Bell Mountain
The Bell Mountain AVA is located in Gillespie County, Texas and is entirely contained within the Hill Country AVA. This is statistically the smallest AVA in the state, covering only approximately 3,200 acres, of which 70 are planted on the southwest slopes of Bell Mountain.
This AVA was the first to be designated in Texas (November 10th, 1986). The mountain itself rises to 2,000 feet, with vineyards located on the south and southwest slopes. These elevations bring a cooling effect to the vineyards during the daylight hours, and even more so at night. The terrain of the area is non-calcareous, sandy, loam soils with light sandy clay sub-soil that is slightly acidic.