With
deep family roots and history in the Hill Country region, this 7th
generation Texas family has contributed much to the local area. The current
estate is a 555-acre working farm for the past five generations with everything
from corn, wheat, cattle, turkeys and now a winery to boot. Their next adventure
in Texas farming is growing wine grapes and making wine. However, the family is
no stranger to that. The family’s grandmother, Dora, had been making wine from
area grapes and peaches in the farmhouse basement since the 1970s. The name of
the winery pays homage to prior generations by combining two female surnames
names, Meier and Stone, as a nod to their rich heritage.
Family
member, Krystal Patel, is the winemaker and can be found overseeing everyone’s
tasting experiences in the tasting room with her team. She has no problem going
into great depth about her family’s history in the area as well as all what has
been done with the farm over the years. Her passion and enthusiasm for Texas
wine is equally inspiring. Driving onto the farm off HWY 290, you cannot help
but notice the large steel wrecking ball that has sits beside the highway. This
was once used to clear fields for farming back in the days. Opened since the
Fall of 2022, the current tasting room is a large open air metal barn style building
with nearby old oak trees and views of the fields of corn on the property. There
is also an additional outside seating area with tables along with a cozy swing
to take your visit to the next level of comfort and relaxation. The property
has the family blacksmith building near the main tasting room that can be
visited while there or also booked for private group tastings or events. Inside
the tasting room are lots of information on the Family’s origins, local
history, and the evolution and changes to the estate farm over the years. The
staff are extremely friendly, helpful and do a great job checking in with you
during your tasting and visit to ensure that your needs are met. They are also
your wine ambassadors eager to guide you through each of their wines. There are
plans to build a permanent tasting room on the east side of the estate overlooking
the Hill Country scenery with an additional access road from the highway.
Grapes
are currently sourced from the Texas High Plains and the wine is made in the
Hill Country. Although grapes are
currently sourced elsewhere, there are plans to establish a future estate vineyard.
Their first harvest was in 2018 and they have not looked back since. The focus
is on small batch production, and you will see it in the quality of the wines
you sample. For tastings, there are currently four wines to try plus one
“extra”. The first white wine on the
menu is the 2021 Trebbiano. Sourced from Paka Vineyards, it has a floral nose
and a lovely light citrus and apricot flavor with good acids. The second white
is the 2021 Roussanne. This wine is aged in French oak and will fill your palate
with lemon grass and pears and has good body to it. Both whites are dry and
refreshing on a warm summer day. Following the whites, is a lovely 2021 dry Rosé.
Made from Sangiovese grapes, this wine sat on the skins for 24 hours and is
rich in strawberry and cherry with a touch of spice. It is Equally refreshing
when served chilled. Moving on to the dry red wines, you will notice that the Malbec
has a black label, indicating it is a reserve wine, which was aged longer. The
2018 Malbec Reserve was one of their first wines made. Sourced from Newsom
Vineyards, this red wine has been aged for 46 months in neutral oak. It is
fruit forward with notes of blackberry, has good acids and a nice smooth
finish. The “extra” surprise red blend called Cabernello was a lovely treat to
sample. This 2021 vintage is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo.
This limited production release (just 51 cases) is fruit forward with notes of
herbs, rich red berries, and a touch of leather. The logo etched glasses are a
nice touch as you enjoy your wine, and they also have a VoChill to help keep
your wine cool for those warm tasting days.
All the wines are already award winners from the Houston Livestock Show
& Rodeo 2023 Rodeo, Lone Star International Wine Competition, and the San
Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo Wine Competition. There are seven new wines planned
for future release in the coming months. One is a Sangiovese, a Tannat, a Cabernet
Sauvignon, a red blend, and a special big high alcohol red blend that will be a
flagship wine, plus a Souzao and a sparkling wine.
This family-owned winery will make you feel more than welcome. They are “all in” on this next phase of the farm’s rich history. Their family legacy and history in the area appears to be full of interesting people who had the ability to dig in and find a way to get the most out of what they had as they wrote their chapters in the history books on this farm. The new winemaking journey is another story that is just beginning, and we look forward to future chapters of this new story. Enjoy your visit here!
