(ROCKWALL, TX — July 6, 2020) Local residents Greg and Carol Rosini broke ground on the new Rosini Vineyards (411 State Highway 205) this morning. Located on 25 acres in the City of McLendon-Chisholm in southern Rockwall County, the winery will offer one-of-a-kind wines made from grapes grown right on the property’s vineyard, as well as from the high plains, east Texas and central Texas.
The winery is a passion project for the Rosinis, and has become quite the journey for them to be able to share their love of wine with their community.
“Prior to us getting together Greg didn’t really drink wine,” Carol said. “I had been drinking wine for a couple of years at the advice of my doctor for my cholesterol. On our first wedding anniversary we went to Napa Valley and had some amazing red wines and Greg was hooked! I must say our palette has evolved tremendously since that trip.”
When Carol retired from her job in the corporate world in 2013, and Greg later sold his restaurant equipment business in 2017, the couple pondered what the next chapter of their lives would look like.
“We love going to wineries and talking to people… and of course trying new wines! So why not do what we love?” Carol said.
In 2017, Carol and Greg began looking for some land for their new winery and found the perfect property – a 25-acre ranch located off State Highway 205, a little ways past FM 550 in McLendon-Chisholm. It came with three ponds, two barns and a house with a pool. The house was built in 1997 and was in need of renovation. So the first thing Carol and Greg did once they bought the property in January 2018 was remodel the entire ranch house and pool area. According to Carol, the project was like something you’d see on an HGTV show. They listed the house for short-term rental on AirBnB and VRBO, and by June of 2018 welcomed their first renters.
“It has been a very good business for us. We have learned a lot and things are going smoother now than in the beginning,” Carol said.
Next, Carol and Greg looked into acquiring some wine for their winery once it opened. Problem was, they didn’t have the equipment or a place they could make wine. At a 2018 Texas Wine & Grape Growers Association, they found just the solution in Sage’s Vintage – a custom crush facility in Nacogdoches.
“They are expert wine makers and you can be involved as much or as little as you want,” Carol said. “We were all in! We were there when the grapes arrived and helped crush. We were there for tasting and tweaking at every step of the process. It was made with our specifications and to what we wanted to have in our winery,” Carol said.
The wines they made for their first harvest in 2019 were Blanc du Bois dry and semisweet, Viognier, a Red Blend, Tempranillo and a Cabernet Sauvignon. Carol said all of the wines got rave reviews from the folks around their neighborhood. They have added a few more varieties this year, including a Port.
Carol and Greg hope to have an opening date for Rosini Vineyards in early 2021.
Story and photos by Austin Wells, Blue Ribbon News.
Editor’s Note (4:20pm 7/7/2020) This article was updated to clarify the vineyard’s location within the City of McLendon-Chisholm.
Our print edition is delivered free to ~15,500 homes in Rockwall and Heath, TX.
To share your good news and events, email editor@BlueRibbonNews.com.
Subscribe to our email newsletter here.
Advertising: 214-342-8000 or advertising@BlueRibbonNews.com.
Rockwall County celebrates groundbreaking of Rosini Vineyards in McLendon-Chisholm added by Austin on
View all posts by Austin →