Texas is a very exciting place for wine the last few years, and 2021 has been no exception! With over 5,000 acres of vines planted and more than 400 wineries producing a wide variety of wine, Texas is now the 5th largest wine producing state. One of the newest wineries to open its door in March 2021 is Noblemen Wines, owned by husband and wife, Austin and Katie Pitzer.

In a testament to how small the wine world is, I learned about Noblemen Wines in April during a virtual wine my husband Erich organized with Corison Winery, in Napa Valley. Our wine ambassador, Courtney, told us her friend Austin had just moved to San Antonio and released his inaugural vintage of Noblemen Wines Mourvèdre… so of course, we were dying to meet Austin and try his wine. A week later we were in Kerrville sipping Mourvèdre and chatted away the afternoon learning about Noblemen. We are absolutely thrilled he and Katie returned to Texas to share their wines with the world!

Texas Roots with Napa Experience

Noblemen Wines owners, Austin and Katie Pitzer (Courtesy of Noblemen Wines)

Austin and Katie are definitely a powerhouse duo prepared to successfully launch a new wine brand in Texas. While Austin is the public face of Noblemen Wines, introducing their wines to wine lovers and industry reps across TX, and the US, Katie masters the behind-the-scenes aspects for their brand leveraging her expertise in communications and branding.

Austin grew up in Dallas, TX, and was poised to enter the world of real estate as a graduate of the Baylor University Hankamer School of Business. Soon after graduation, in 2009, Austin had a change of heart and headed to Napa Valley where he dove head first into the world of wine. He started at Landmark Wines as a harvest intern working on the bottling line and stacking pallets.  From there, he expanded his experience in the wine industry working and managing several tasting rooms, and serving as wine educator at Harwell Estate Vineyards, General Manager at Sarocka Estate, and Director at Cornell Vineyards. Additionally, in 2009 his family started their own Napa wine label, Avril Taylor, making beautiful Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay wines. 

Katie, also a Texas native hails from San Antonio. After completing her studies at Southern Methodist University, she joined AT&T where she sharpened her skills in all things marketing, communications, and digital and social media. This experience poised her perfectly to move west, where she dove into brand strategy and digital branding for wine and hospitality brands in Napa and Sonoma. According to Austin, she also has an excellent palette, a clear understanding of wine, and a strong sense for blending. It’s no surprise this fun, young couple is perfectly matched to produce great wine together!

What Noblemen Wines Stands For

In 2019, Austin and Katie decided it was time to head back home to the Lone Star State. They saw first-hand the exciting things that were taking place on the Texas wine scene, and knew it was their time to start a new label that would allow them to share their passion for wine and Texas with the world. 

From the beginning, every detail of the Noblemen Wines brand was conceived with intention. Austin is a huge history buff and has spent lots of time with his family researching their genealogy. His paternal ancestors came to Texas in the 1840s as part of a group of German ‘noblemen’ that helped found the towns across south-central Texas, including Fredericksburg, coincidently the epicenter of wine tourism in Texas! Thus, the name Noblemen not only pays homage to Texas history, but also has a direct link to the producer’s heritage.

The cool, bold N on the labels – not to be confused with a baseball logo – is a custom N that links back to the noblemen of Texas. The group brought with them a similar typeface that is found all over Fredericksburg and other original German settlements around the state. It provides a bold, sleek look that simultaneously steeped in history!

In January of 2021, with a carefully crafted brand and wines, the Pitzers moved back to San Antonio and immediately launched Noblemen Wines!

The Wines: Mourvedre and Beyond

On their many visits back, the Pitzers met John Rivenburgh, an award-winning Texas winemaker who had just purchased Kerrville Hills Winery (KHW) in Kerrville, TX. KHW is not only where John now makes wines under his own wine label, but also provides a wine incubator, a communal space for boutique winemakers to produce their own wines with tutelage or assistance from Rivenburgh. KHW is currently where Noblemen Wines produces their wines, as well as hosts wine tastings. It is at KHW that Noblemen put down roots and started producing with Rivenburgh at the helm as winemaker.

Inaugural Wine Releases

In 2021 Noblemen wines released three inaugural single-variety wines produced from Mourvèdre, Picpoul Blanc, and Tannat. The spring release included the 2019 Texas High Plains Mourvèdre and the 2020 Texas Hill Country Picpoul Blanc. These lighter-bodied wines were great for the hot summer Texas nights. The 2019 Texas High Plains Tannat, released in October, offers a full-bodied wine; like the warm fall sweater we all need as the nights are getting cooler.   

