Wine Matters: Wine kegs from Bell Springs

More refined keg party? Contact Bell Springs

Bell Springs Winery in Dripping Springs (3700 Bell Springs Road, bellspringswinery.com) is now selling wine kegs full of their wines. Because the kegs place a thin layer or argon gas over the wine, they can keep wine fresh for 90 days minimum, says winemaker Nate Pruitt. The Barber Shop Bar in Dripping Springs is already using them, but individuals can rent the kegs for weddings or large events. They come in two sizes - 2.95 gallon or 1.3 gallon, 15 and 7 bottles, respectively - and start at $105 for the white and $115 for the red, plus a deposit on the keg.

Coffee-table book raises a glass to Texas

Want to tour Texas wineries without leaving your couch? Check out "Spectacular Wineries of Texas," ($40, Signature Publishing Group) a stunning coffee-table book featuring small profiles by Dallas author Jolie Carpenter of almost 50 wineries, vineyards and tasting rooms across the state. The book, which came out last month, features a number of wineries in the Austin area, including Bella Vista Ranch in Wimberley and Duchman Family Winery in Driftwood, but it's fun to flip through the whole book to see how each winery, just like the wine, reflects the terroir, from the High Plains to as far south as the Rio Grande Valley. With each profile, Carpenter includes a pairing guide to match some of the wineries' wines with food.

Hill Country center to pair wine, food

Ernie Loeffler, director of the Fredericksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau, knows that when people come to Fredericksburg, one of the big reasons they are coming is for a taste of the German heritage of the settlers who founded this city in the 19th century, and in the past 10 years or so, wine has quickly become a top draw, as well. All that's fine and dandy, Loeffler says, but a few years ago, he and his staff started to think about ways to stay ahead of the curve. What they came out of those brainstorming sessions is the Texas Center for Wine and Culinary Arts, a facility dedicated to the awareness, understanding and celebration of Texas food, wine and agriculture. Loeffler says that in some ways, they are modeling the center after the New York Wine and Culinary Center in Canandaigua, N.Y.

Plans for the center are still under way, but the city is looking at three potential sites for the center, which would act as an events center, a culinary school, exhibit space and a training center for servers and locals who want to get into the food and beverage industry. A study in 2009 found that such a center would bring in an addition 34,000 visitors and $11.2 million to Gillespie County. Loeffler says they've estimated the cost to be about $10 million and are trying to raise funds for it to open in October 2013. Among the big donations have come from Torre di Pietra Vineyards in nearby Stonewall and from Edible Austin, which raised $10,000 at the Edible Texas Wine-Food Match at the Carillon in June. Plans are already under way for the 3rd annual Hill Country Wine & Music Festival (hillcountrywineandmusic.com), which is one of the biggest annual fundraiser events for the center. Next year's event will take place from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on April 28 at Wildseed Farms, just east of Fredericksburg. You can find more info about the center at VisitFredericksburgTX.com.

Wine Events

• On Friday evening and all day Saturday, celebrate meat and grapes at the Texas Reds Steak and Wine Festival in downtown Bryan. The event, which features live music, chef demonstrations, a grape stomp and shuttles from Blinn College and Messina Hof, is free on Friday night and $5 on Saturday, which does not include wine tickets and food. tr.blog.bryantx.gov

• Flat Creek Estates near Lago Vista is hosting a Grape Jam Wine and Music Festival from 4 to 7 p.m. on Sunday featuring wines from Dry Comal Creek, Perissos, Pillar Bluff, Stone House and Pilot Knob and music from Acoustic Jungle and Mike and the Moonpies. General admission is $10, not including wine tickets and a lasagna dinner prepared by Sean Fulford, the former Vin Bistro and Austin Club chef who said at says that he has snagged the "best chef job in Texas" at the bistro at Flat Creek.