West Texas grapes you didn't know you needed
Outskirts · Lubbock · Winery Tasting Room · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 24, 2026
Wingman Metrics
When you think Texas wine country, Lubbock probably isn't the first city that comes to mind — and that's exactly the point. English Newsom Cellars is quietly doing something genuinely interesting on the High Plains, and the list reflects it: 37 labels, almost all pourable by the glass, built entirely around what grows here. It's a tasting room, not a restaurant, so come with curiosity and low expectations for ambiance.
The range here is legitimately surprising for a single-producer tasting room. Sure, you've got the obligatory Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec, but Sagrantino, Mourvèdre, Montepulciano, and a Picardan — a nearly extinct white grape from the Rhône — tell you that someone at English Newsom is paying attention. The Italian and Rhône varietals anchor a white lineup that also includes Roussanne, Viognier, Albariño, and a Moscato Giallo, which is not something you stumble across in West Texas every day. There are a few crowd-pleasers in the mix (Sweet Riesling, Flirt Blush) that likely keep the lights on, but they don't dominate the conversation.
Thirty-six of the thirty-seven bottles are available by the glass, which is essentially the entire list — a smart move for a tasting room format where discovery is the whole game. Pours run $8–$18, which is honest money for wines you can't find most places. No apparent rotation program, but when the list is this wide, you probably don't need one.
English Newsom Cellars Tempranillo — $13
Tempranillo on the High Plains is a natural fit — the altitude and dry heat mirror its Spanish homeland more than most American regions do. At this price point by the glass, it's a low-risk way to taste something genuinely regional and well-suited to the terroir.
English Newsom Cellars Picardan
Picardan is a nearly forgotten white grape from the southern Rhône that most wine drinkers have never encountered anywhere. The fact that English Newsom is growing and bottling it in West Texas is either audacious or inspired — probably both. Skip the Pinot Grigio and order this instead.
English Newsom Cellars Flirt Sweet White
Every tasting room has a gateway wine for the crowd that doesn't really like wine yet, and Flirt Sweet White is clearly that wine here. Nothing wrong with it, but you drove to Lubbock — you can do better than a sweetened white blend.
English Newsom Cellars Roussanne + Charcuterie board
Roussanne's natural richness and oxidative edge cut through cured meats and aged cheeses without the weight of a red. It's a tasting room staple pairing done right, and this grape actually has the texture to hold up to it.
🎲 The Bottom Line
English Newsom Cellars is a genuine Texas wine curiosity worth making the detour for — not because everything is world-class, but because where else are you tasting Sagrantino and Picardan grown on the Llano Estacado? Come thirsty, stay open-minded, and put the Flirt back on the shelf.
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