Solaro Estate Winery

Erika misled me into thinking she was interested in doing an outreach at my event called Notte Di Vino. I bought two of their great wines but I was greatly disappointed in the lack of respect to even communicate they were not interested. They decided to go with giving me the cold shoulder ("ghost") which I perceived as unprofessional and immature. I am sure as a business they do well in hospitality but anything deeper than that you will be unpleasantly surprised.

Solaro Estate Winery in Dripping Springs, TX, offers a serene setting and a thoughtful approach to winemaking. During our visit, we sampled four wines—three reds and one white—for $43 for two people. While the reds were bold and drier than my personal preference, it was evident that exceptional care was taken in both the grape selection and aging process. Each sip highlighted the distinctive quality of their craft. Reflecting on it now, the reds would pair wonderfully with a hearty Porterhouse steak and a post-dinner cigar. Although I didn’t make a purchase, I appreciated the winery’s commitment to excellence. For those who enjoy robust, full-bodied reds, Solaro Estate is worth a visit to experience Texas winemaking at its finest.

Lucked out with a closed venue we’d planned for, choosing Solaro as our back up plan. This was quite an impressive place and Robert took great care of us with fun stories and information about what he clearly loves, & Erika’s hospitality, kindness and fun personality, definitely a Texas gal. Loved the wines loved the visit & highly recommend for anyone, especially out of staters like us.

Truly great wine. Staff was friendly, attentive and very helpful with the wine selection. Outside seating area is very well done with proper spacing, heaters and lighting. You are allowed to bring outside food which is always a plus. Dogs are allowed in the premises, except the inside bar. They even brought a dog bowl for her water. We love it so much (not our first visit), that we became part of the wine club members and will receive bottles shipped to our house 3 times a year. Update 2023: if you have time, book a sommelier led wine tasting. You will learn about the wine, the region and differences between Texas wine and other US and worldwide wines. Highly recommended!

Excellent and attentive service by the people. They let us to taste some of the red wine before actually ordering.

They currently have a Port worth trying. It is nice and smooth and not sweet like a typical Port. Harvest is also a fun time to go out in August and learn the ropes of how wine is made. After a morning of cutting grapes off the vines and watching them get crushed you are treated to food, music and bottles of wine. The owners Barbara and Robert make you feel like family. This year the Chenin Blanc 2013 is winning lots of awards as well as the Port.

Thank you Robert and Barbara for the fantastic wine tasting experience!

This review is quite late as we were there over Labor Day weekend. We recently had the pleasure of visiting Solaro Winery, and I must say, it was an unforgettable experience! From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with warm smiles and a welcoming atmosphere that set the tone for an incredible day of wine tasting. The owner of Solaro Winery, Barbara, I believe, is nothing short of amazing. Her warm hospitality and accommodating nature made our visit truly special. It's evident that she is not only passionate about their wines but also about creating memorable experiences for their guests. From the moment we stepped through the door, we felt like cherished friends. If you're looking for a winery with a fantastic owner who is both accommodating and knowledgeable, Solaro Winery is the place to be. Whether you're a seasoned wine enthusiast or a novice, you'll leave with a smile on your face.

We were in the area and it was such a gorgeous day we wanted to find a place to enjoy a nice glass of chilled wine. We decided to check out Solaris Estate and it was a perfect little stop off. Not crowded at all despite the gorgeous weather, plenty of outdoor seating and space inside for tastings. The red grapes/wines are made from their harvest and they have a vineyard a bit more North for their whites. They apparently also leverage associates in Italy for some of their grapes. They have a decent selection of red and whites and two sparkling options. Their by the glass offerings are on the pricey side so we opted for a bottle of their sparkling rose - it was delicious. Light, bubbly and very refreshing for the daytime sips. The staff offered to recork our bottle since we didn't want to finish it between two of us, one needing to drive. Overall, a great little spot - the bathrooms are a bit of a let down but don't detract from the overall chill, relaxed vibes.

How do you not give this place 5 stars. Hands down some of the best wine in Texas. Try their house white that has pear in it. My daughter said they "slayed" the charcuterie board. Amazing ambience and perfect for large parties.

