Sacrifice Vineyards opens on Thursday, October 15, at 107 O'Malley Road. It will pour Thursdays from 3 to 8 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The 8 p.m. close is the detail that matters most to anyone who lives in town. Until now, the only place around Brenham pouring Texas wine after six was a tasting room downtown. Every vineyard in the surrounding countryside had already closed for the day.
The grand-opening weekend runs October 15 through 17. Visit Brenham lists the Thursday kickoff from 3 to 8 p.m., with wine and light bites.
The six o'clock line
Here are the posted hours at the wine stops in and right around Brenham, as listed on each winery's own site this fall.
| Stop | Location | Posted days and hours |
|---|---|---|
| Sacrifice Vineyards | 107 O'Malley Road, Brenham | Thu 3–8 p.m.; Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–8 p.m. |
| Haak Wines tasting room | 109 S. Baylor St., downtown Brenham | Thu 3–9 p.m.; Fri–Sat 3–10 p.m.; Sun 2–8 p.m. |
| 36 North Vineyard | 7001 Texas Highway 36, Brenham | Thu–Sun; the site shows noon–6 p.m. as "open today" |
| Saddlehorn Winery | 958 FM 1948 N, Burton | Thu–Sun 11 a.m.–6 p.m. |
| Texas Star Winery | 10587 Old Chappell Hill Road, Chappell Hill | Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sun noon–5 p.m. |
| Chapelton Vineyards | 15040 Whitman Road, Washington | Fri–Sun 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; reservations required |
Look down the right-hand column and the pattern is plain. The countryside stops in Burton, Chappell Hill, Washington, and up Highway 36 keep daytime hours that end at six or earlier. Haak's downtown room on South Baylor has been the evening option, staying open until 9 p.m. on Thursdays and 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Sacrifice Vineyards now gives Brenham a second evening option, and the first one where the view is rows of vines instead of a downtown street. Its own description promises "breathtaking sunsets." In mid-October, an 8 p.m. close leaves room to stay past dusk.
The two evening options also feel quite different. Haak bills its Brenham room as the world's first video-mapping wine tasting, with visuals projected to go with each pour, plus charcuterie boards and wine appreciation classes. Sacrifice is outdoors, with a lake on the property. The winery asks guests to admire the lake from a distance, and fishing isn't allowed. One is an indoor, downtown, after-dinner kind of stop. The other is a vineyard that stays open late enough for the sun to set.
What is actually in the glass on O'Malley Road
The vineyard is new, and the winery is upfront about that. Sacrifice says its vines went in during 2025 and describes them as still maturing. Its FAQ says wine is sold by the glass and by the bottle, but it doesn't name the labels or say where the grapes for the opening wines come from. If you want to know whose wine you're drinking on opening weekend, ask at the counter. The website doesn't say.
The rest of the experience is easier to pin down from what the winery has posted:
- Food: a menu of light bites, charcuterie, and fresh local sourdough sold daily, with food trucks on site most weekends. Outside food isn't allowed. The one exception is a birthday cake without candles, as long as your server gets a slice.
- Non-alcoholic options: non-alcoholic wines, sparkling and still flavored waters, and locally sourced tap water.
- Reservations: recommended, and required for groups of six or more.
- Smoking: not allowed anywhere on the property.
Owners Shelly and Kevin Ullrich have built the place around faith as much as wine. The about page explains the name:
"It honors the sacrifice of the farmer who tends the vineyard, the sacrifice of the grape as it is transformed into wine, and most importantly, the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ."
The same page describes the property as a place to taste, celebrate, or "sit quietly in prayer."
Blanc du Bois and Black Spanish, again
The grape list is where Sacrifice links most clearly to the wine already made around here. The winery planted Blanc du Bois, Black Spanish, which also goes by Lenoir, and three varieties called Camminare Noir, Errante Noir, and Paseante Noir. It chose them as varieties that can stand up to "many of the challenges the Texas weather delivers."
