By Bill Zeeble, KERA reporter
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-494093.mp3
Dallas & Grapevine, TX – Bill Zeeble, KERA 90.1 reporter: That's a clean, empty bottle filling up with hand-made wine. It could be a Pinot Noir from Oregon or Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, both world-renowned for those varieties.
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Zeeble: In this case it's a red wine. The customer is Ken Wilson, a caterer whose Harley motorcycle buddies are helping him bottle 2 and a half cases of wine he's blended at Su Vino, a Grapevine storefront custom wine shop. Wilson's friend Kevin Howell says this batch will be part of a celebration
Kevin Howell, friend of winemaker: Ken, on labor day September 5th was in an accident, we were riding together, and had to get care-flighted to Parkland and wasn't supposed to live and survive. And that's the reason for the brand of wine there.
Zeeble: Ken Wilson points to the bottle's custom-made label
Ken Wilson, Caterer: I put Sliding On An Angel's Wings. This wine is honoring friends, family and fun. And I have a higher appreciation of all 3.
Zeeble: Those kinds of sentiments help drive Su Vino's business, now approaching it's 3rd anniversary. It was the Southwest's first custom wine shop and is currently among the nation's largest in its niche - custom wine production. Like similar shops that have now sprouted in North Texas, grape brokers supply the juices in clear plastic, 6-gallon bags. Customers sample the already bottled wine the shop has made in advance. They can buy those individual bottles or can make their own from different juices. To ferment, it's poured into 6-gallon containers called carboys. Cory Whalin is the store manager.
Cory Wahlin, Su Vino Manager: Carboys get their name from prohibition. Alcohol runners used to dress up these plastic 6 gallon - at the time, glass 6 gallon jugs - as children, to avoid being pulled over by police officers.
Zeeble: A few months later, the fermented wine's ready for bottling. A few months after that, it's ready to uncork. So far, Su Vino has derived most of its half million dollars in annual revenue from sales of wine it's bottled itself.
Ambience Downtown Dallas
In downtown Dallas, in the recently renovated Davis building, the newest custom wine producing shop, Swirll, gets most of its business from people producing their own wines. Louis Davion, formerly in the computer business, and his wife Peggy, in real estate, opened their shop last June
Peggy Davion: People are looking more every day for customer service and just something fun that's relaxing. Not a nightclub, or a restaurant or movie, just something more unique.
Louis Davion: The experience is entertaining, unique, they're going to tell families and friends and that's how we grow.
Zeeble: The Davions say they've already had repeat customers - people who like what they've bottled, and now want to try something different, like unusual blends or added oak, longer ageing, or a foreign wine with a good reputation
L. Davion: If it's a Spanish rioja you like, that's where the grape actually comes from . Like any recipe - the food's only as good as the ingredients going in, and wine's that way.
Zeeble: Business around the holidays has been brisk, say these custom wine store owners. There are now about half a dozen such shops like these in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. For KERA 90.1 I'm Bill Zeeble