Texas Under Vine

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Texas Under Vine, Wine Guide Scott travels deep into the piney woods of Rusk, Texas, to explore Maydelle Country Wines—the third-oldest winery in East Texas. Joined by founder Steve Harper and current owner Torrance Shepherd, we dive into the unique story of a family-run operation that completely breaks the mold of traditional winemaking by specializing exclusively in 100% grape-free fruit wines. From its humble beginnings in 2004 inside a 100-plus-year-old...

Send us Fan Mail Sage’s Vintage: Unsung Heroes of Texas Wine In this bonus episode of Texas Under Vine, Wine Guide Scott takes a trip out to Nacogdoches to step inside Sage's Vintage, a dedicated custom crush facility that serves as a vital production backbone for wineries across the Lone Star State. Joined by co-owners Wes Jensen and Michael McClendon (affectionately known as "The Oracle"), the conversation pulls back the curtain on how their operation transforms harvested Texas fruit into a...

Send us Fan Mail In this bonus episode of Texas Under Vine, recorded on location at Wanderlust Wine Co., host Wine Guide Scott sits down with Amanda Laden, the founder and mastermind behind the inaugural Austin Wine Week. Amanda shares her journey through the global wine industry—from an eye-opening moment in graduate school to formal training in London and running her own import business—before recognizing a major disconnect in Austin’s culinary scene: local restaurants were serving Texas pr...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 85 of the Texas Under Vine podcast, we take a journey out to East Texas to explore the deeply inspiring legacy of Kiepersol. We sit down with owner and winemaker Marnelle Durrett to trace the roots of this incredible family endeavor, which began nearly three decades ago when her family immigrated from South Africa. Marnelle shares how their unwavering commitment to a strict no-debt philosophy has fueled their growth and resilience, as well as the story behind their...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 84 of Texas Under Vine, we head out to the Wine Road 290 to visit Blumenthal Farms, a unique Hill Country destination nestled right on the Pedernales River between Fredericksburg and Stonewall. Built on the site of an 1870s cotton farming community, this gorgeous property seamlessly blends local history with a modern adult playground vibe. I tour the main tasting room—designed to look like an old cotton gin with an industrial chic feel—and explore how original hist...