Our Story

Several years ago, after a visit to Fredericksburg, I had a vision for bringing a wine tasting room to Main Street in Rowlett.  Bankhead Brewery was just getting started and was extremely well-received, so it seemed Rowlett was ripe for new businesses like that. That idea ruminated for awhile, but never made any headway.  When Stephanie and I became friends, we shared an entrepreneurial vision of a different sort.  As educators, we wanted to bring back a strong vocational program for students that didn't quite fit in the traditional college-bound high school setting.  Our focus was in that direction for a couple of years, although we could never quite settle on the where and the funding.  We still believe in that concept, and hope there is a place for that to evolve in the future.

I have been on the craft brew wagon for some time, and have introduced my Friday Fun friends to good beer.  Although the downside of that is finding it hard to drink the mass produced (and tasteless) beers found in most taps, the benefit of discovering good brews far outweighs.  This concept of sharing a good beverage with friends and family is where Texas Wine & Whiskey was born.  

Both of us have had experience with wines, but were new to whiskey.  After being introduced, and finding the wide range of styles, flavors and production, we were hooked.  Having a chemistry background, I love the science part of how all spirits are made, but the taste is what is worth sharing.  

We developed the idea of a wine and whiskey tasting room over more than a few shared beverages.  That spot on Main Street still had my eye, and we thought we had a solid concept to pitch.  Turns out most everybody was on board.  The developer loved it, and helped us present to the city of Rowlett.  We had an investor, met with the mayor, contractor, and were ready to roll.  Then TABC.  They were not exactly on board.  The permits to execute what we envisioned did not exist, and it was quite a blow.  This was at the end of 2019, and knowing now how 2020 has gone, we were probably saved by that obstacle.  Things happen for a reason, right?

So now here we are.  Changed our focus from a brick and mortar, to the ubiquitous internet.  Same concept of introducing people to the wide range and delicious Texas produced wines and whiskeys, but just doing it from the virtual world.  We still hope the laws will allow us a building someday to continue our vision.  But for now, we are happy to share our tasting experiences with those who are interested.  We hope you discover some new venues and beverages, and will always be happy to swap stories.

Know Better. Drink Better.

Cheers, y'all!