New Hill Country wine school teaches Texans how to become aficionados

TASTING NOTES

Photo courtesy of William Chris Wine Co.

Texan wine enthusiasts and beginners wanting to test their skills or develop them further can now do so at a new Hill Country wine school led by an award-winning winery out in Hye, Texas.

William Chris Wine Co. (WCWC) has opened their William Chris Wine School with Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) classes and a one-of-a-kind ambassador certification course beginning in April. The school is offering these courses not only to educate fellow Texans about the intricacies of wine, but also to provide inspirational experiences that help ignite their passion for it.

“WSET courses are designed to inspire and empower anyone looking to develop their wine knowledge—regardless of prior experience, and from enthusiasts to professionals,” said Director of Education Kelsey Kramer in a press release. “So, we encourage anyone to sign up for our WSET courses no matter their current level of wine knowledge.”

WCWC is the first Texas winery to provide these educational courses to industry peers and enthusiasts. They’ll offer two WSET level tracks with multiple classes; their beginner-level WSET Level 1 classes are open for registration for April 15 and May 15. The WSET Level 2 Award in Wines courses are for more experienced aficionados, and are centered around trying new wines from all over the world while also educating on wine theory, grape-growing techniques, and more. The level two classes are scheduled for May, June, and July.

Kramer added that over half of the William Chris team have successfully passed the WSET Level 2 Award in Wines courses.

“Our ultimate goal, as always, is to increase the standard of knowledge for those in the Texas wine industry,” she said. “Anyone who participates in a course with us supports this goal and the future success of the industry as a whole.”

Though Texas wine is not included in the WSET curriculum, the wine school has their own solution for that. They are offering an exclusive Texas Wine Ambassador Certification program that focuses solely on wine-making and grape-growing in our own state. Their first certification class is scheduled for April 22.

More information about the William Chris Wine School and its classes can be found on their website.

Arenas Marisqueria Lounge/Facebook

6 things to know about San Antonio food right now: Stone Oak catches new Latin seafood spot

NEWS YOU CAN EAT

Editor's note: We get it. It can be difficult to keep up with the fast pace of San Antonio's restaurant and bar scene. We have you covered with our weekly roundup of essential food news.

Openings

The owners of local mainstay Sabor! Cocina Mexicana have dived into seafood. According to social media posts, Arenas Marisqueria Lounge held its grand opening at 9903 Stone Oak Pkwy #202 on March 16. Led by executive chef Luis Vazquez Sr., the eatery serves Latin coastal favorites such as ceviche, aguachile, poké tostadas, and fish tacos. The atmosphere follows suit with oceanic mood lighting and an imposing octopus mural.

According to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation records, the popular Chinese eatery Ming's is planning a new thing. Project details filed with the state reveal that a new location is in the works at 10772 Fiesta Texas Dr., Bldg 400 #106in La Cantera Heights. Construction on the 4000-square-foot eatery is set to begin in early April and wrap up in July.

The race to fill the San Antonio area with chain coffee shops continues with Scooter's Coffee. The Nebraska-based franchise has submitted paperwork with the state for a drive-thru location at 2606 FM 1103 in Cibolo. The brand is best known for its maple waffle sandwiches filled with egg, Cheddar, and "just-enough-spice sausage. Take that last descriptor with a grain of salt. The Midwest is hardly known as a hotbed of bold flavors.

An Austin-based chain is hoping to make a splash near Sea World. A sixth outpost of Torchy's Tacos debuted March 29 at 602 Hwy 151 #101. Like the other locations, the spot will serve fusion tacos alongside salads, burritos, cocktails, and the brand's signature queso.

Other news and notes

Food site Mashed has named local taquería Little Taco Factory its pick for the best taco in the state. According to the write-up, the site factored in "reviews, recommendations, awards, and other forms of recognition" to determine the winners, which must have been a daunting task. Particular kudos were given to the chorizo and egg breakfast taco, evocatively described as "an absolute fiesta in your mouth."

