Pedernales Cellars in the Texas Hill Country
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The History And The Sustainability of This Special Winemaker in Tiny Stonewall, Texas
Story by Jeanine Consoli
It might surprise you, but Texas is one of the oldest wine growing states in America and its roots run deep in Europe as well. Franciscan priests planted Mission vines for sacramental wine near El Paso in the 1650’s.
Finding the Right Grapes for Texas Wineries
Around the 1870’s, Horticulturalist T. V. Munson experimented with hybrids and rootstocks from the Texas Hill Country. He tried to improve wine quality, and in the process, his work helped European grape growers recover from Phylloxera, a pest that almost wiped out vines of Vitis vinifera in the 19th century.
Munson discovered that the rootstock of Vitis Berlandieri cinerea and cordifolia grapes (native to the Hill Country) were resistant to Phylloxera. He chose those varietals because the soil matched the limestone soils in French vineyards. Munson provided European growers with Phylloxera resistant rootstock which allowed them to recover from the epidemic.
When the stirrings of prohibition began in the late 1870’s in Texas, county by county, laws were enacted to prohibit the sale of alcohol. There were a mix of dry, partially dry, and wet counties. Over the period into the early 20th Century the “Dry” movement began to gain popularity, but as soon as the Depression took hold the movement withered on the vine.
By 1933, the 21st amendment repealed prohibition and by 1935, Texas voters voted no to prohibition. It almost wiped out the wine industry entirely, until it made a comeback in the 1970’s. Val Verde Winery is the only winery to survive the dry years. It has been operating since 1883. Yet, there are still some dry counties in the state.
The Beginning of The Pedernales Story
Larry Kuhlken met his wife Jeanine in Houston over a main frame computer while working on the Apollo 11 mission. Larry, originally from San Diego, studied Metallurgy and Material Science in college. IBM hired him and brought him to Houston to work on the Apollo 11 mission.
Jeanine was from North Texas where generations of her family have lived since 1853. She graduated college with two degrees (Math and English) in three years. This was in the 1960’s and IBM was impressed. They hired her on the spot and trained her to program computers because smart women were rare in that industry at the time. She was brought to Houston and worked on the Apollo 11 mission. The rest is family history.
After a full career and two grown children (Julie and David), the Kuhlken’s took an early retirement from corporate life. This was the 90’s, and they were looking for their next adventure. Larry and Jeanine both grew up on farms and wanted to return to that way of life, in Texas. Larry consulted his daughter.
“My dad came to see me at my home in California,” Julie began. “I remember that he brought maps and spread them out on my desk. We discussed soils and locations for a vineyard, because at that time in Texas, you could raise Emus or grow grapes.”
Kuhlken Vineyard Begins
The Kuhlken’s planted their vineyard in 1995 on five acres, just north of Fredericksburg on State Highway 16. The property was originally a ranch in one of the most ideal locations in the Texas Hill Country, the Bell Mountain AVA (American Viticultural Area). Bell Mountain is a sub-region of the Texas Hill AVA that was established in 1986. It’s one of the oldest in Texas that has a humid subtropical climate, cool evenings, and excellent soil.
The first planting was a family affair, and everyone pitched in. The vineyard flourished and expanded to 17-acres. Kuhlken Vineyards grow varietals such as Tempranillo, Touriga Nacional, Albariño, Mourvèdre, Grenache, and small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. The Kuhlkens grew grapes to source to winemakers nearby.
Kuhlken Vineyard Grows
David followed in his dad’s footsteps and studied Metallurgy and Computer Science at Rice and received an MBA from McCombs School of Business at UT Austin. He got caught up in the dot-com boom and wanted the stability of owning his own business. That’s when he decided to grow the vineyard into an Estate Vineyard. He studied oenology and viticulture at UC Davis. Today he is the co-founder, President, and Wine Maker along with Co-Wine Maker Joanna Wilczoch – WSET III of Pedernales Cellars.
Julie Returns to Texas
Julie, a Stanford graduate with a Doctorate in Philosophy and a published author, was teaching and writing in the states and abroad. She returned back to Texas in 2012 as a Professor, but eventually joined the business full-time. Julie received her WSET III certification, and now is co-founder, Chief of Marketing and Hospitality of Pedernales Cellars. A passionate artist, she creates the graphic design for the Pedernales brand.
