During summertime at Vintners Own, we get really excited about shipping in fruit from Napa and Sonoma Valley in California for grape harvest. This year, we are even MORE excited because we are crushing scrumptious grapes from the high plains in Texas where some of the best Texas wine is produced.

Vintners Own has partnered up with Chris Caldwell, the winemaker of Caldwell-Crosby and Reddy Vineyards in the High plains to crush, ferment and bottle the first Caldwell-Crosby Vintage. I sat down with Chris to ask him a little bit about Texas wine and his new brand.  

“We really just jumped right in,” Chris said, “this went from being a hobby to a commercial business.”

Chris' dad, who represents the Caldwell name in the brand, has been traveling to Napa for nearly 30 years and has always wanted to make wine. He and his good friend Jim Crosby decided to fund a brand, which, they originally planned to produce and bottle in California.

While Caldwell and Crosby debated on where to produce the delectable fruit for their wine, they couldn't resist the idea of creating an all-Texas wine.

"Texas is where Napa was in the 60's," Chris said, "opportunity and potential in Texas is huge."

Currently, Caldwell-Crosby has contracts for 12 tons of fruit with Reddy Vineyards, one of the larger vineyards in the Texas High Plains. This area of Texas is prime grape growing land due to the area climate.

At the end of the 2010 winemaking season, two Caldwell-Crosby 
all-Texas wines will emerge from this year’s harvest: a Cabernet Sauvignon and a ‘Bordeaux’ blend.

At Vintners Own, we can't wait to work with Caldwell-Crosby on their Texas brand! 

Culturemap Houston features Vintners Own 'Wine by the Glass' program.

Chris Caldwell is a native Houstonian and the winemaker for Caldwell-Crosby, a new Texas brand that will be available in 2012.

“We really just jumped right in,” Chris said, “this went from being a hobby to a commercial business.”

 “My dad has been traveling to Napa for nearly 30 years,“ Chris said, “He has wanted to make wine for a long time.” Chris’ father and his good friend Jim Crosby originally planned to purchase a vineyard and winery in California, but in the end, they couldn’t resist trying to grow grapes in Texas.

Currently, Caldwell-Crosby has contracts for 12 tons of fruit with Reddy Vineyards in the Texas High Plains. This area of Texas, considered by many to be the Napa Valley of Texas, is prime grape growing land due to the area climate.

When harvest season starts, which for Texas is normally during the month of September, Caldwell-Crosby will be crushing, fermenting, aging and finally bottling their fruit with Vintners Own Winery.

“Vintners Own is a fully equipped winemaking facility”, Vintners Own Manager, Simon Payne said, “and Texas fruit producers are beginning to realize it’s easy to let Vintners Own do the analysis, record keeping and tasks of the winemaking process.”

At the end of the 2010 winemaking season, two Caldwell-Crosby all-Texas wines will emerge from this year’s harvest: a Cabernet Sauvignon and a ‘Bordeaux’ blend.