Need a little liquid courage to conquer a fear of heights? The Tower of the Americas is hosting Wine Fest on April 15 from 2-5 pm. The $50-$90 tickets include tastings from 24 Sonoma Valley wineries paired with light bites. VIP passes add early entry and access to an exclusive lounge.

Photo by TX Troublemaker

The 8 best bars in San Antonio have the right mix

MEET THE TASTEMAKERS

Though it's easy to quaff a decent cocktail almost anywhere in Texas, San Antonio's watering holes offer a little something special. Maybe it's the friendliness of the patrons trading rounds with complete strangers. Maybe it's the prescience of the bartenders who know hundreds of regulars' orders. That generosity of spirit is found at almost every spot in town.

But the best of the best mix in something extra — inventive flavor profiles, enveloping atmosphere, and an "it" factor that is hard to define. But we know it when we drink it — we've seen it in all the nominees CultureMap Tastemaker Award for Bar of the Year perhaps too many times.

So, we salute the unassuming dive bars, the swanky lounges, and happy hour haunts. Alamo City wouldn't be half as fun without them. Join us in raising a glass to our finalists below, then pop a cork as we name the winner at the Jack Guenther Pavilion at the Briscoe Museum on May 18. Buy tickets now before they sell out.

Amor Eterno
It's there in the name. This Southtown lounge delivers everlasting romance courtesy of velvet curtains, fuchsia lighting, and orchids languishing on the edge of coupes. The atmosphere gets a little steamier after a couple Bella Noche shots. Suddenly, disco thumps through the speakers, inamoratos file in, and the back booth becomes the most inviting spot in Alamo City.

Bar Loretta
At many upscale restaurants, the cocktail menu is an afterthought. List a serviceable Old Fashioned, add a martini, and call it a day. Not so at this endearing Southtown spot. Though guests can certainly swan with a Gatsby-era Mint Julep, the originals really bring the fireworks. A Lucinda Williams homage, Junebug vs. Hurricane, balances strawberries with Peychaud's bitters. Mariachi Static burns the house down with a dash (or three) of hot sauce.

George's Keep
The three-martini lunch may be a thing of the past, but still, the Éilan Hotel's resident bar knows how to get down to business. Leather banquettes and hunter-green wainscoting set the scene for some hard bargaining of what patrons will order next. Heady tipples like George's signature mix of VSOP Cognac, Cointreau, and lemon keep the deals flowing, even if they are just on Ameritrade.

Hotel Havana - Havana Bar and Ocho
This artfully designed downtown property knows a thing or two about chiaroscuro. The darkness comes from the dimly lit basement at Havana Bar, where peccadillos slink into the shadows. Blazing light illuminates Ocho upstairs, refracted through the turquoise accented panes of a glass conservatory. All revelers have to do is follow their mood.

La Ruina
In a tequila-obsessed town, this East Side hideaway has made a name by focusing on rum. Former Modernist owners Gerry Shirley and Olaf Harmel stir up a vacation's worth of concoctions, from tiki classics like Mai Tais to Brazilian bombshells like Caipirinhas. Steal the tropically wallpapered booth if you can get it. Rum was meant for languor.

Pastiche
Don't be surprised if you see the occasional cat slumbering at this louche East Side bar. Felines know a thing or two about posh surrounds. Guests will purr just as loudly over co-owner Benjamin Krick's sly barcraft. The back bar is an apothecary stocked with hard-to-find European spirits, cordials, and fortified wines — all used in some of the most unexpected cocktails in the city.

The Moon's Daughters
Perched atop the glittering Thompson Hotel, this rooftop lounge is usually recommended for the breathtaking downtown view. The interior offers just as much scenery. San Antonio's see-and-be-seen set sprawl on the luxe furniture, sipping CBD-infused cocktails and nibbling Mediterranean bites. The hospitality program isn't all just for show, of course, but it never hurts to gild the lily.

