A swig of California, a pour of Texas, and a sip of history is coming soon to Boerne in the form of a unique vineyard. Native Houstonians, Julie and Richard Lee, are bottling up the essence of their California experience to pour into Boerne’s Hill Country Mile with the opening of their Paso Robles-focused Hill & Bach Cellars, which will debut at the historic Old Luckenbach House at 265 Main St. in late Spring 2026.
“We think Boerne is perfect for putting in a new vineyard,” Richard Lee said.
“We wanted to bring the wine that we love to our friends out in Boerne, Texas.”
What Now San Antonio had the pleasure of speaking with the soon-to-be Boerne winery owner, who revealed that this passion project he shares with his wife started in his backyard in California. After moving to wine country in 2018, Richard sparked a love for not only enjoying wine but also vinification.
“I had been telling Julie that I really wanted a vineyard, and she said, ‘That’s a nice idea, but it’ll probably never happen,” Richard divulged.
Not long after this conversation, the dynamic husband-and-wife duo made an exciting discovery. There in the weeds, in the back of their California home, was a hidden vineyard.
“It was so cool!” Richard said.
“So we rehabilitated the vineyard and started making wine the next year.”
After meeting people in the wine community, it lit a fire under the couple to bring their small friends and family-supported brand back to Texas with them. But this time with the intention to do it a bit bigger.
“We wanted to bring those two worlds together,” he said.
But first, the Lees had to find a home for the soon-to-come Hill & Bach Cellars. Nestled on Boerne’s Main Street sits historic landmark, the “Old Luckenbach House,” the perfect setting for a sweet addition to Boerne’s vineyard community.
“We said we had to have it,” Richard said.
Richard shared that construction on the new Hill & Bach Cellars is expected to wrap up in April 2026. But the Hill & Bach Cellars owners aren’t changing a thing about the historic building’s foundation. The Old Jacob Luckenbach House was built in the 1800s and was once home to Jacob Luckenbach, the founder of the famous Texas town, Luckenbach.
“We had to keep the building, which is a historic landmark, intact,” Richard said.
“We’re putting in electrical, all new AC, and plumbing because everything is literally 150 years old. We’re putting in beautiful decks around it and a courtyard, fountains, and fireplaces. It’s going to be beautiful.”
There will be two wine bars, and in the warm months, Hill and Bach Cellars will have live music three to four times a month.
To pair with their list of Paso Robles pours, the tasting room will also serve small bites like empanadas, cheese boards, and a Texas-style charcuterie plate.
“Our place definitely has a Texas flair to our design,” Richard said.
While Hill & Bach Cellars will possess a Texas twang, oenophiles, casual wine lovers, and vineyard virgins will be able to taste California’s Central Coast in every pour. The couple, whose passion for Paso Robles wine was the catalyst for this winemaking venture, shared that their winery will be the only winery in Boerne with a purely Paso Robles-based wine list. The unique offering sets them apart from the pack, or the other two wineries in Boerne.
“We’re biased now, so I can honestly tell you we like it more than Napa,” Richard said.
“Paso Robles wine is on par with Napa. But, instead of 300-400 dollars a bottle. Paso Robles wine is 30, 40, 50, 60 bucks a bottle. So, we’re able to bring a really good product to our Texas venue.”
Hill & Bach will offer wine club memberships that will include bold red wines, whites, and more. Fun wine names like Bless Your Heart, Gunpowder & Velvet, and Hat & Cattle serve as callbacks to their home state, giving off a little Texas on the outside and California wine country on the inside vibe. Bottles are already available for purchase on the Hill & Bach Cellars website, giving interested parties a taste before the venue’s first pour.
Just on the other side of Boerne is Fredericksburg, which is home to a host of Texas wineries and tasting rooms. But, with its unique offerings and beautiful scenery, the hope is that Texans and visitors need to look no further than Hill & Bach Cellars in Boerne.
“Because Boerne is closer to San Antonio than Fredericksburg is, we would really give people in San Antonio a lot more accesibilitiy to come to Boerne for good wine and a good time than have to drive past Boerne and go another hour up to Fredericksburg,” Richard said.
“We are really hoping that we will appeal to not just the locals here in Boerne, but we want to spread our wings out over all of San Antonio and attract them up to Boerne.”
Hill & Bach Cellars is set to open in the Old Luckenbach House at 265 Main St. in late Spring 2026.
