It had been too long since we had been on a day trip so today we headed out to Tyler, TX. Our first stop (after a BBQ lunch) was Kiepersol Estates Winery and Vineyard. I soon realized, the winery is but a small portion of the operation, but this is what we went to see.
The grounds are beautiful. Rolling hills provide great views of the vineyards on the hillsides. We started in the large and very nice tasting room. Tastings are $1 per ounce but since we ended up buying four bottles (1 for a gift) the tastings were included in our purchase. I highly recommend the NV Bridge Sweet Mengsel, if you are a fan of sweet reds. We also sprung for the winery tour which was great. My wife and I were the only two there so we had a private tour for $5 each! Our guide, Justin, was amazing because he is actually one of only three full time employees and he is the Assistant Winemaker and Cellar Master so he explained the process in detail from start to finish.
Kiepersol grows fourteen varieties of grapes for their various wines. If memory serves, they have 60+ acres of vineyards, each producing 4,000lbs of grapes. ALL of them are picked completely BY HAND! During harvest, they work fifteen hours per day, seven days per week for twenty-five days. Let me remind you, they harvest in AUGUST. In TEXAS. Yeah, its get above 100 degrees here a LOT during August. Our guide told us he had a hand in designing the building and insisted on having a shower installed because of the long, hot, sticky days of harvest.
We learned how the grapes are pulverized, separated, put into tanks, and every other step from picking to bottling. Because of the length of time to produce the wines, they are always working with three years worth of harvests, each at different stages of readiness. I learned a lot about winemaking. Probably the best education I ever received for five bucks!
Okay, so they have a vineyard and a winery. But that is just the tip of the iceberg at Kiepersol. Its called Kiepersol Estates because you can actually buy a house on the grounds…there are three residential developments. YOU can buy a house there, I cannot seeing as how I am not rich. The estates are massive and beautiful. However, if you do buy property there you get a discount at the winery!
Should you enjoy your visit, you can stay…at their Bed and Breakfast. Hungry? No problem, they also have their own restaurant. There is also a celebration center for holding concerts, business meetings, or trade shows. So take your band down and give a concert! Oh, and you can use the equipment at their Studio 333 to either record the live concert, or for a private studio session. If you need a place to park your concert tour bus, there is also an RV park with an extensive list of amenities.
I plan to be back in July to do some more photography while everything is green just before the grapes are ready to harvest.