Three Star Bar
As much fun as it is to clink Baccarat, most days, we'd rather crush cans. For a weekday drink, it's hard to beat the wood-paneled slump of a neighborhood bar. This Grayson Street dive lets guests loosen their belts over craft beers and shots. The new ownership — Los Angeles-based Pouring With Heart — tinkered a bit with the drink menu but kept the meat and potatoes.

Photo by TX Troublemaker

It's all about love at Amor Eterno

Beto's Alt-Mex/ Facebook

7 things to know about San Antonio food right now: Mexican street food joint wraps up after 25 years

NEWS YOU CAN EAT

Editor's note: We get it. It can be difficult to keep up with the fast pace of San Antonio's restaurant and bar scene. We have you covered with our weekly roundup of essential food news.

Openings and closings

After serving locals for more than 25 years, a Broadway corridor mainstay has wrapped up business. In an Instagram statement, the owners of Beto's Alt-Mex announced that March 19 was the last day of service. Since 1997, the restaurant has offered an eclectic take on Pan-American street food, serving a variety of tacos and empanadas alongside sides like charro beans and Peruvian rice. In the post, the team struck a hopeful note by promising, "this is not a goodbye, but a see ya later."

A Northwest Side eatery only offered finality in its own closing note. Via Facebook, mom-and-pop joint Sarah's Barbacoa said its goodbyes on March 16. Though owner Sarah Hernandez explained the shutter was a tough decision, each member of the family management team decided to focus on emerging career opportunities.

In more playful news, schoolhouse-themed watering hole Home Roomwelcomed its first visitors on March 16. Owned by Marika Olmstead-Wright of Pacific Moon and Marc "Frenchy" Groleau of Charlie Brown's Neighborhood Bar, the watering hole has filled the former home of St. Peter Claver Academy with lawn games and primary colored furnishings. Still to come will be food trucks and a school bus patio bar.

A new project is brewing at 11015 Shaenfield Rd. A concept called Refuge Coffee and Beer has applied for a wine and malt beverage on-premise permit with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. According to corporate filings, the project is the work of Austinites. Although similarly named businesses exist in other states, this appears to be an original concept. An online presence seems to be still pending.

Other news and notes

Newish Pearl hot spot Ladino is putting a Mediterranean twist on the wine dinner. On March 27, the eatery will welcome Greek vintner Christos Zafeirakis of Domaine Zafeirakis Winery for a four-course feast paired with a whopping six wines. Tickets are $120 online and are limited to 24 guests.

River Walk restaurant Dorrego's is giving guests a little zazzle with made-to-order paella Monday through Friday, 11 am-2 pm. For $16.95, diners can customize a heaping helping of saffron rice with chicken, shrimp, scallops, sausage, mussels, and vegetables. Reservations can be booked online.

Speaking of paella, chef Johnny Hernandez's annual Paella Challenge will return to Mission County Park on March 26. As always, the shindig will feature more than 40 paellas prepared by some of San Antonio's culinary luminaries. Tickets start at $85 and benefit Hernandez's youth charity Kitchen Campus.

Photo courtesy of Visit Lubbock

Crafting the perfect sip-and-stay vacay in Lubbock

Bottoms Up

Did you know that around 80 percent of all grapes sourced by Texas wineries come from the High Plains AVA in West Texas? Or that Lubbock has its own signature cocktail? The city's craft beer scene has also exploded in the past five years.

All of this means that the West Texas city is now bubbling up with ideas for a refreshing getaway, whether you're a hophead, oenophile, or even a mocktail maven.

Curious to taste these bevvies for yourself? Here's what's brewing in Lubbock:

Cheers for beers

Two Docs Brewing Co.: The double doctors in the brewery's name are Dr. Eric Cunningham (a veterinarian) and Dr. Tyson Purdy (a family medicine practitioner), cousins who took their love of beer public in 2019. Located in the Cultural District, the environmentally-conscious brewery is known for its Buddy Hoppy IPA, Lubbock Light lager, and Two Docs Bock.