Out on FM 1948 in Burton, Saddlehorn Winery grows estate Blanc du Bois and Black Spanish on its 390-acre ranch, about a mile off Highway 290. So the newest vineyard in Washington County is starting with the same two grapes an established vineyard in the county already grows on its own land. Sacrifice credits its sandy soil and the Brenham climate as a good base for healthy vines.
The three Noir grapes have their own story. Sacrifice notes that Camminare, Errante, and Paseante are all names tied to walking or moving forward. The varieties were developed by Dr. Walker of UC Davis, which makes the names a bit of a pun. They're the least familiar names on the list. Once the young vines start producing, they're also the grapes most likely to make Sacrifice's own wine taste different from its neighbors'.
The Salem Road gap
For longtime Brenham residents, wine near town used to mean Pleasant Hill Winery on Salem Road. KWHI reported in March 2023 that owners Bob and Jeanne Cottle closed the winery after more than 25 years and retired. Some regional tourism directories still list Pleasant Hill at 1441 Salem Road as if it were open, so guests who look up wineries on their own may end up at a closed gate.
Since then, a vineyard stop near Brenham has mostly meant a drive. Burton, Chappell Hill, Washington, and the Highway 36 corridor toward Somerville are all reasonable trips. 36 North describes itself as sitting near Somerville on Highway 36. But every one of those stops closes before an after-work visit really gets going. O'Malley Road gives Brenham a vineyard again, and its hours fit after work.
How the week lays out now
Put the posted hours together and a Thursday-to-Sunday wine week around Brenham looks like this:
- Thursday gets a new afternoon-into-evening option. Sacrifice opens at 3 p.m., the same time as Haak downtown. Sacrifice closes at 8 and Haak at 9. Saddlehorn and 36 North are open during the day.
- Friday and Saturday have the most going on. Sacrifice pours from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and the daytime stops in Burton, Chappell Hill, and Washington are all open until six. 36 North has live music on Saturdays from 2 to 5 p.m. Texas Star in Chappell Hill says it's open year-round.
- Sunday belongs to everyone else. Sacrifice's posted hours skip Sunday. Haak opens at 2 p.m. and stays open until 8. Texas Star pours from noon to 5, Saddlehorn from 11 to 6, and Chapelton from 11 to 6 by reservation.
A few practical notes from the wineries' own pages will save you a wasted drive:
- Chapelton requires advance reservations for public visits, and walk-ins are limited to wine club members when space allows. Use the address on its official site, 15040 Whitman Road. At least one directory still shows an older Whitman Road number.
- 36 North warns that Apple Maps sends drivers to the wrong place. It suggests searching for the vineyard by name or entering SH-36, Brenham Texas 77833. The vineyard also asks parties of 10 or more to make a reservation.
- Haak downtown closes on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
Opening weekend, and the weekend after
Sacrifice's events page still says "EVENTS COMING SOON." It doesn't list performers or an hour-by-hour plan for October 15 through 17. The winery sends people to its website and to Facebook and Instagram for the full schedule and hours. If you're bringing a group of six or more, plan on a reservation.
The calendar stays busy right after opening weekend. Chapelton has a members-only birthday toast on Sunday, October 18, then a Winemaker's Hour on November 7 and another birthday toast on November 15. A fall wine club pickup event is also set for November, with the time still to be announced. Texas Star's October calendar says "No events at the moment," and Saddlehorn's October and November entries list its regular tastings. If you'd rather plan a full evening downtown, our guide to happy hour spots in Brenham pairs well with a stop on South Baylor. For more ideas around town, see things to do in Brenham and our Brenham community page.
Sacrifice planted its vines in sandy soil on O'Malley Road, and it isn't the only place around here where people want to grow grapes. If a glass on O'Malley Road has you thinking about acreage around Burton, Chappell Hill, or Washington, The Lindi Camaron Team can walk you through what a piece of land can support before you commit. Contact Us.
