From cattle ranching to vineyard owner and winemaker

By MONETTE TAYLOR | South Central Texas

Danny Hernandez has enjoyed the change from ranch manager to winemaker. -Staff photo by Taylor

November 15, 2001 -- When Vernon Friesenhahn purchased property in Sisterdale, in 1985, he had every intention of running cattle. Some way ... for various reasons ... he ended up in the wine business, in the heart of Kendall County.

Danny Hernandez was hired in 1986 to manage the ranch and cattle on the land and various, leased portions of land, but when Friesenhahn decided to make the dramatic career change, Hernandez went right along with him.

Located in the "heart" of the little town of Sisterdale, population 25, according to literature, stands an old cotton gin. The gin was in operation from 1885 until 1927, when the boll-weevil infested the cotton fields in the Sisterdale valley, and all cotton production was forced to cease and the mill closed its doors.

"It was, also, a mill to mill corn or cotton seed, and it was a sawmill, since that was steam powered," said winemaker Hernandez.

The vineyard was planted in 1988, and the winery was located in the old cotton gin, according to Hernandez. Since then, there have been several additions to the old building in order to keep up with demand.

"When we started here, he (Friesenhahn) hired an enologist to consult and show us how to make and market the wine," he said.

Below: Rows of oak barrels age various types of wines. -Staff photo by Taylor

"In 1988, we were making our first wine. We have four acres of grapes on the property, but most of the grapes are purchased through other growers in the area. We contract the grape growers throughout Texas."

According to recent research by a professor from the University of Chicago doing research on ancestors from the area, a historical publication he found indicated that vineyards were planted in Sisterdale in the 1860s.

The Sisterdale community is designated as the second oldest town in the Texas Hill Country, and was settled by a group of Germans. They liked the area in the valley where the East and West Sister Creeks flowed into the Guadalupe River, and harvested the cypress trees for home construction, furniture and cabinet making.

As far as recipes for winemaking, Hernandez said they develop over the years.

"You kind of develop your own as you go. You try different stuff, according to what the grape offers. If that grape is not an outstanding year, you have to use other tools to improve it or make it worth its value," said Hernandez.

The grape harvest in Texas runs between June and August, and the grapes are brought to the winery and put in one-half ton bins, where they are crushed and pressed and put in the tanks, said Hernandez.

The tanks hold from 1200 to 2600 gallons, and are used in the fermentation process.

"Every year it's a different wine. It ferments in the tanks for so many days, maybe, two weeks. After it's fermented, it goes into the barrels. The red grapes ... everything goes into the tank ... skins and the juice, whereas the white wines are crushed and pressed the very same day and the juice goes in the bottom and it goes in the tank and then the fermentation starts," said Hernandez.

The wine is then aged for various amounts of time, according to the type of wine, in oak barrels. The barrels are 60 gallon French oak (Allier, Trocais and Nevers,) and also 60 gallon American barrels, states the literature.

Wines produced at Sister Creek Vineyards include Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon Blend and a Muscat Canelli, and a minimum filtration allows the wine to retain its fullest flavors.

"It (wine) absorbs the 'toast' of the oak wood barrels on the inside ... that gives you the flavor that is needed to impart the juice for wine," said Hernandez.

The winemakers attend various food and wine festivals in the area and as far away as Dallas, but most of the wine is sold in the Central Texas Hill Country.

"Right now, we're fixing to bottle wine from the year 2000. We bottle everything here. We hire another winery who has a mobile bottling line in a trailer, and they bring it out here. All we have to provide is the bottles, wine, corks and labels," said Hernandez.

He said that the best think about changing from cattleman to winemaker is that he just "enjoys making the wine." Every year there are changes, and he enjoys working with the people who come to the winery. Also, it's "very fulfilling to hear the comments for all the work that's involved."

The hard part of being a winemaker comes with a bad crop of grapes or when a mistake is made, somewhere along the process.

Hernandez said that most small start-up wineries can expect to spend around $500,000, but very few have gone under during the process.

"It's been really taking off, in the last 10 years. It's amazing. I think in the past two years you're looking at possibly 10-12 new wineries in that short period of time, throughout Texas," he said.