Here are some of our highlights of 2019:
In 2019 we introduced the Wine Sign! It was so much fun in the spring posting our Wine Sign quotes! They were a big hit with our social media followers. Do you remember your favorite?
We have a long list of improvements / plans for the property. Unfortunately, we didn’t get as much done in 2019 as we had hoped. We are still a work in progress. In February we worked on the pavilion area, adding a bunch of picnic tables. We have enjoyed seeing families use the area to eat and enjoy their time together. The showcase of the pavilion area is the drop-down stage that Double Diamond Iron & Woodworks created for us.
The Brownwood Bulletin wrote an article on our Valentine’s Day Blush Release, ‘Perfect Timing – Blush Release Valentine’s Day.’ We had sold out of our original Blush in late December. As a result, in January and early February there were some unhappy customers, hearing their Blush was sold out. We had one guest, we’ll call Jane Doe, that wanted to wear black as a sign of mourning that we were out of her Blush! The release helped make our Valentine’s Day event a big success.
For the second year, we hosted Good Samaritan Ministries Empty Bowl painting events. GSM does such a fantastic job helping the community. We’re proud to support them. We have made an effort to support several local non-profits. We’ve been welcomed into Brown County and we’re committed to support it anyway we can.
There’s a whole bunch of Irish under our roof, so St Patrick’s Day is a favorite day here. Falling on a Sunday, it was the perfect day for some green wine (we released our Welcome that day) and the photo booth courtesy of Gobo Entertainment. It was such a fun day, all captured in the booth!
Our Fireside Sunsets became a surprise hit. We had so many guests share their enjoyment of their time sipping wine in front of the fire pit while watching the sunset. There is something about sitting around a fire that can’t be explained. Great conversations, laughter and even some tears. A perfect place to relax and unwined. Thanks to Kenny for supplying the firewood!
We celebrated our 2nd Anniversary in April. While it wasn’t a blockbuster event, we had such a fun time. It was capped off with a great show from the Remedy.
We added 4 new bee hives in April. While we still have so much to learn, we really enjoy beekeeping. We even attempted a bee removal from a well house. It was a learning experience.
In July we started working with a new winemaker. The wines we released in the fall had the new black label design to reflect the change. We have released the Shamus Rosé, Aged to Reflection and the Montepulciano, all to tremendous compliments along with some awards already too! We still have a Cabernet Sauvignon set to be released in April. Thanks to Dustin Durham with Happy Trails Trucking, we were able to transport the wines safely in a refrigerated trailer during that hot August heat.
Our Woodstock celebration turned out to be the grooviest event of the year! Jim, John & Sharon urged us to plan it, and we’re so glad we did. Sharon was manning the photo booth while Jim & John were co-DJ’s, with non-stop 60’s & 70’s music. Chipster’s Grill was busy serving up some of their delicious BBQ! The place was packed, standing room only, such a great night!!
We are a Cross Country Destination! Since we’ve opened, we’ve been amazed at the number of cross-country visitors we’ve had. Most were coming from Austin, but a good number were coming to visit Lake Brownwood State Park. We’ve had buses, RV’s and campers, all sharing their adventures. The one visit that stood out this year was Bob’s visit because it was on motorcycle. Bob drove up on a Sunday afternoon. Brian noticed him on the patio for a while, so he went to meet him. He recently retired from the military, and was on his way to California from Maryland. Brian invited him inside. We had our usual Sunday crowd who greeted him with open arms. Bob stayed for about 3 hours.
The year hasn’t been a bed of roses (or Rosé). Something that started as a morale booster, ended up embedded in controversy! It was our Employee of the Month competition. It got so bad that we had to temporarily discontinue this recognition incentive. Again, we would appreciate this not discussed at the winery! Thank you Becky for showing support for the EOM runner up!
