Texas Hill Country-based Hoover Valley Vineyard provides an expanded estate growing footprint in Central Texas and opportunity for a new tasting room location
HYE, TEXAS (July 7, 2021) – William Chris Wine Company (WCWC) announced today that they have closed on the purchase of Hoover Valley Vineyard, a 78-acre property in the Texas Hill Country AVA, for an undisclosed amount. The mature vineyard, previously owned by Reed and Joan Williams, will continue to be managed by the existing operations team that’s in place today, who will now join the WCWC employee roster.
This purchase adds 55 acres to WCWC’s winegrowing footprint in the Texas Hill Country AVA, which aligns with one of the company’s long-term strategies of becoming more vertically integrated by farming more fruit from their own vineyards. Hoover Valley is home to 13 varieties of grapes. In addition to the vineyard, there are several existing structures on the property which WCWC plans to renovate and operate as a new tasting room destination, likely opening sometime in 2022.
“We believe in building a wine company that invests back into the culture and the industry that it’s a part of. Bringing Hoover Valley into our portfolio shifts us towards having the majority of our production coming from our own vineyards, which is a huge part of our long-term vision,” said Chris Brundrett, CEO and co-founder of WCWC. “The vineyard management team at Hoover Valley has done an exceptional job of maintaining an eye on quality, and we’re incredibly proud to have them join our crew.”
Added COO and co-founder Andrew Sides, “We started tasting fruit off of this vineyard five or six years ago and noticed a distinction in the Llano uplift terroir when compared to that of the nearby Pedernales River Basin, where most of our current Hill Country holdings are located. We wanted to capture that unique profile for our fans and shine a light on an area of the Hill Country AVA that’s less well-known but highly capable of producing world-class wine.”
CMO Leah Derton commented further, “Hoover Valley Vineyard presents an opportunity for us to serve our existing fans in a new location, but it will also allow us to attract and engage new customers in the Highland Lakes region, which is a really exciting proposition. We’re thrilled to be growing our Hill Country AVA vineyard acreage and our staff with this acquisition.”
William Chris Vineyards co-founder and WCWC advisory board member Bill Blackmon will stay on as director of vineyard operations. But as a part of the acquisition, Hoover Valley Vineyard Manager Rob Strain will be assuming vineyard management operations for the company and will oversee the teams in place across WCWC’s vineyards, supported by Assistant Vineyard Managers Tate Gregory and Jose Alonso. Winemaking responsibilities for the production from Hoover Valley will be facilitated by the current WCWC team, led by Head Winemakers Tony Offill and Brad Buckelew.
WCWC partnered with Comerica Bank on financing for this transaction. Wines using fruit from Hoover Valley will begin appearing in WCV and LDC releases beginning this fall.
To learn more about William Chris Wine Company, please visit williamchriswines.com and follow on Facebook and Instagram @WilliamChrisVineyards.
ABOUT WILLIAM CHRIS WINE COMPANY
William Chris Wine Company was founded in October 2020 by William Chris Vineyards’ Chris Brundrett and Lost Draw Cellars’ Andrew Sides. Built from a shared vision and set of core values, WCWC is the parent company of the William Chris Vineyards (est. 2008), Lost Draw Cellars (est. 2012), Skeleton Key (est. 2015), and Grower Project (est. 2015) brands, and is the leading producer of 100 percent Texas-grown wines in the Lone Star State. For more information, please visit williamchriswines.com.
ABOUT WILLIAM CHRIS VINEYARDS
William Chris Vineyards is a leader in producing 100 percent Texas-grown wine. Since 2008, winegrowers William “Bill” Blackmon and Chris Brundrett, who was recently included in Wine Enthusiast’s 2020 40 Under 40 list, have expanded the estate vineyards and partnered with family-owned farms to source only the highest quality fruit. William Chris prides itself on expressing genuine taste of Texas terroir through their wines while delivering a one-of-a-kind experience. Their approach integrates farming, tradition, and local culture, and Bill and Chris kept this in mind as they sought out a property to build their winery. Deciding on a pioneer farm settlement in the historic town of Hye, Texas, they began the project to restore the 1905 Deike family farmhouse, which became the original William Chris Tasting Room. William Chris Vineyards is pleased to share a piece of their world and cannot wait to share it with you. For more information, please visit williamchriswines.com and follow on Facebook and Instagram @WilliamChrisVineyards.
ABOUT LOST DRAW CELLARS
Founded in 2012 by Andrew Sides, Troy Ottmers and Andy Timmons, Lost Draw Cellars is a family-owned business with deep Texas roots. As a proud producer of 100 percent Texas-grown wine, Lost Draw manages their estate vineyard in the Texas High Plains, with a tasting room right in the heart of Fredericksburg, Texas. The Lost Draw team is committed to producing quality wines that highlight the unique terroir of Texas, planting grapes that thrive in the semi-arid climate of the region and working to continuously improve the growing process in a sustainable way. In addition to their estate vineyards, the team partners with some of the best vineyards in the state as a way of supporting Texas farmers. More information on their story, wines or how to visit the tasting room can be found at lostdrawcellars.com, and on Facebook and Instagram @lostdrawcellars.
