to staying at Harvest Host wineries and trying different spirits. On this visit we purchased a Cabernet Sauvignon for Cindy and a Texas Heartland Red for myself. We had a glass (or two) with our dinner that night and Cindy really loved her Cab while I found the Red to be so-so.
Before the sun set that Friday, Cindy was looking out the back window and thought she saw a fox running through the grape vines to our north. That was the only wildlife we saw, other than the sheep in the field next to us and some blackbirds. We spent a quiet night in the vineyard parking lot and were back on the road the following morning heading for our next stop.
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