Reservations now open for new boutique tasting room in the Highland Lakes area
HYE, TEXAS (March 2023) – William Chris Wine Company (WCWC) is pleased to announce the opening of its newest vineyard and wine tasting destination, Uplift Vineyard, located in Burnet, Texas. The 78-acre property in the Texas Hill Country AVA features an intimate tasting room nestled amongst 55 acres of vineyard, and the wines in the Uplift portfolio are exclusively estate-grown wines. The tasting room is open by reservation only on Thursdays through Sundays, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and appointments can now be made at upliftvineyard.com.
“We’re thrilled to debut our first estate wines–only brand within the William Chris Wine Company portfolio,” said WCWC Cofounder and CEO Chris Brundrett. “Every bottle of Uplift wine will come from only the best grapes harvested from this spectacular site, situated in the Llano Uplift geological region. We’re looking forward to bringing awareness to this unique location within the Texas Hill Country AVA because the fruit that’s being grown here is just outstanding.”
Added WCWC Cofounder and COO Andrew Sides, “We believe we have access to the best growing conditions that exist in this AVA through this site. The team that has managed this vineyard since its initial planting in 2012 has done a phenomenal job of overseeing the farm’s operations and that dedication really pays off in the wines we’re sharing from Uplift.”
Brundrett and Sides acquired the vineyard, previously named Hoover Valley, in 2021 from a private owner. As part of the acquisition, WCWC also took on the team responsible for the vineyard as well as the existing buildings and structures on the property, which are now being reimagined and repurposed as consumer-facing facilities for elevated wine tasting experiences and future private events.
Among those leading the charge on this new venture for WCWC is a recent hire for the company, Director of Sales Chris Hillin. A native Texan, Chris joins WCWC after spending over 15 years in the wine industry, with sales leadership roles at Amorim Cork America and Riedel. “The growth and momentum that’s happening in Texas wine is something that I’ve been watching and paying attention to for several years,” says Hillin. “I decided it was time to jump in and take advantage of the opportunity to shape the region’s future and I couldn’t be more excited to have joined the William Chris family to do that work. Uplift is an incredibly beautiful place to grow and share wine, and we look forward to welcoming our fans onto this property beginning this month.”
The wine program at Uplift Vineyard is being led by Winemaker Claire Richardson and will feature single varietal wines as well as proprietary blends. Uplift’s mission is to celebrate the special characteristics of the site and each vintage by using only the best fruit harvested from the vineyard each year. In its fall releases, Uplift will focus on a heavier Bordeaux theme showcasing outstanding single variety examples of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec alongside a Bordeaux blend. In the spring, the focus will shift to a lighter, Italian variety focus featuring Montepulciano, Aglianico and Sangiovese, as well as an Italian-inspired blend. Looking ahead, Uplift Vineyard will expand wine offerings to include a medium-body Rhône blend featuring Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, along with white blends and rosé wines.
Uplift Vineyard has launched its limited-capacity wine club, the Uplift Viticultural Society, and is currently in the final stages of filling the first 300 of 1,000 total spots for the ultra-exclusive Founders Club. In addition to the highly educational and immersive wine tastings offered, the team plans to eventually host onsite cooking demonstrations and full-day experiences that take advantage of the property and vineyard. Uplift Vineyard is located at 1411 Co Rd 119 in Burnet, Texas. For more information on the wine club or to book an experience at the vineyard, please visit upliftvineyard.com.
About William Chris Wine Company
William Chris Wine Company (WCWC) was founded in October 2020 by William Chris Vineyards’ Chris Brundrett and Lost Draw’s Andrew Sides. After many years of working closely together as partners in various projects and peers in Texas winemaking, Andrew and Chris merged their businesses and teams to create William Chris Wine Company. Their shared vision of elevating the Texas Wine industry and cultivating a place where future leaders in the industry can develop and grow their careers has been a driving force behind their mission. William Chris Wine Company is vineyard-driven, taking a farming-first approach to our process, which produces higher-quality wine that uplifts the Texas Wine industry. WCWC is the parent company of the William Chris Vineyards (est. 2008), Lost Draw (est. 2012), Skeleton Key (est. 2015), Grower Project (est. 2015), and Uplift (est. 2022) brands, and is the leading producer of Texas-grown wines. For more information, please visit williamchriswines.com.
About Uplift Vineyard
The newest brand in the William Chris Wine Company portfolio, the spirit of Uplift Vineyard is rooted in the land that it occupies. Founders Chris Brundrett (William Chris Vineyards) and Andrew Sides (Lost Draw) believe that the Llano Uplift geological region in the Texas Hill Country is one of the most unique and special places to grow grapes in the state, and this project is their humble attempt to explore and celebrate that through site-driven single variety wines as well as classic blends. Uplift is home to WCWC’s largest estate vineyard at 55 acres, with 13 varieties planted. The Uplift label produces only estate wines from the highest-quality grapes that the stunning vineyard provides each vintage. WCWC is proud to present this new collection of wines to the most discerning oenophiles looking for an ultra-premium Texas wine that exists solely to celebrate the place where it’s grown. Uplift Vineyard is located at 1411 Co Rd 119 in Burnet, Texas. For more information on the wine club or to book an experience at the vineyard, please visit upliftvineyard.com.
