Beavers Family Vineyard and Winery Interviewed by News 8 Austin Apr 2009

When you think of vineyards and winemaking, visions of Italy or Northern California may come to mind. But, the newest Waco family vineyard could have you thinking Texas.

The newest family vineyard in Waco all started when Jeff Beavers decided he had a taste for the finer things in life.

"I've always loved wine, and over time and drinking wines, I got this crazy notion in my head, 'Why not try and grow some grapes?'" Beavers said.


He planted 1,300 vines offering 12 different varieties of grapes. Beavers just finished his planting last week and now the Beavers Family Vineyard and Winery is on its way to becoming a business.




"I have talked with the city council about getting my property zoned to actually sell wine," Beavers said.

Next, he plans to renovate a building on his property where he'll make the wine. He also needs to get bonded to sell it.

In the meantime, he's doing a little experimenting to get the perfect taste.
Beavers has made a couple of batches of wine from his own kitchen.

"A lot of what I'm doing is from the School of Hard Knocks, trial and error, but I'm making progress," he said.

Beavers said grape growers in Texas have many challenges to face from the weather patterns down to the soil, but he's willing to take that risk to see his vines grow.

Beavers is not alone, he's part of a growing industry in Texas. It's a trend McLennan County Extension Agent Shane McLellan has seen.

"A lot of that is around Fredericksburg, even into Lubbock in the Panhandle, but that's changing," he said. "A lot of these small mom and pop little farmer-type vineyards are popping up all across the state."

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