I pre purchased a wine tasting online and when we arrived they had a lively table set up inside with gorgeous tulips as a centerpiece. We were blessed to have the winery owner, Robert, to guide us through our tasting experience. We learned a lot about their winery and history and of course, the wine was great! Our tasting came with an amazing charcuterie board as well! I highly recommend Solaro!

It has been a few years since I've been to Solaro Estate & what a delightful surprise to see the transformation! We had a great time tasting and playing with their resident puppy! Wine was delicious, tasting room was cozy with friendly staff and the grounds were beautiful! We will be back for sure!

We had a great time! The wine, food and service was 10/10! It was an enjoyable relaxing experience! We can't wait to go back!

We stopped here on a beautiful Sunday afternoon and it was a lovely treat. Apparently not many tasting rooms are open on Sundays, but this one was. They have a lot of space to spread out and it was perfect for an easygoing afternoon. We tried two bottles based on the recommendation of the owners. It turns out she was from Houston and went to my old high school. (Go Waltrip Rams!). They also have a tasting room in Houston. We'll be back again. The owner mentioned that you can volunteer to help with grape smashing so that might be fun to try. Cheers and enjoy!

Beautiful winery that gives you extremely comfortable vibes. Perfect place to enjoy great wine in a casual environment. Plus the winery has amazing views. I ordered a red wine that was local as it is made from grapes they grow themselves. They do flights, glasses, or bottles. I split a bottle with friends and they re-corked it so we could enjoy later at home. There are also nearby breweries so you can make a day out of heading here.

Incredible place with organic, local wines. Love that everything is made there on the property. Beautiful vineyards, welcoming staff, incredible Texas wine. Definitely recommend their Cab or any other red, or their sparkling Chardonnay for a hot summer day.

The husband and I went to visit while in Dripping springs for a weekend wedding. The tastings are done by reservation to limit the # of people, but the lady was accommodating and let us walk in for a tasting since the couple that booked for that time hadn't shown up yet. Nice variety of wines. Enjoyed their sparkling and the Tempranillo the best. Very pretty property with a lot of shaded seating outside for you to easily drink a glass and enjoy a summer Texas day.

Owner is a jerk to Marine Corps veterans who served in Iraq. I asked if they sold their wine at HEB and got all offended.

Great wine! Super nice people that worked here. The wine tasted the best compared to two other wineries we went to.

The perfect winery does exist! Amazing wine and even better friendly/helpful staff. Felt at home!

This place has only been up and running for a couple of years, but it looks like they are finding their footing when it comes to the tasting room and the vineyard itself. The tasting room here has plenty a/c for the TX heat and is a decent size. There isn't a lot of seating inside, but there are patio chairs in the courtyard. You can get 5 tastings for $10. I thought this was kind of pricey for the amount you got. While I didn't love any of their wines, I can see myself drinking more than one glass of the Tempranillo. The vineyards are not grand, but you can taste the grapes! They have a some tasting bushes right next to the tasting room entrance. Sour and delicious!

We had a wonderful time. Tasted a variety of wines. Robert & Barbara were excellent hosts and took plenty of time to explain and offer insight. Will definitely be back!

Organic vineyard + family run + wine OUT OF THE WORLD. It's a must! I've been here two weekends in a row, and I think it'll be a Saturday tradition! So much better than Fredericksburg.

Nice atmosphere and view, despite the lack of any healthy grape vines. Service sucks. We sat down with a group of 9 girls when it was not whatsoever busy and were (eventually) greeted with "hey so we can't do tastings because this is a large group without a reservation." We were happy to purchase by the glass or bottle, so this wasn't an issue but we were all taken aback by this greeting and found it pretty rude and uninviting. We barely heard from our waitress/hostess the whole time we were there. The wine was just disgusting and overpriced. Of the bottles we purchased, the pinot grigio was the only decent one, which wasn't even made by this winery. There are MANY better options, who actually enjoy and appreciate your patronage...keep driving!

Enjoyed the Tempranillo and montepulciano. But the value to taste is still low. Complex and Balanced wine but low intensity. Would love to support Austin hill country wine but value is low compared to Italian reds.

