Lone Oak Winery

Gene Estes (new owner) met Robert Wolf (previous owner) at a pruning seminar in west Texas in 1995. This was the beginning of a long and rewarding relationship.

Gene studied Viticulture at Grayson County College as well as through correspondence courses. He openly admits however that growing grapes in Texas is “not for sissies” and there is no substitute for hands-on experience and professional guidance. Thus Gene and Judy rely heavily on the knowledge and experience of the Texas A&M University Ag extension service as well as fellow growers. Any great winemaker will acknowledge that no amount of innovation and skill can overcome poor quality fruit. Great wines begin with high quality grapes. For this reason, Gene and Judy dedicate themselves to producing the finest crop that nature will allow. This means careful pruning, vigilant training, shoot and cluster thinning, weed control, and most of all disease management.

Lone Oak Wines entered the Texas market in 1999 and quickly established an excellent reputation. By 2005, however, Robert had grown his new restaurant business into a full time enterprise and was looking for a way to find more time. Meanwhile, by 2005, the Estes family had already planted two vineyards, one one-acre experimental vineyard and one three-acre commercial vineyard on their estate. They were making their own amateur wines while developing more interest in establishing a winery. Thus a deal was struck between the two families and Lone Oak Winery of Burleson, Texas was founded in September, 2006.

Now under the continued guidance of Jim Evans (winemaker), the fully ripe grapes from both vineyards are fermented in the new winery at Burleson. The wine is aged in 100% French Oak barrels and hand bottled and labeled by family and friends.