Make a Toast to the Environment at Pedernales Cellars, a Pioneering Texas Hill Country Winery

For a Texan, there are many good reasons to drink Texas wine. It is delicious, it is local, and increasingly, it is good for the environment. The Kuhlken family owns Pedernales Cellars and has grown grapes in Texas Hill Country since 1995. Over the decades, they have experimented with varieties to discover ones that thrive in the Texas climate with the least amount of chemical intervention. Though they started with Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, they have found much better partners to Texas terroir in warm-weather varieties such as Tempranillo, originally from Spain, and Rhone varieties, Mourvèdre and Grenache. Knowing what to grow is the first step toward sustainably grown wine.

It is also essential to view the vineyard as a complex ecosystem. To this end, Pedernales minimizes water use through ground cover management and promotes natural pest management by using local species. Compost from the winery is also recycled into the vineyard. Continuing their good stewardship of the land, the family has removed cedar overgrowth and invasive plant species and reestablished seeps and springs, making a better habitat for native Hill Country wildlife. Owner Dr. Julie Kuhlken likes to think of sustainability in terms of healthy habits. As she puts it, “Whether I exercise today is only marginally important, but if I exercise regularly, it makes a huge difference in the long run. Something similar is true of sustainable practices; each one is only marginally impactful, but taken as a whole, they make for a huge shift in the environment’s health.”
Sustainability is also central to the winemaking facility itself. When constructing it, the Kuhlken family decided to dig the cellar directly into the hill to form an underground facility that enjoys the natural insulation of limestone and the cooling soil. A geothermal cooling system, CFL and solar lighting reduce energy usage, and a 55,000-gallon tank collects valuable rainwater used for landscaping.

So, the next time you are reaching for that Cali Cab at the grocery store, stop and think about the environment. Drinking a local Texas wine from Pedernales Cellars reduces the amount of pollution generated from transporting the wine to the shelf, and it comes from a winery that is doing its part to make the wine industry greener. Pedernales Cellars will be making wine from organically grown grapes in the future. That will be one more reason to toast the environment with Pedernales Cellars.
Even better, raise your glass on May 25. National Wine Day is a perfect moment to celebrate Texas terroir, environmental responsibility, and the joy of good wine.

Flint Collective Offers a New Kind of Wine Club

Pedernales Cellars is also redefining the wine club experience with the “Flint Collective” launch on Friday, April 11. Designed for maximum flexibility, this new membership allows wine lovers to enjoy the benefits of a traditional wine club without the constraints of set shipments or quarterly allocations. The name “Flint Collective” was inspired by the Pedernales Cellars logo, which incorporates an arrowhead as a nod to the region’s history.

“We’re excited to launch the ‘Flint Collective’ as an approachable and flexible way for wine lovers to enjoy Pedernales Cellars on their terms,” said Jeff Ogle, sales and marketing manager. “Whether building a collection or picking up your favorite bottle, this club offers the best of both worlds.”

The Flint Collective operates on a monthly subscription model, with a $50 charge on the first of each month. These funds accumulate in the member’s account until they use them. Unlike traditional wine clubs with set shipments, members can select any wine at any time, allowing them to pick up a bottle monthly, save for a seasonal case purchase, or focus exclusively on their favorite varietals. Members receive complimentary tastings, preferred pricing, and discounted shipping rates. The club offers a 15 percent discount on bottles and merchandise.

Ogle noted that the club reflects a shift in consumer behavior, as people increasingly gravitate toward membership models that simplify life, offer transparency, and encourage exploration. “This model makes it easy to enjoy great wine without worrying about pre-selected shipments,” he said. “Members have complete control while still getting the benefits of a wine club.”
For more information or to join the Flint Collective, visit pedernalescellars.com.

About Pedernales Cellars

Seriously. Texas wine. Pedernales Cellars is dedicated to creating world-class wines using ecologically sound practices, focusing on grape varieties that can be grown with exceptional quality in the Texas Hill Country. The winery is located in Stonewall, Texas, overlooking the Pedernales River valley in the heart of the picturesque Texas Hill Country on the 290 Wine Road, a must-visit destination for wine aficionados. Pedernales Cellars sources its grapes from vineyards in the Texas Hill Country and Texas High Plains, most importantly from the original estate vineyard started by the Kuhlken family in the 1990s, where the story of turning Texas grapes into praiseworthy wines began. Just fifteen minutes east of Fredericksburg, the winery is also a pleasant drive from Austin and San Antonio.

For more information, visit the website at www.pedernalescellars.com or follow @pedernalescellars on Instagram and Facebook and tag #SeriouslyTexasWine.

This post is a sponsored collaboration with Pedernales Cellars.