Laurinda Thomas
Texas Wine Lover was invited for this coverage. All opinions, experiences, and photographs are entirely our own.
The Brownfield Chamber of Commerce held its 12th annual The Grape Capital of Texas Vineyard & Wine Festival on July 12th and 13th. While the festival itself is a fundraising event for the Chamber, its focus is to showcase the festival’s namesake…the grape growers. Terry County, which is where Brownfield is located, was proclaimed to be the Grape Capital of Texas in 2015 by Governor Greg Abbott, and at the time there were approximately 1,500 acres under vine. Fast forward to 2024 and there are now approximately 4,000 acres under vine.
I always say the grape growers are the unsung heroes of the wine industry because without them the winemakers could not do their job. Growing grapes is not for the faint of heart and while every job has its challenges, not every job has to contend with Mother Nature and her sometimes erratic behavior. I have had the pleasure of meeting several of the grape growers in and around Brownfield over the years, so I was more than happy to go and show my support for those I am fortunate enough to call my friends and for the growers I had yet to meet.
The two-day event was hosted by Farmhouse Vineyards and was held at their event center, The Armory. What once was the location of the National Guard, The Armory has been transformed into a multipurpose facility for Farmhouse Vineyards consisting of office space, barrel storage, The Vault, and event space. The Vault offers a unique tasting experience while giving visitors a glimpse into some of the different areas of farming by Farmhouse Vineyards as the ceiling is covered with cotton and the walls are covered with milo and wine barrel slats. What people might not know is that some of the grape growers in Terry County also farm other crops. This is partly due to the fact that grape growing can be a volatile business, but for many growers, their families have been farming and growing other crops for generations, so it is in their DNA.
While this was a two-day event, tickets for each day were sold separately so attendees could attend one or both days. Tickets for Friday night’s event, which was from 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., covered an all you can eat buffet style dinner catered by The BBQ Barn, Grub Gauntlet, and Tencha’s, with dessert catered by Karisha’s Delight and Sweet Lil’ Peace, and live music from Clifton Castle. Tickets for Saturday night’s event, which was from 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., covered vineyard tours to Bingham Family Vineyard and Oswald Vineyard, followed by a buffet-style dinner and dessert catered by Jeana Kaufman, and live music from The Dudes. For those who did not want to do the vineyard tours, tickets were available for the dinner only.
The Vault at The Armory
Tickets also covered samplings of wine from the wineries in attendance, which included:
- Adelphos Cellars
- Bingham Family Vineyards
- Farmhouse Vineyards
- Llano Estacado Winery
- Oswald Vineyard
- Reddy Vineyards
- The Triple D Winery
- Y Knot Vineyard
Each winery had a selection of at least three wines to choose from and wine could also be purchased by the glass or bottle.
While I am sure almost everyone in attendance had visited a winery or attended a wine festival or sip-and-shop event at some point in time, the vineyard tours were a unique part of this festival. Vineyard visits were something that did not hit my radar until several years into my Texas wine journey, but it has quickly become one of my favorite things to do. Seeing the vineyards, meeting the people responsible for growing the grapes used to make some of my favorite wines, and hearing their stories has given me a greater appreciation for each bottle of Texas wine I buy and every glass of Texas wine I drink.
Winemaker Sam Jennings at Bingham Family Vineyards
As previously mentioned, the vineyard tours included in this year’s festival were to Bingham Family Vineyards and Oswald Vineyard. The vineyard tours gave the grape growers an opportunity to give attendees a glimpse into the process from growing and harvesting the grapes to making wine along with the chance to sample additional wines made from their grapes. I was happy to see the attendees in my group full of questions about the entire process and the smiles on the growers’ faces as they answered questions. To me, this was such a treat and one that I hope left an impression on the attendees as I know the growers were very appreciative of the genuine interest shown.
John Oswald at the Oswald Vineyard
This was my first time attending The Grape Capital of Texas Vineyard and Wine Festival and I found it to be a great experience. What better way to catch up with old friends and to meet new friends than over a shared love of Texas wine and celebrating the people behind it all, the grape growers!
