Stan and Mary Beth Johnson, John, and Kari Cooke, and Brent and Brenna Frazier began Whistling Duck Vineyards in 2007 as a family operation with the planting of 50 test vines at our 17-acre family farm in Weimar, Texas. Due to specific growing conditions in Texas that can result in reduced fruit production and, on occasion, vine death, we chose to plant non-viniferous or non-European grapevines as our test vines. These grapes, Blanc du Bois and Lenoir (also commonly known as Black Spanish) are more resistant to specific challenges presented by growing conditions in Southeast Texas — mainly Pierce’s Disease. This southern side of our vineyard operation is a former hay field with well-drained sandy loam soil, which provides excellent soil for grape crop production. Since those humble beginnings, we have increased our Weimar vineyard operation and now have almost 4 acres of vines consisting of three different varietals — Blanc du Bois, Lenoir, and Villard Blanc. We also have a small research vineyard next to our tasting room where we are researching grape production rates on different trellis systems.

In the Spring of 2009, we expanded our vineyard operation to the north-central area of the state in Dublin, Texas, with the planting of 700 vines on a 55-acre family farm owned by Brenna’s father, Rod Prince. This farm has been in Rod’s family for decades and was originally used for raising a small number of cattle and growing vegetables and a fruit orchard. Because this northern location is not as susceptible to Pierce’s Disease and can better support viniferous, or European varietals, we chose to plant one (1) acre of Tempranillo and Viognier varietal grape vines. Over the past three years, we have expanded our Dublin vineyard operation and now have 2.75 acres of Tempranillo, Viognier, and Malbec grapes. As one of our vineyard owners, Rod continues to do a fantastic job developing and maintaining our beautiful vineyard in Dublin. When not working in the vineyard, Rod spends time on his first love — Rock and Roll music. As an original member of the band, Bubble Puppy, well known during the 60s, and 70s, Rod and other band members are currently experiencing a resurgence at various Texas music venues as younger music fans discover the band’s amazing talents.

Our first partial grape production was realized in 2012. We harvested a total of 7.35 tons of grapes from our vineyards — 1.7 tons of Tempranillo, 2.65 tons of Viognier, and 3.0 tons of Blanc du Bois. After setting aside a small number of grapes for our wine-making, we sold the rest of the harvest to two local wineries. Our two vineyards continue to produce more high-quality grapes that we will soon be made into high-quality wines for everyone to enjoy.