How Sheila Adams Opened Kai-Simone Winery in Spring Branch, Texas | Eater Austin

"Set on three lush, picturesque acres in Spring Branch—what Sheila Adams describes as the gateway to the Hill Country—I founded Kai-Simone Winery after years of research and touring more than 40 wineries; we opened in fall 2019. As a Black-owned winery, we aim to diversify Texas wine and encourage BIPOC participation while focusing on quality over quantity: our plan is to carry 10–12 wines annually and produce four to eight at pace, and over the past year we made eight wines, blended two, and are aging three reds in barrels. I work as a novice winemaker using our cellar equipment and relied on consultant Tom Payette to ensure the building and cellar suit our winemaking processes. We use both California and Texas grapes—California fruit for availability and cost-effectiveness, Texas for terroir when possible—and purchase directly from Georgetown Winery (90 miles away). Our current lineup includes a sauvignon blanc, viognier, and an oaked chardonnay; the Pink Sky rosé, which has sold out five times since 2019; Texas reds such as merlot, sangiovese, cabernet sauvignon, and petite sirah; the Red Melange blend (50% California and 50% Texas grapes, half malbec and half cabernet sauvignon); the Cherise Blossom sparkling fruit wine made with blackberries and red cherries; and the Cocoberry Kiss port, a rich, bold proprietary blend created with Georgetown Winery that uses a premium red base aged three to five years before infusion with dark chocolate and strawberries and is released around Valentine’s Day (usually selling out by June). The tasting room is open weekend daytime only as we slowly build the brand; we weathered pandemic closures and the February 2021 freeze by tapping personal funds, reopened the tasting room in June 2020 and were approved to operate as a restaurant with expanded food service using our on-site prep kitchen and small food truck, and we also host public and private events—concerts, movie screenings, yoga, tastings, painting sessions, and specialty markets—and maintain three wine clubs with more than 100 members." - Gabrielle Pharms