Dry, still, single-varietal wines, that showcase Texas terroir and grape characteristics, are the primary focus for the Pitzers; however, this couple is not afraid to try new things. They have a line of ‘outliers’ that allows them to play around with different winemaking styles and/or blends. As someone who works with data and statistics daily, I love this concept of ‘outliers’. Simply put it means these wines stray outside of the expected norm of the wines that Noblemen expects to offer. It’s the Pitzers’ depth of experience that has them already experimenting with their wines, adding an extra level of excitement with every release! This spring they released a carbonated Picpoul Blanc piquette and this fall they released an effervescent Mourvèdre piquette.

2021 was obviously a big year for Austin, Katie, and Noblemen Wines!

Wine For All Time Tasting Notes

We’ve had the pleasure to enjoy the spring release wines over the course of the summer. They are great as both standalone beverages, as well as delectable pairings for food. We can’t wait to dig into the fall wines soon!

Noblemen Mourvèdre Thanksgiving
Paired the 2019 Mourvèdre with the Thanksgiving turkey for delicious holiday celebration!

2019 Texas High Plains Mourvèdre

Aged 15 months in neutral oak barrels, the wine is a beautiful ruby color, with cranberry, tart cherry, red currants, and pomegranate aromas and flavors. It has high acidity, medium-high alcohol, with a medium finish. Comprised almost entirely of Mourvèdre, there is a little Aglianico (3%) giving the lighter-bodied Mourvèdre a little savorier palate and structure. We paired this with grilled Polish sausage, charcuterie, and also served it with the turkey this last Thanksgiving!  

Noblemen Wine Picpoul Blanc
Noblemen Wines 2020 Picpoul Blanc – ‘picpoul’ meaning ‘the lip stinger’ produces wines with bright acidity, minerality, and crisp lemon flavors

2020 Texas Hill Country Picpoul Blanc

The Picpoul Blanc was a hit this summer! Aged entirely in stainless steel, this 100% Picpoul Blanc showcased the varietal. It has light straw color, with gentle aromas for apple and lemon. Light-bodied, there was plenty of zesty mouthwatering acidity. The palate had additional depth with notes of salinity and minerals blending with the apple and citrus. We definitely beat back the sweltering Texas summer heat with this refreshing wine over the summer!

Noblemen Wines Piquette
Piquette – a style of wine produced from rehydrated grape pomace

Outlier – Piquette of Picpoul Blanc

A Piquette is a low-alcohol wine made from the second pressing of wine pomace; the pulpy grape matter left after the initial pressing for the grapes. Noblemen’s Piquette, produced from Picpoul Blanc, qualifies as an orange wine, meaning it is a skin-contact white wine. That skin contact produced a pretty-salmon colored wine with pronounced aromas and flavors of apple and lime. The wine was medium bodied, with crisp acidity, and lightly perceptible tannins, ending in a medium finish. This piquette was carbonated and canned, making it a fantastic wine to pop open for spur-of-the-moment refreshment! 

As an added bonus – the Piquette mixed with a little Aperol makes what Austin and Katie call the Pitzer Spritzer! Their take on an Aperol Spritz, and it is OUT-standing!

Look out of my notes on the fall release wine soon!

Looking to try Noblemen Wines?

There are a few ways you can get a taste of Noblemen’s terrific wines:

Noblemen Mourvedre at Botika
Noblemen 2019 Mourvèdre paired with crispy eggplant noodles at Botika

Purchase online: https://noblemenwines.com/wines/

Tasting at Kerrville Hills: Schedule a private tasting now or visit their new open-to-the-public tasting room at Kerrville Hills Winery in January! Email [email protected] to schedule your own private tasting or more information.

Your favorite local restaurant: Noblemen Wines are currently available on a growing number of wine lists in Dallas and San Antonio. Keep your eyes peeled!

Here are a few places to visit:

* Noblemen Wines did not sponsor this article. Austin Pitzer kindly reviewed content for accuracy. All opinions, tasting notes, and errors are my own. All links were provided for informative purposes. We are members of the Noblemen Wines and Avril Taylor wine clubs.