Wine Knot hosts, Vicki and Scott Baker, showcasing local artisan wines
Vicki Baker
In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit causing widespread economic hardship for small businesses. While many unknowns remain about the full impact the virus will have, one thing is clear—we must rally around these businesses to keep them alive and vibrant. Wine Knots, during their April gathering, showed their support for one small local business by highlighting wines produced by the family owned and operated Larue Winery.
Housed in the middle of a small industrial park in Lewisville, Larue Winery opened in 2015 with an underlying philosophy of producing outstanding and unique hand-crafted wines. Owners Cleve Joiner and Gillian Goldthorpe are focused on small batch artisan wines, producing 1,500 cases per year. All wines are made and bottled on site where the tasting room is also the production room.
The wines are produced from grapes grown in California and Chile and include whites (sweet, dry, and oak aged), reds (sweet and oak aged), and a specialty port. Each bottle of wine is hand crafted to keep it as natural as possible with every attempt to hold preservatives and nitrates to a minimum. Also, unlike many manufactured wines, these wines do not contain added sugar and derive natural sweetness simply from the grapes used. Future plans are to grow their own grapes on a parcel of land owned by the family since 1912 located near Larue, Texas, hence, the winery’s name. They, then, would have a true Texas winery.
Larue Winery produces seven different wines. Red wines are a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Zinfandel. White wines are made exclusively from Blanc das Chateau grapes. All wines are available in dry, one year aged in barrels, and sweet. The winery also has a partnership with Lewisville based Witherspoon Distillery, with Larue providing Witherspoon red wine which Witherspoon uses to distill into brandy. A portion of the brandy is then returned back to Larue, which is used in making a Port-style wine.
Wine Knots sampled three of the available wines. A Sauvignon Blanc aged in French oak barrels, golden in color with tastes of apple, orange peel, and peaches and flower aromas. The wine was crisp and refreshing with a light fruity flavor. A Sweet Red, ruby colored, medium bodied wine with cherry-like fruity flavor and aromas found in juicy red fruits. A Port, a clear, crisp brandy distilled red wine infused with Merlot, Cabernet, and Zinfandel.
All the wines tasted were great and full of flavor, making it obvious wine making is a labor of love for the owners. Treat your wine club to an evening sampling wines from Larue Winery—wines produced by local wine artisans following the age-old wine making practices and traditions handed down through the generations.