The Brewery LBK: USA Today crowned this newish brewery the Top Brewpub in the Nation, and it's a title head brewmaster Sally Taylor and general manager Mike Nghiem don't take lightly. The beers are a mix of classic profiles and inventive flavors, with plenty of seasonal rotations and nods to Hub City. Try the Low Hanging Fruit, made with Albarino grapes from the local Veesart Vineyards. Wine on the nose with flavors of bright citrus complement a wheat and barley backbone with farmhouse ale notes.

Good Line Beer Co.: What began as a true garage start-up is now a celebrated brewery in the historic Tech Terrace neighborhood, putting out brews with whimsical names like Catastrophe Girlfriend (a raspberry weisse), Range Life (a pilsner), and Bitter Buffalo (an IPA). Owners Chris Troutman and Shawn Phillips are heavy on community, with local artist Dirk Fowler creating the label designs.

Wine time

Syrah is one of the key grape varieties grown here, alongside Tempranillo and Grenache — two other varieties known to perform well in warm, dry climates like the Texas High Plains AVA. White grapes are also grown, but to a much lesser extent, mostly from Viognier, Chenin Blanc, and Sauvignon Blanc..

Seek out your next favorite glass (or bottle!) at Bolen Winery Vineyards, Burklee Hill Vineyards, English Newsom Cellars, McPherson Cellars, La Diosa Cellars, and Llano Estacado Winery, the second-oldest winery in the state. Adelphos Cellars will also open soon, inviting Lubbock into the city's newest winery, tasting room, and event venue.

The famous Lubbock Chilton

Called "a cocktail as bright and pure as the West Texas sun" by Texas Monthly, the Chilton is a refreshing cocktail comprised of vodka, fresh lemon juice, bubbly water, and a salted rim. The story goes that years ago, a parched Dr. Chilton instructed a bartender at the Lubbock Country Club to mix these ingredients together, and a signature sip was born.

You'll spot the Chilton all around town, with variations that range from fruity to spicy and even as the inspiration for a few seasonal beers. Here's a primer if you're not sure where to start.

Zero-proof pours

Alcohol isn't required for a great drink — just ask The West Table Kitchen and Bar and The Nicolett.

Everyone is included in the toast at The West Table with offerings such as the tropical Riki Tiki and "gin" rambler Baby Blue, among others. Each libation feels even more elegant thanks to the restaurant's location within the historic Pioneer Building in downtown Lubbock.

Photo courtesy of Visit Lubbock

Two Docs Brewing Co. was actually founded by two doctors.

At The Nicolett, 2022 James Beard Semifinalist for Best Chef: Texas and owner of The Nicolett, Finn Walter incorporated several non-alcoholic beverages into his cocktail menu to serve a craft experience for all to savor. From the botanical Garden Gimlet to the sweet-tart I Love Yuzu, each showcases an alcohol alternative in the ingredients list.

Where to rest your head

Stow your suitcase at the newly opened Aloft hotel, or check into an Airbnb managed by Home on the Range LBK, which owns four beautifully decorated properties all near Texas Tech University.

Looking forward

In the coming months, Lubbock will see the debut of Milestones Park and a new Dave & Busters. Even if you've visited before, there's always more to discover in Hub City — plan your next visit now.

Dough Pizzeria Napoletana/ Facebook

These 12 San Antonio pizzerias add up in the perfect Pi Day equation

SUPREME CHOICES

One wouldn’t know it from the yearly chain promos, but Pi Day on March 14 originally had little to do with pizza. Founded in 1988 by physicist Larry Shaw, its observance involved strolls around the circular spaces of the San Francisco Exploratorium and recitations of the very, very long number. For non-mathletes, it wasn’t exactly thrilling stuff.

While some of us can barely calculate how much flour is needed for a dough, we can agree that math has improved our lives exponentially. Whiz kids, keep figuring it out. We’ll raise a slice in your honor at one of these essential San Antonio pizzerias.