Beautiful estate. The owner came over and talked to us and was so sweet and pleasant to talk to. The woman, Lauren, who walked us through our tasting was equally as sweet, friendly, and knowledgable of all their wines- which were delicious. Very light reds, European style. So if you're into more California/west coast style wines, it'll be a bit different for you. If you're looking to do a large party I'd recommend giving them a call in advance to help set up for your group to give you the best experience possible. Large space, beautiful building, yet feels very cozy. Definitely a great spot to hit on your day trip through wine country in the Hill Country. (Their Sangiovese and Cab 2015 were incredible.)

Nice little place but nothing to really write home about. We arrived on a Saturday afternoon and unfortunately there were at least 2 bridal parties there. It was very loud in the tasting area and it appeared they had only 2-3 people working. They mentioned they had not expected such a large influx of people. They did their best, but it was very hard to hear and they were bouncing back and forth between a lot of people trying to pay and split checks and do pours, etc. Yes, the pours were very small and it was $15 each which is kind of pricey for that size and the wines that to me were very light. I like bold flavors, not fruity and these were not bad, but not worth the price for me. If there had not been so many people and it be so loud it might have been a little better, but we will not go back- crowded or not.

Terrible wine. We had to buy a bottle because they used the Covid excuse when mind you down the road wineries we can do tastings or by the glass. We love big bold reds so we were guided to their 2015 Cab. Worst ever. The boxed $4.99 from CVS is much better. Wow, super disappointed to be conned into buying a $45 bottle of wine plus having to buy their "charcuterie" which was literally some cheese packets and nuts in a white paper bag handed to us for a total of $70. Rip off. Safe yourself the money and taste buds, and hit up Fall Creek or even Bell Springs.

Was out in the hill country this weekend with a friend just meandering around during our staycation. We stopped at Jester King before this and just looked for cool places nearby when Solaro Estate popped up on the map. Wine, closeby? Sold. Since we'd never been there before, we each decided to do a tasting so we could try their 6 best wines. Their whites were crisp and refreshing, but I didn't fancy any of the reds. I usually love pretty much all reds and favor them much more than whites, so there's a good chance my tastebuds were just all out of whack this weekend. When we finished our tastings, it was raining cats and dogs out, so we decided to have a full glass of white and sit outside to watch and listen to the rain fall on their tin roof patio. It was glorious, even when the rain got so intense that literally everyone else who was outside went inside to hide from the aggressive mist. Since my friend and I are classy AF, we were in workout clothing and makeup-less, so we didn't mind the rain one bit. It was extremely peaceful, and seeing the gorgeous rows of grape vines behind the veil of rain was a memory I won't soon forget. I'll be back for sure!

Whether you're visiting Austin or a local, pick a gorgeous day and go here. Such a beautiful setting and incredible wines. Very reasonable cost for flights and if you catch her before she leaves for Italy, you can meet (and very impressed by) the nation's youngest sommelier. Take a day, order some fantastic wine and exhale. You've earned it.

A teal experience. What an incredible winery. And super owners. Definitely going back.

Some of the best red wine i have ever had here. Great place to hang out and they have music on Saturdays .

I just recently moved from Switzerland, and was surrounded by fantastic wine tasting experiences. I was nervous about trying Texan wine, but started my Texan wine experience at Solaro after having read many different experiences about the local vineyards around the Dripping Springs area. The tasting room is located in the vineyard, which is great. I love that this is a small production place, with a family oriented feeling, and the staff are knowledgeable about the wine and production. I guess the owners can often be found in the tasting room, but just happened to be away the Saturday we went. They often have events, and we were enjoying one of their Saturday live music events from 2-4pm. They have a great indoor and outdoor seating area full of charm. For $10 per person you can enjoy a tasting of their varietals. There was nothing that was bad, but from the tasting list, I enjoyed the Miscela Bianco the best. After enjoying all their selections, I signed up for their annual wine club, which was a great deal, and then was able to taste some of their higher quality more expensive wines, which were great. I look forward to going back and touring the vineyard, as a benefit of being a member. We also signed up for the grape stomping that will be taking place in the next couple of weeks as they need a bunch of people. What a great opportunity to be part of a grape harvest! I could have spent several hours just hanging out here. I only wish they had some food to enjoy with the wine and music. Next time I will remember to bring my own picnic. I am very happy to have been proven wrong regarding my concerns about Texan wine! Thank you Solaro!

