Hugh Johnston, OBE, who is the author of The Story of Wine and is currently the world’s bestselling wine author, once stated, “The more I have learned about wine…the more I have realized that it weaves in with human history from its very beginning as few, if any, other products do.” 1 And, it is true…wine has a unique way of telling the stories of old. Each bottle breathes like a fragrant, living poetry being spilled over into a tall, stemmed glass. With the first sip comes the telling of the ages, a story of depth and time that becomes entwined amongst the deeply rooted vineyards planted within the earth’s versatile soils, the same canvas from where the infant culture of oenology was birthed. Through the vines of the modern era that have been grafted again and again, the story continues to unfold, revealing the sweetness of each generation that has left their mark on the ageless timeline of viticulture. Every successful vintage that is revealed carries a trove of past tales, and each label is dripping with the richness of one part of human history or another…
And yet, as each harvest captures the flavors of the past, we can’t forget that wine also whispers of the future…
The story begins in the 1890’s. Texas had become a state less than fifty years before and the land was still plentiful and largely a vast open range. Several members of the Baxter family had moved into the heart of Texas from the area of Arkansas. They had abandoned a life of political advance for the wide open acreage of the Texas Hill Country`, searching for a fresh start and a new place to call “home”. Syrus Almond Baxter and his siblings spread out amongst the rolling hills of Lampasas County and neighboring San Saba County and it was in 1894 that Syrus Almond purchased the infamous ranch along the Colorado River.
For many years, the land had supported multiple herds of cattle, one generation after another. Yet, as time continued to progress, Stephen Baxter (Syrus Almond’s great-grandson) recognized that the land had much more potential than just being used as space for cattle to roam. After over 100 years of the Baxter family living on that same beautiful estate near Bend, Texas, the family began planting vineyards overflowing with Mourvèdre, Tempranillo and Cabernet grapes. In the autumn of 2010, they produced their very first vintage and titled it “Home Sweet Home” in honor of the land that had become the family’s sanctuary for so many generations.
The Baxter Family, who opened their first winery (named Fiesta Winery) in 2010, have woven the heritage of their sacred family story through a narrative that pours from the bottles filled with vintages pressed straight from their vineyards in Lampasas County, Texas. From Fiesta comes labels such as “Mustang Sally”, a popular blend that tips a hat to Sally’s beloved high school ride, and “Texas Well Water”, a moniker that casts a nod toward the historical relevance of the “Texas watering holes” that were always found underneath a clattering windmill shaking in the aimless winds that blew across the Baxter Ranch for many decades. There are many other labels that tell the story that you can view HERE.
After realizing that the family had awakened a new passion through the development and creation of Fiesta all while mastering the art of creating tantalizing wines, the Baxters carried their vision deeper into the Texas Hill Country when their family broke ground on their second project located in Fredericksburg, Texas in 2019. This second establishment, named Arch Ray Resort, has been eponymously inspired in honor of the Baxter’s deep ancestral heritage rooted within the heart of Texas. Both names in the title are patronymic titles (names in a family that are repeated throughout multiple generations) – “Arch” stemming from the generations on Steve’s side of the family, and “Ray” coming from Sally’s heritage. As you learn more about the make up of Arch Ray Resort, you will discover that their history continues to unfold through other entity titles such as the Paul Bee Distillery (inspired by the legendary quarter horse on Baxter Ranch), and the Ogle Brewery (named in honor of Sally’s beloved grandfather).
Both entities share in the vision of unraveling the story of one Texas family’s multi-generational tale that spreads across decades of history. But, the past is not the only focus that the Baxters lean on when it comes to telling their story through wine.
If there’s one thing to know about the Baxter family, it would be this…they’re a family that concentrates on the future and is passionate about the generations to come.
Over this past summer and fall, Arch Ray Resort released their most recently crafted line of varietals and blends. While the former vintages have woven in and out of the history of Baxter Ranch, several of the newly released wines render a nod to the promising future as they bear the names of the Baxter’s grandchildren and cast an artistic spotlight on the young souls who are being trained to pick up the baton and carry on the lasting heritage of the family for many more generations.
Come into Arch Ray Resort and try one our newly released wines! Experience all that Arch Ray Resort has to offer and step into our story, an unfolding legacy where heritage and wine collide.
- Napavalleywineacademy.com/blogs/pouring-points/top30-quotes-about-wine-from-industry-pros
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