Our Story
A Family Endeavor
We’ve always been passionate about wine, food, and entertaining. Catherine and Jay first traveled to Argentina in February of 2017 for a friend’s birthday celebration and discovered the delicious wines and scenic vineyards of a community called The Vines of Mendoza. Over the next couple of years, they convinced Jay’s brother Andrew and their parents to join the venture, and bought the land as a family in the summer of 2019.
Taking Root
That Thanksgiving, the entire family traveled to Los Chacayes to plant vines and get our hands in the dirt. We had decided to focus on Malbec, the flagship grape of the region, but our first couple of vintages were made from neighbors’ fruit, as we waited for our vines to mature. 2022 is our first estate-grown vintage, and it includes a Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre blend as well as our Malbec, our rosé of Malbec, and a limited-edition barrel-fermented Chardonnay (just 150 bottles will be available).
As Texans, we appreciate the barbecue-centric culinary culture of Argentina. Outdoor vineyard dinners are highlights of our visits.
Pursuing Passions
Catherine, whose background is in graphic design, created our labels. The “H” harkens back to Hubert Hawthorn’s elegant script handwriting, and observant readers will find the “F” and “V” of Family Vineyards hidden in its flourishes.
Since embarking on this winemaking journey, Jay and Catherine have traveled the world with The Vines to learn winemaking in other regions. They produced a Champagne with the Drappier family, and a Mosel Valley Riesling with Dr. Loosen, among other adventures.