Color me bewildered and confused...I came here last Sunday afternoon after a beautiful hike at Westcave Preserve and thought what a great way to spend a leisurely Sunday afternoon and chose this winery because of the Yelp rating and rave reviews and the close proximity to Westcave. I have to say...not impressed does not even begin to express my dismay and disappointment about my experience here. Firstly, it is a HUGE turn off for me with any business when it is made immediately apparent that they are just money hungry. This is very obvious in their pathetic tasting where for $10 you only sample 4 wines and the pours they give you are maybe enough to constitute a single sip, so when you do the math, you are paying $2.50 for less than an ounce of wine and Texas winery of the year notwithstanding, these guys are not Napa quality to demand such pricing, but seem to think more highly of their wines than maybe they should imho. The other issue is the tasting list does not have the bottle pricing so you honestly do not know how much a bottle of anything is going for. They do make an effort to upsell their wine club membership which would entitle you to potentially taste the other 4 wines on the tasting menu. However, my biggest issue and what really upset me the most about my experience here was when I got my bill for $60 for a bottle of wine and 2 tastings, I almost fell over! I am a sommelier and have been to many wineries all over the country, let alone several here in Texas, and I have NEVER had a winery still charge me for a tasting fee AFTER I bought a bottle; to add insult to injury after purchasing a very overpriced $38 bottle of their Tempranillo, I would think for $38 they could at least comp me one of their measly tastings, but again, money grubbing attitude was made very apparent. Also, the guy that did our tasting was very robotic and distant and sounded like a broken recording when regurgitating the "tasting profiles" of the four wines. In all honesty, the Tempranillo was the only palatable wine of the four. When we went we were the only people in the tasting room and granted it was 40 or so mins before they were supposed to close. The grounds were also not impressive and in my opinion looked nothing like the pics here on Yelp or on their website, so what is supposed to induce me to return here if not for the wine or the view? Needless to say, I will never be back and have told several of my friends to avoid visiting this highly overpriced and disappointing winery. If this was the Texas Winery of the year, the TX wine industry needs to raise its standards as I have been to several other Hill Country wineries that far exceeds this debacle!

Wines are good but not what you expect with a 50 plus dollar bottle of wine disappointing is that seems to have a name change Barton Springs Winery is kind of like trying to push for more customers to start fresh. I would come back again but not to fast for many wineries are available in the area. Very expensive for average wine. I felt my husband and I were having to hear a full explosive bragging about the winery and we didn't have the time to sit and enjoy our wine. We ordered the small plate of cheese and breads very tiny late serving us and felt they are money hungry and desperate to sell you anything over inflated and sadly I have to tell it like it is reason for my review to tell all what is happening at this winery.SO if you feel compelled to come to this winery visit and try to enjoy your wine over a not so interesting view. Furthermore the owner learning I write reviews on Yelp made it clear we are not taken seriously. Wow what a blow.

We are members of four local wineries... Solaro is by far my favorite. The atmosphere is perfect for a Sunday evening picnic, or a full Saturday of entertaining friends. They have plenty of events one can attend, and also you can participate in things like stomping the grapes, or bottling the wine. I have yet to try a wine I didn't like. The staff is amazing, knowledgable, and cool to have a quick chat with. My favorites right now are - Sangiovese GSM Lisse

I wish I could say this was a winery worth going to, but it just left so much to be desired. At first glance, this place looks promising, but by the end of the day my party of six all felt robbed by the service and awful wine tasting we endured. We spent less than 10 minutes at the winery and at $16.50 each for five tiny pours, we all wondered if we would have been better off going to Walmart and buying a bottle of $16.00 Yellow Tail. So disappointing. Don't waste your time.

Very knowledgable staff and great Texas grown wines. Fantastic for red wine levers but great even for those just learning to love reds, like myself. The Tempranillo was highly unique and definitely worth tasting but my favorite was their Sangiovese with its complex strawberry-caramel notes--could gave sipped that all afternoon!

My wife and I stopped by to check out this beautiful place, and it did not disappoint! Robert, the owner, was very nice and helped find my wife the perfect bottle of wine. The grounds are beautiful. Brittany was very helpful as well. I would highly recommend stopping by if you are in the Dripping Springs area.

