Photo By Janecze Wright | The unassuming entrance of BeeMaRosa, Belton’s newest winery and vineyard, belies...... read more read more
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BELTON, Texas — On my drive home from a visit to Waco, Texas, I was surprised to see a banner advertising a new winery in Belton, Texas, of all places.
My curiosity, but more so my love of wine and good wineries, along with its proximity, prompted me to pay BeeMaRosa Vineyard and Winery a visit.
Located at exit 292 on IH-35, across from the Bell County Expo Center, BeeMaRosa is a much shorter drive than traveling to Fredericksburg, Texas, known as the Texas Wine Country, for its variety of vineyards and wineries.
As my friend Sasha and I pulled up to the unassuming building, we were struck by how much it resembled a regular home. But upon entering, we were greeted by a cozy interior, a small bar displaying many of the available wines and Manager Chris Joyce who provided some background on Central Texas’ newest winery.
As he gave us a guided tour, he explained that the building was a rented office space when owners Madhavar “Reddy” Beeram, a pediatrician, and his wife Sharon, a retired nurse, decided to re-invent the building and the plot of land into their vision of a vineyard.
“They consulted with Texas A&M back in 2021 to see if they could grow grapes here on the property and Texas A&M said, ‘yes, you can, this land is conducive for it, go for it,’” Joyce recounted.
The five-and-a-half-acre vineyard and winery has been a labor of love ever since, and after a laborious growing season, the vineyard produced more than 1,200 bottles of wine in 2022 to share with the public during BeeMaRosa’s grand opening in March 2023.
The inside of the venue features a welcoming seating area and a couple of large rooms that can be used for gatherings and celebrations, or a nice quiet place to enjoy your wine of choice.
Before we made our way outside, we asked about the unique name of the establishment and Joyce explained that it was derived from the couple’s last name. I thought that was a nice, personal touch.
The outside area was surprisingly spacious with picnic style tables on a stone paved patio that led to a sprawling lawn dotted with flowers, garden décor and chairs.
Just beyond the patio is a quaint little bridge that leads to a small vineyard with tidy rows of 1,200 plants harvested to create robust reds such as Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon and crisp whites like Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Reisling and Moscato.
The vineyard currently grows four varieties of grapes used to create their wines: Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon, which were chosen because of their success in Central Texas, Petite Sirah and Tannat.
The venue also features a detached garage converted into a comfortable wine lounge, complete with a big screen TV, chairs and a fireplace.
After sampling of few of the offerings, my friend and I opted to share a bottle of Moscato, a slightly sweet white wine, and a charcuterie platter with an assortment of fresh and dried fruit, cheeses, olives, crackers and chocolates, in the wine lounge while watching a football game.
The venue offers much more than an assortment of wines guests can sample from a tasting menu or enjoy by the glass or bottle.
From weddings in front of the picturesque grape vines and dinner served al fresco on the patio or in the wine lounge to intimate celebrations inside or boisterous festivities outside, the ambiance at BeeMaRosa is the perfect backdrop to commemorate any special occasion.
The establishment is open from noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. on Sundays.
Visit beemarosa.com for more information, contact them at 254-913-6856 or drop by for a visit.
The wine was delicious, but knowing its backstory makes BeeMaRosa even more appealing, and I plan to visit again soon.
| Date Taken: | 02.08.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.23.2024 14:35 |
| Story ID: | 468868 |
| Location: | BELTON, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 82 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Belton winery promises to ‘Bee’ new favorite, by Janecze Wright, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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