A Texas winery is bringing a taste of France to Fort Worth this fall.
Rancho Loma Vineyards (RLV), based in Coleman County, is opening a tasting room next to The 4 Eleven venue at 411 South Main St. this October.
RLV specializes in French wine varietals and currently offers 13 different wines.
“You don't see the Chardonnay, you don't see the Cabernet, but you see more of the Viognier, the Roussanne, Marsanne and rosé that you see typical in southern France,” says Roberta Kalafut Brandecker, who started the winery in 2016 with husband Ed Brandecker.
The vineyard plans to use local Fort Worth cheese artisans to create its popular cheese and wine boards. RLV also hopes to host live music, as well as local guest chefs for a food and wine pairing event once a month.
“We just wanted to fit the space that's there already, with the vibe that's already there, and just enhance it,” Brandecker says. “It's just an alive area.”
The vineyard has won several international awards for its wines, including gold at the 2018/2019 Texas International Wine Competition, for the 2017 RLV III. The Tempest 2016 and Cinsault Rosé 2017 have also placed double gold and bronze, respectfully, at the 2019 Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition.
Before opening the vineyard, the couple took viticulture courses at Texas Tech University and performed trials in their backyard. “We planted a vineyard on our property just to make all the mistakes we could possibly make before we delve into this venture, then another couple approached us from Coleman and said let's start this winery,” Brandecker says.
Now, a team of six manages the vineyards, including Ed Hellman, a viticulture professor at Texas Tech and Texas A&M University, and Guenhael Kessler, the vineyard’s French wine consultant who was educated at the University of Bordeaux.
Brandecker says the company chose to expand to Fort Worth because of the city’s culture.
“We looked at the whole surrounding area, and it just has a feel, a vibe for us that just speaks to people who have a sophisticated wine palette,” she says.
