Wimberley’s newest winery rises from the ashes

The logos on many of the bottles of wine at the new Limestone Terrace Vineyard are illustrated with a small smudge of ash.

You might say, the winery has risen from the ashes.

About 10 years ago, another winery stood where Limestone Terrace is today. That vineyard fell into a state of neglect. Tall grass grew up around the grape vines. Then a fire started, likely ignited by a spark from a piece of machinery. The vines were destroyed by the time the fire department arrived at the winery’s isolated location. The business withered and the vineyard sat vacant for two years.

“Essentially, the business went up in smoke,” says Ben Stovall, one of the owners of Limestone Terrace.

Ben Stovall and Paul Dierickx, business partners in an engineering firm, happened to be looking for investment property in the Wimberley area. They both enjoyed wine, but neither knew much about growing grapes and producing wines. The charred acreage with a million-dollar view was too good to pass up.

“We weren’t looking for a vineyard,” says Ben, “more of a ranch, but we saw this property and it was a real opportunity. This Wimberley area is the crown jewel of Texas.”

Open to public

The winery opened to the public last November and is growing every day, more vines are being planted and more varieties of wine are being introduced.

“We don’t come from the wine industry. We come from the consumer side,” says Ben. “Our vision is to make wines that reflect the state of Texas.”

According to the website Texas Wine Lover, the most common wines produced in the state are cabernet sauvignon, tempranillo and merlot. You won’t find any of those at Limestone Terrace.

“We’re trying to unearth some of the varieties (of grapes) that people have never heard of,” says Ben. “We’re trying to introduce these rare varieties to the world — or at least to our neighbors. We’ll be releasing some obscure grapes in the future.”

Instead of merlot and chardonnay, visitors to Limestone Terrace sip Dolcetto, an Italian-inspired red wine, and Albariño, a crisp white that hails from Spain and Portugal.

The winery — which is located at 101 Rocky Meadow Lane (just off Lone Man Mountain Road) — sits on 25 acres with about eight acres planted with vines. From 75 to 90 percent of the the winery’s grapes are grown in the High Plains region near Lubbock. The High Plains produce about 80 percent of all the grapes grown in Texas.

Paul points out that all their wines are 100 percent Texas-grown grapes.

Big business

Wines are big business in Texas as anyone who has driven Highway 290 into Fredericksburg knows. The Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association reports there are more than 500 wineries in the state. The industry adds $13 billion annually to the Texas economy and employs more than 100,000 full-time workers.

In 2014, Wine Enthusiast magazine named the Hill Country one of the 10 best wine-travel destinations in the country. More than two million tourists visit Texas wineries each year.

Texas is the fifth largest wine-producing state in the U.S. (behind California, New York, Washington and Oregon). Wine production in the state goes way back. Franciscan priests were making wine in the mid-1600s in the El Paso area.

The folks at Limestone Terrace don’t feel they are in competition with the larger wineries. “We are in a different loop. We lean more to locals, so we’re not really competing (with other wineries). We like to think we are one slice of the pie and we all work together,” says Ben.

It has been a learning experience. The two engineers have travelled the world designing production facilities for microchip makers and other high-tech businesses. They say they are merging their scientific methods with an inexact, age-old art of wine making.

Wine-making has presented some challenges. There’s the weather to contend with (most of their vines escaped the recent freeze unscathed). There are bugs and mildew that can quickly destroy a crop. The deer that are such a part of the Hill Country can decimate a vineyard in no time.

In fact, the winery’s new White Tail Blend has a crisp illustration of a deer on the label. “It’s a nod to our adversary,” says Production Manager Christine Daly with a smile.

Workers at Limestone Terrace discovered an insect on one of the grape leaves that no one seems to know much about. They sent it to Texas A&M where entomologists are working to identify it. If it’s a previously unknown insect Ben and Paul will have the honor of naming it.

Even if the weather is nice in the Hill Country, a storm in the High Plains can have a devastating impact on the winery’s output, limiting the amount of grapes available.

Getting started

The first thing the two aspiring winemakers did was hire a consultant to help plant their Hill County vines. Then they brought in Christine, who was trained at the respected viticulture and enology school at the University of California, Davis, to oversee production. Rob Nida came aboard to supervise the wine making.

The wine-making operations are housed in a shiny new building filled with oak aging barrels. The impressive, two-tiered deck nestled among the live oaks that overlook the Wimberley Valley acts as a tasting room. Soon there will be a covered structure for special events and tasting when the weather turns inhospitable. A food permit is not too far away.

Limestone Terrace recently hosted a party for their growing roster of wine-club members. The event started outside, but torrential rain quickly drove everyone into the aging room.

Right now, the winery is open for tastings Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Arrangements can be made for special groups and private parties.

Limestone Terrace wines are available locally at Los Olivos Market on the Wimberley Square and at Mad Rooster’s liquor store in Driftwood. It’s also available online at limestoneterrace.com. For more information call 512-575-2594.

Limestone Terrace’s vision is simple: “We are focused on connecting with people — and making the best wines we can make in the state of Texas,” says Ben.