Kerrville Hills Winery takes a homey approach to tasting

On a stunning Sunday afternoon, Kerrville Hills Winery was quietly transitioning to its new tasting room. On this day, it was clear why owners John Rivenburg and Kelly Hagemeier chose the former Weston House on the Schreiner University campus as their new home. 

On Thursday, the Kerrville Hills Winery tasting room will officially open. Still, this last weekend was a “soft” launch, and plenty took advantage of the gorgeous weather to sample some of the award-winning winery’s offerings. 

“I think it’s going to give us a better opportunity to be active in the community,” Rivenburg said. 

The winery’s main operation remains on Texas 16, just north of the Kerrville city limits. They will maintain some tastings on Fridays and have room to accommodate private parties on weekends. 

Located along East Main Street, the winery has already transformed the Weston House property. Vines are starting to take root across the grounds, which overlook the university’s baseball and softball fields. 

The property is also home to a community garden, the Loftis Observatory and other Schreiner science programs. 

“It seemed like we were too far out of town, but too close to town,” Rivenburg said of the previous tasting room. “But this seems to fit.” 

The old Craftsman-style home has plenty of features to make it work for the tasting room, including a marvelous and spacious wrap-around patio. Around the home, there are nooks with tables, couches, and chairs and a relaxed vibe to enjoy conversation and wine. 

As one of the champions of Texas wine, Rivenburg is a bundle of energy. He strives to improve the quality of wine in a place he believes could one day challenge California as the nation’s top wine-producing state. 

But there’s a downside: oversaturating the market with too many wineries, including those that do the bare minimum of growing, harvesting and producing. Of course, Fredericksburg is booming, with wineries popping up all along Texas 290. Kerrville’s scene is Kerrville Hills and Turtle Creek. 

“I didn’t use to worry about it as much as I do now,” Rivenburg said. 

However, that worry keeps Rivenburg grounded in farming and investing in the future, including a distillery operation and using the winery as an incubator for up-and-coming winemakers. 

And at the end of the day, this new venue is more than just a place to sip wine. Rivenburg views it as a gathering place. 

“On Saturday, we had four couples here and their kids, and that’s what we want — the family nature of agriculture,” Rivenburg said.