Black Laboratory Brewing Kitchen
Pizza and craft beer are legendary co-stars, so it makes sense that this East Side brewery would put both on the marquee. Local outfit 2-1-Dough handles the kitchen, churning out innovations like the "Elote Loco" with corn, Valentina hot sauce, lemon pepper, mayo, and cilantro. Perfect for a meet-cute.

Capo's Pizzeria
Specializing in maximalist Buffalo-style pizza, this spot piles the toppings on. The Vegetali — loaded with baby spinach, mushrooms, artichokes, Roma tomatoes, and red bell pepper — is better than a salad any day.

Cosa Nostra Pizzeria
Though omnivores will find plenty to like at this Huebner Road joint, it gets extra props for not making its plant-based fare an afterthought. This menu has three entirely vegan pies and cheesy garlic bread.

Dough Pizzeria Napoletana
Since 2007, Dough owners Doug and Lori Horn have been getting the Neapolitan equation right. 90 seconds at over 900 degrees equals thousands of happy locals. Try the prosciutto crudo with a tumble of bitter arugula dressed with a sprightly lemon-truffle vinaigrette.

Fiume Pizzeria and Wine Bar
This River Walk newcomer is putting a Texas spin on Neapolitan pies. Even the dough is made from locally grown grains from Barton Spring Mill. The toppings keep the theme with pizzas like the "Chroizo Quesa Flameado," a bubbling delight with roasted corn, poblano sauce, and Oaxacan cheese.

Il Forno
Chef Michael Sohocki’s DIY ethics are famously exacting. He even built the oven at this Southtown spot. But Il Forno finds him at his most playful. Check out the "Things Found Underground" pie with garlic, two onions, and leeks uprooted with preserved lemon.

Pizza Classics
No one will say that this San Antonio staple is reinventing the wheel. However, the infinite variety in the toppings can create strikingly innovative combinations. No matter what, we hope movie nights will be powered by Pizza Classics for decades.

Poppy’s Pizza
This is New York-style pizza in all its greasy, gooey glory. Go with "Hal’s New York" — a tantalizing trio of sausage, peppers, and onions — and fuggedaboudit.

SoHill Café
This neighborhood bistro makes a covetable burger and one of the best steak frites in town, but the pizza is the brightest star in its galaxy. The fig and prosciutto pizza bewitches with an unexpected crumble of pistachio.

Tank’s Pizza
This East Side gem brings the party with first-rate pies. While waiting for your take-out order, have a drink at the bar. The friendly regulars are a part of the Tank’s charm.

Trilogy Pizza Bistro
Pizza styles can be points of contention, so why not go to a place that bridges the divide? Trilogy excels at New York-style and Chicago-style served with traditional and newfangled toppings. Unity has never been more delicious.

WonderSlice
Chef Ben Schwartz is wowing guests at Pearl’s Bottling Department food hall with no-frills pizzas like meatballs, pepperoni, and the "Green Monster" with shredded zucchini. Grab a whole pie and pair it with wine from Park Bar or grab a quick slice on the go.

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6 splurge-worthy spas for max relaxation in San Antonio

Weekend plans sorted

It can be difficult to embark on a "treat yourself" spree when tallying up the costs of self-care. Skimming the extensive (and often expensive) menu of available services at any given spa, special treatments can feel like a waste of money. Thankfully for San Antonians, we're surrounded by local spas offering much more than the standard massage or facial. From award-winning hotel spas to salons offering boutique beauty services, here are six San Antonio spas where the end result is worth every penny.

Mokara Spa
As the city's only Forbes four-star spa, the Mokara is widely recognized as one of the best spas in the world, not just San Antonio. And you don't have to be a hotel guest to enjoy a service at the 17,000 square foot spa itself, where prices will cost $100 and up, depending on the service. Spring for the signature facial treatment, where a trained esthetician will customize a skincare regimen to your own personal needs. They also have treatments like body wraps, pedicures, manicures, massages, customized spa packages, and more. Book a service here.

