Missick Cellars has barely had time to set out the glasses at its new Boerne tasting room before needing to break out the bubbles. The newcomer has been named the only San Antonio-area winner of the Texas Vintners Cup, one of the state's most prestigious wine competitions.

The panel only selects 12 wines each year, and the list is typically dominated by Hill Country wineries closer to Fredericksburg and Johnson City. An expert panel, led by journalist Jessica Dupuy and Master Sommeliers Jack Mason and Craig Collins, selected the brand’s 2023 Petite Sirah in a blind tasting.

Now in its sixth year, the Vintners Cup is slightly different from most regional and national wine competitions. Instead of awarding medals in distinct categories, the judges pick the dozen best pours from each winery’s submissions.

Winners get a splashy Texas Monthly feature, promotion through the Texas Department of Agriculture's Uncork Texas Wines program, and a custom belt buckle made by Trailblazer Custom Silversmith. This is Texas, after all.

Winemaker and podcaster Chris Missick, who owns the winery with his wife, Laure Missick, said earning the award so early in their Texas run shows how seriously they take Texas-grown fruit.

"This is Texas fruit, judged against the best wines made in this great state," he said in a statement. :We moved here to make delicious wines that taste of this place."

Missick spent more than a decade making wine in New York's Finger Lakes region before moving his family to a Boerne homestead. The couple opened their tasting room nearby at 941 N. School St. on August 28.

The label’s commitment to Texas terroir has already paid off on the competition circuit. The winery's 2024 Texas High Plains Viognier took Best in Class at the 2026 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, and its 2023 Texas Dry Riesling earned Double Gold at the 2025 edition.

The other 2026 Texas Vintners Cup winners include:

• Carter Creek Winery, Johnson City — 2025 Plateau White
• Elisa Christopher Wines, Johnson City — 2025 Sparkling Picpoul Blanc
• Jaclynn Renée Wines, Wimberley — 2024 Syrah
• Jaclynn Renée Wines, Wimberley — 2025 Rosé of Grenache
• Jaclynn Renée Wines, Wimberley — 2025 Picpoul
• McPherson Cellars, Lubbock — 2024 Les Copains White
• Pedernales Cellars, Stonewall — 2022 Teroldego
• Reddy Vineyards, Brownfield — 2023 Aglianico
• Rivenburgh Wine, Kerrville — 2022 Grenache
• Tatum Cellars, Johnson City — 2024 Trois Etoiles White Blend
• William Chris Vineyards, Hye — 2024 Hunter Red Blend