Lone Hen Winery

Lone Hen Winery
College Station, Texas
USA 77845
Phone: (979) 690-6493
http://www.lonehenwines.com/

Contact: Victoria Kirkpatrick
Email: [email protected]

Before they ever met, Steve and Vicki both had visions of growing fruit and vegetables organically and selling them locally. Gaining this mutual interest from seperate journeys in life, together and with their family, they have created Lone Hen Winery.

Steve's travels in life have taken him from graduating in the corps at Texas A&M, serving in the Air Force in Montana to working in the oil fields of Texas. Since 1993, he has been teaching history at Blinn College where he met Vicki, a microbiology professor.

Thomas Jefferson's attempts to establish grapes and wine in the United States intrigued Steve and sparked some of his interest in organic gardening. Jefferson believed that these efforts would keep our money at home by producing and consuming our own domestic products and would replace hard liquor with wine as the preferred national beverage.

Always wanting to be a farmer, Vicki has been growing organic fruit and vegetables on her land since the 1970's and in 2001 she began making wine as an amateur. With a background in biology, she has been teaching microbiology at Blinn College for the last 12 years, and in June 2008 became a professional wine maker.

As you turn the corner to the entrance of Steve and Vicki's ten and a half acre home, although the landscape is breathtaking, don't expect to drive up and see perfectly pruned landscaping beds. Attention here is given to that of a different importance. The pear trees are full of fruit and the vines are meticulously cared for. The winery is attached to the Kirkpatrick's home, lending quick access and allowing their wine the loving attention it deserves. There are no factory wine dreams here, just small, artisanal ones.

The land at Lone Hen Winery has been organically kept for the last 17 years, since it has been in Steve and Vicki's care. Located just a quarter mile from the Brazos River, it was originally settled by local Indians where arrowheads, hand axes and curing blades can still be found.

It's peaceful location contributes to Steve and Vicki's vision of keeping it small. "No one else helps us on the farm - it's all family," Steve says. Their children helped plant the vineyard as well as designing a logo, labels and picking the name. Even the website is family run by Steve and Vicki's nieces.

The mission of Lone Hen Winery is to produce wold-class wines with a local personality. "We want our wine to possess its own unique style and taste, and compliment the local cuisine." Recently everyone around the world has planted cabernet sauvignon and merlot and the individuality of local flavor is being lost. Lone Hen Winery is taking a different tact of growing grapes and fuit that are adapted to this area and growing them without the use of pesticides and fungicides. They are working to craft wines that really make the "local" flavors shine!

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