Loma de Vida Spa
Looking for a way to treat a mom-to-be in your life for Mother's Day? Treat her to the Babymoon experience at La Cantera Resort's Loma de Vida spa. The experience include's a couples massage, a baby belly facial for the mom in question, and a chance for her to take some time to float peacefully in the spa's outdoor pool and enjoy lunch or a snack in one of the private cabanas. The entire experience is $555, but the spa offers weekday discounts and those Hill Country views are worth it. Book a service here.

The Thompson San Antonio Hotel Spa
It's hard not to feel like Goldilocks when entering the Thompson Hotel spa, because everything is justright from the second you walk in. Pricing for spa services range upwards from $100, but the spa offers some cost-effective spa packages (the Relax and Recharge package includes a 50-minute massage and 50-minute facial for $350, for example), or the Thompson Hotel spa membership, which includes benefits like 2 complimentary day passes a month for friends and family, 20 percent off spa services, and more. Book a service here.

The Spa at Eilan
If you're looking for a couple's treatment, the Eilan spa has a lot of options, from the Soothe for Two Rasul service (essentially a private steam and aromatherapy session), a couple's hot stone massage, or a men's facial. The spa at Eilan also has a wide assortment of spa packages that include a facial and massage in the set price. If you've never tried a body wrap before, the Eilan spa has a signature Hanakasumi body treatment, which features the calming scents of cherry blossom and lotus flower. Prices start around $110, and you can book a service here.

Folawns Medical Spa and Salon
If you're feeling a bit sluggish after a long week, you might want to try something other than a standard facial or massage. Folawns Medical Spa and Salon offers vitamin B12 shots that'll give you a boost that's both more natural and more convenient than having to stop at Starbucks. For only $20 a shot, it also helps boost your immunity, too. Folawns also offers other treatments like hydrafacials, IV treatments, laser hair removal and more. Book a service here.

Beauty Haus SA
Have you ever felt like you walked straight into a TikTok reel? Beauty Haus SA's got you covered on that front, but they aren't just about the 'gram: The talented staff offers a wide assortment of relaxing treatments, from massages and facials to lash lifts, brow tints, lip plumpers, and more. This writer tried her first ever lash lift and tint at Beauty Haus. They're not kidding when they say you won't need mascara for at least 4-6 weeks, as long as you apply castor oil to your lashes. The starting price for the lash lift and tint starts at $75 dollars (prices vary based on the technician) but it's definitely a nice confidence booster. Book a service here.

Goofiness keeps Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves light on its feet

Movie Review

In the franchise world in which we now live, movie studios are always looking for the next big thing that will ensure fans come flocking to the theater. The role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons has gotten a pop cultural boost in recent years thanks to the Netflix show Stranger Things, and now – just shy of its 50th anniversary – it's getting its own blockbuster movie, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.

The film premiered at South by Southwest (SXSW) as the festival's opening pick. The somewhat complex story centers on two of the titular thieves, Edgin (Chris Pine) and Holga (Michelle Rodriguez), who lead a group of rogues who make a living by stealing, but only from those who deserve it. One such altruistic mission, a relic that can bring back the dead, leads to the pair getting caught and put in jail, separating Edgin from his daughter, Kira (Chloe Coleman).

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Michelle Rodriguez and Chris Pine in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Fellow thief Forge (Hugh Grant) agrees to look after her, but after a daring escape, Edgin and Holga discover that Forge is even more of a scoundrel than they thought, rising to the title of Lord in their absence with the help of the sorceress Sofina (Daisy Head), and poisoning Kira’s mind against them. They must gather the rest of the team, including Simon (Justice Smith) and Doric (Sophia Lillis), to try to take him down and recover the relic once and for all.

Written and directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, with help from co-writer Michael Gilio, the film has the unenviable task of turning the famously dense game into something that pleases both fanatics and those unfamiliar with its many characters, creatures, and locations. It’s clear the filmmakers are trying to strike a balance between the two, loading the story with terms they barely attempt to explain while at the same time making the movie as goofy as possible.