We absolutely LOVE Solaro!! We stopped by on our way out of town for a quick visit, and we fell in love. Brittany was fabulous and the owner, Robert, was very accommodating and friendly. Everyone was knowledgable and helped us find the perfect wine. We will definitely be back to this hidden gem!

Solara is an award winning winery with exceptional staff, beautiful wines worthy of an author's description situated in an out of the way location but worth the drive. We met the owner, Robert, who explained the process undertaken to produce some of his award winning wines. I was so impressed that he took time to answer several questions with patience while it was busy. You know a winery is special when other patrons are praising the wines and telling you great stories about their experiences. We met Jeff, a delightful gentleman, who told us about the winery's special Chenin Blanc/Champagne/Sparkling wine and even offered a taste of his glass. He was spot on with his review and we now have two bottles in our wine fridge waiting for the right occasion. Thank you Jeff!!!

Went to this winery on a Monday, very quiet and the place is very nice. Tasting for $15.00. Did get a glass of red, wish I was told it was $12.00 for the half glass I bought. I would not bought it. They should have a price list out at all times.

Disappointing, and not worth the price at all. First off, they don't list prices (always a bad sign), and when we asked, we were surprised to discover that a tasting was $12 per person to taste 5 wines, and that the tasting fee would not be refunded if we bought a bottle. Second, the tasting portions were miniscule -- our $12 got us a total of maybe a quarter of a glass of wine. Third, while several of the wines were quite good, the prices per bottle were in the $30-$40 range, but the quality of the wine was clearly not commensurate with the price. Not recommended. There are many other wineries in the hill country that offer equally good wine and a better experience at a much more reasonable price.

We stopped in right before Christmas for the first time. The tasting was expensive and none of the wines were very good. The owner suggested we try one of the wines they did not have on the tasting menu and if we didn't like it, she would by it back, so we agreed, after which she returned and informed us that we could not purchase one bottle, but had to purchase an entire case because their stock was too low. We did not purchase any wine and left at that point. I find it in poor taste that she did not follow through on her original offer and expected us to purchase a case of a wine we were unable to taste. Needless to say, we will not be returning.

Moved to TX from the wine region in CA. Went to a couple wineries in Dripping Sprimgs area not expecting to much. I was happy to say that Texas has some competitors. Check out Solaro Winery if you're in the area, they have some pretty good wines. And the staff is welcoming and very friendly. Beautiful views from the patio as well. Cheers!

My husband and I both had a wine tasting ($15 each) 1-ounce pours which is fine for just a taste but I agree with the other reviewers that it's a little pricey for what you get. The wines we tried were unique but not to justify paying 28-48 per bottle, yes it's "small batch" but if they're that much the tasting should be comped.

Super disappointed. We're from Houston which has a Solaro tasting room so while we were vacationing in Dripping Springs we decided to go there. The tastings were overpriced. The pours were small. They did not apply the wine tasting price to a purchased bottle of wine. They tried to upsell on wine that were not my favorite wines. Just not our best experience for the area. Many other places that we choose to go over this.

Worst service I have ever received. The woman behind the counter was rude, condescending, and was clearly trying to get our group of women to leave. I have never been treated with such disrespect from any establishment. We return every year to Dripping Springs and will definitely spread the word that this is a place to stay away from.

Short version: One star for the total lack of regard of what customer service should be and for ignoring all attempts to remedy a very simple issue. There are much better places to spend your time and money if you want to support a Texas winery. Longer version: We joined their wine club in February in part the bc the girl pouring told us they were opening a tasting room in Houston which was great for us and we'd be supporting a local winery. The tasting room has yet to be opened at time of review and each time we asked via email we were told "soon" - so who knows. The wines tasted were ok and a bit overpriced, but we were on vacation and vacation money isnt real money right?! Everything went downhill when I received an email that Solaro charged us $128 for our Fall shipment. I was surprised by this bc when we joined the club, we were told we could pick out our remaining wine and could arrange a pick up in Houston to avoid shipping fees. Adding insult to injury, we opened one of the 3 bottles we purchased in February ($48 Montipulciano) and found it to be spoiled (cloudy, sour smell, tart taste) so I emailed Barbara asking her to call me to discuss. She wrote back saying she'd call but never did. I called her the following Monday at lunch to get the wine issue resolved but she said she was busy with a customer and would call me back. Shocker - she never did. Later that night I got an email from Robert saying my shipping fees would be reimbursed (have not been as of yet) and that the wine in question "is an internationally awarded wine, which is sold out, with an unblemished history of the highest quality." I guess according to Robert, it's impossible for such an esteemed bottle of wine to spoil, so I'm left to assume it's not a spoiled wine we had, it's just supposed to taste like crap and maybe our palate isn't ready for such a mind blowing experience of drinking it. Had they of taken the time to call me and discuss rather than blowing off a wine club member the issue could likely have been resolved. Caveat emptor I suppose. Customer service and humility- especially when you're a small Texas winery who depend on word of mouth for the most part - can go a long way and they failed miserably at both.