They Named It Pedernales
When scouting for a location for the Estate Vineyard Tasting Room, the family knew they had to find a place separate from Kuhlken Vineyards. There were no tasting rooms on State Highway 16, and it was out of the way. The family found the perfect piece of land on Upper Albert Road in Stonewall, Texas.
The property they discovered is on 145 acres right in the center of the wine industry. The gorgeous views of the Pedernales River Valley can be seen from the tasting room and grounds shaded by ancient oak trees. The name Pedernales Cellars came about organically, Julie recalls.
“We didn’t want to use our family name. David found a flint arrowhead in the vineyard and we found a partial flint axe at the tasting room site. Then we thought, since the Spanish word for flint is “pedernales” it was the perfect name for our Estate Winery.”
A Modern Business That Uses Sustainable Practices
Since opening Pedernales Cellars, the Kuhlken Family has taken measures to make the wine growing and making process sustainable. They strive to give back to the community, honoring the history of the land using a modern lens.
In 2015 Pedernales Cellars partnered with The Hill Country Film Festival a youth centered program designed to encourage cinematic arts in Central Texas. Pedernales underwrites two awards given at the festival and supports their summer film-making camp.
The Kuhlken’s discovered that a natural hill on the winery property behind the tasting room would make a perfect barrel room. The hill allows for natural cooling, reducing their carbon footprint. The cellar and case storage facility uses a geothermal cooling system, cutting energy use by half. Furthermore, overgrowth and invasive plant removal on the grounds returned springs and seeps back to life, encouraging the return of native wildlife.
Open bin fermentation utilized in the winemaking process allows by-products to become composted. Another sustainable action is to have barrels re-coopered or re-purposed. The winery building uses CFL and solar lighting, and in the future, a rain capture installation project, destined for the roof, is planned.
The tasting room promotes sustainability by producing Pedernales’ own homegrown salsas and sauces. They use oils from a local business, The Spicewood Food Company, and recycle cardboard packaging. Another sustainable practice is using the compost from the winery and good ground cover to minimize water use in the vineyard. They plant their grape varietals in specific blocks and encourage local birds to feast on pests. They also hand pick and hand prune their grapes and vines.
New Offerings At Pedernales Cellars
It’s an exciting time to be a wine maker in Texas. There are more than 400 wineries making it the 5th largest wine producing state in the nation.
Many of the growers are working together to share information about other varietals that can tolerate the climate and conditions of the state’s growing season.
Over 25 Years of Wine Excellence at Pedernales Cellars
Pedernales also has strong working relationships with their growing partners in the High Plains and the Hill Country. They will continue to source quality, robust, fruit for their world-class wine made from 100 percent Texas fruit. I asked Julie Kuhlken what’s in store at Pedernales. She answered, “In the coming year we want to produce some unique offerings such as Sangiovese, Petite Sirah, and a Bordeaux blend. We would also like to add lesser known wines like Roussanne a white grape from the Rhône region which grows beautifully and blends nicely, as well as Teroldego, a dry red wine from Italy.”
Julie understands that these wines are not familiar to customers. “These wines don’t have the name recognition or traction as other popular wines, but with education we hope to introduce these varietals to consumers so they can have a new, enjoyable, tasting experience.”
In 2020 Pedernales Cellars celebrated their 25th year since Kuhlken Vineyard began in 1995. They have developed an award-winning reputation for creating robust Rhône and Spanish wines that reflect the terroir of Texas with Tempranillo as the “backbone”. Pedernales Cellars has created wine clubs, unique vintages, and special labels that honor their family such as the “Over The Moon Rosé” to celebrate their parents’ 50th wedding anniversary, and the Apollo 11 mission where they met.
The Sixth Generation label was created exclusively for retail markets. This offering honors their strong connection to Texas for six generations, with hopes to expand consumer access to quality wines expertly grown in Texas.
Come see for yourself. You’re always welcomed by the Kuhlken family and the friendly folks at Pedernales Cellars, the pride of Stonewall, Texas.
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Jeanine Consoli is a freelance travel writer, photographer, and foodie based in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania. A retired elementary school teacher, she used her summers to feed her passion for travel and kept journals of all the destinations she explored. Today, Jeanine is working as a writer full-time. She loves uncovering the history and understanding the culture of each location, including the local flavors of each unique place. She has traveled extensively in the United States and Europe and is excited to keep adding to the list, finding unique sites that are off the beaten path both at home and abroad.