Only the second of those two approaches truly works. The problem the filmmakers run into is that this is an introductory film that barely seems to care about introducing its characters. A lengthy speech by Edgin at the beginning attempts to do that, but is staged in such a way that the humor of sequence takes precedence over the details of the people. The only reason the characters wind up likable is because of the sheer amount of time spent with them and the actors’ performances.

Well, that and the comedy sprinkled throughout the film. If Daley, Goldstein, and Gilio do anything right, it’s not taking the material too seriously. The world has already seen Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, so adding in funny elements like the wise-cracking Edgin, a supremely fat dragon, and more keeps the film from getting lost in its own minutiae. Not all the jokes land, but 75-80 percent of them do, which is enough to keep the film buoyant.

Pine, as he’s shown in the recent Star Trek and Wonder Woman films, has charm to spare. He occupies this particular role extremely well, and so even if you can’t remember his character’s name, his performance carries the film. Rodriguez is an acquired taste, but her surly demeanor and physical prowess works for her here. The supporting actors shine at times, but the film doesn’t showcase them enough to make them stand out.

While miles better than the reviled 2000 Dungeons & Dragons, Honor Among Thieves is a merely okay beginning for a possible new franchise. There’s some excitement to be had and it stays light on its feet thanks to the comedy, but more attention paid to the story is warranted if they decide to make sequels.

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Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves opens in theaters on March 31.

Texas' 2023 bluebonnet season is early, here's where you can find them in San Antonio

Signs of spring

After an unseasonably warm winter and the 7th warmest January on record globally, Texans are no doubt wondering what the 2023 spring bluebonnet and wildflower season will look like.

Though they typically bloom in late March and early April, some areas of Texas are already noticing pockets of the flowers earlier than expected.

Andrea DeLong-Amaya, director of horticulture at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, says it’s typical to see the first patches of flowers along highways due to the heat. Cooler areas on the outskirts of town will start to see their blooms later.

“The warm, sunny weather is what triggers how soon they bloom,” she explained. “Last year, for example, it was a little unusually cold [in Austin], so they came out a lot later than they are this year.”

San Antonio, Austin and Houston are currently experiencing the peak season for blooms. Farther north in Dallas-Fort Worth, they might have just started seeing their blooms a week prior.

“It’s like a gradient from south to north,” DeLong-Amaya says. “It’s warmer generally as you go south, so they bloom a little bit earlier.”

Out in the West Texas-Big Bend area, there’s an entirely different species of bluebonnet that blooms earlier in February and March, which isn’t necessarily dependent on the heat.

One of the biggest factors that impacts the bluebonnet season is drought. But DeLong-Amaya says there was plenty of rain when seedlings started to germinate, which was especially fortunate for Central Texas areas like Austin.

“In some years where we’ve had a very dry winter; that definitely impacts the show in spring and would reduce how many plants we would have to see and possibly how big they get.”

Though many were worried about the bluebonnets getting burned by the February 2021 freeze, the flowers escaped mostly unscathed. They were mostly in a rosette form that hugged the ground while the snowfall acted as an “insulated blanket.” DeLong-Amaya says she’s never seen a freeze kill a bluebonnet, though taller plants above the snow might occasionally see some damage.

Texans wanting to get the most out of the peak bluebonnet season should visit state and national parks toward the end of March. Delong-Amaya encourages Central Texans to visit the Wildflower Center over the next few weeks if they would like to take photos with their patch of bluebonnets. The center treats for fire ants to allow visitors to have a safe experience.

While you’re getting the perfect photo in that big patch of flowers, DeLong-Amaya does encourage fellow bluebonnet-lovers to be respectful and not trample them.

“All of the plants that get trampled are then not going to survive to set seed and replenish the next year,” she warns. “It also puts plants out of commission for bees that are pollinators.”

If you’re worried if you might be breaking a law by picking a few bluebonnets, don’t be. There are no special laws that prevent you picking the state flower. Just don't pick or destroy any plants on state or national park grounds since they have their own laws against it. Now get ready to enjoy one of Texas’ most beautiful spring features.

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