I infrequently write reviews but I feel that this deserves one. Dishonest and shady practice. went there for a tasting with some friends recently. It was our first time there. Tasting was $20 per person. Seems like the price has gone up from recent years based on the prior reviews. Not a big deal. At the end of the tasting, I bought 3 bottles. The staff came over with an iPad, charged me the three bottles plus the tasting, told me to sign on an iPad and asked for my email. She said that she would email me the receipt. I never got the receipt. Saw the charge on my cc bill which did not seem to make sense. I emailed them and then called them requesting a receipt to be sent to my email. Apparently, when they charged me, a 20% tip was automatically added by default to the TOTAL (including the wine bottles that I purchased) . Not just to the tasting. I called and spoke to them Bc I felt that this was not appropriate. I don't mind tipping on the service but on the wine bottles that I am purchasing to take home?? I was pretty much told by the staff tough luck. I have been to many tastings in the past and this was definitely new for me. It's not the end of the world but it's the principles..you know. Definitely will not be back and would not recommend to anyone.

Wine is mediocre quality, but the high prices combined with the surprise charges against what was stated sours the experience. Who charges for water during a wine tasting?

We were really duped here. After a tasting and a very hard sale (we should have known better) we bought a bottle of Moscato. We like to support Texas Wines when we are in the area so we always purchase a bottle (or two if we really like the wine). Their wine we felt was alright. Not one our favorite wineries but not our least favorite either. The tasting room had very little decor and a funky smell.... but that is besides the point. I didn't ask for the price (that should have been another clue - there were no prices anywhere in the tasting room) but figured even at the worst it would be $25-$30 like all other wineries in the area. I nearly fell over when I received my receipt. It was $48!!!!!!! So my advice is to not fall for their heavy sales tactics and ask for the price!

This winery has a great atmosphere, scenery, and plenty of places to sit indoors or outdoors, however the reviews you have heard from several people about this place is sadly true....the staff that served us for the wine tasting was very friendly, however the wine tasting was absolutely ridiculous. Literally not even enough was sampled to really experience the wine. I was laughing inside, appalled of how stingy this winery was, and to top that off the cost for the tasting in no way justified the experience. The taste is decent, however charging $50 for a bottle was simply ridiculous knowing you could purchase significantly better wine from other places for much lower cost. I would really recommend not going here , but to try other wineries if you are passing through Dripping Springs.

I have been to this winery five times and each time their wines and service has been great. They have a nice patio area where you can enjoy a nice bottle of wine and listen to live music on most weekends. I do agree with some of the reviews that say their tasting are pricey for what you get and that their wines are a little price but I disagree when they compare them to Napa wineries. Most Texas wineries do not have the sales volume as most of those in Napa so they cannot afford to give away free wine samples or make their wines cheaper. That being said I do believe that for a $10 tasting Solaro should have a larger tasting pour. I'd also recommend to Solaro that you offer your members only tasting wines to regular customer in order to entice them to join the wine club.

Excited to try this winery. However, upon arriving, their dog jumped up on my driver door to look in. When the dog got off my car, I got out to see lovely scratch marks down my black driver side door. I was so mad I got in my car and left. Thanks for the scratches Solaro!

Really good winds here. We found several that we wanted to take home. The bar staff were very knowledgeable and very friendly. Well worth going to

What better place to spend a seventy degree Sunday afternoon but sitting outside at Solaro Estates and enjoying their Malbec. Nothing is fancy in the tasting room but it doesn't need to be if you find a wine you like. Service is laid back and friendly.