We plan to limit our production to wines that come from Texas Hill Country fruit. Presently, we have two Texas Hill Country fruit sources: Our estate LD3 Ranch Vineyard and Granite Hill Vineyards, owned by Joy and Steve Johnson and managed by Bill Blackmon.

LD3 Ranch Vineyard is very small-about three acres. It is planted to Blanc du Bois, Norton (also known as Cynthiana) and Black Spanish (also known as Lenoir and Jacquez). The soil is loamy clay, ranging from "brun" to more reddish-the loam no doubt coming from the evolution of surrounding Bear Creek. Layers of caliche and limestone rock lie beneath. For those who have traveled in the Languedoc region of France-you know what to imagine.

Granite Hill Vineyards is located off Highway 16, not far from the Willow City Loop, in between Fredricksburg and Llano-right in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Here the soils are sandy and quite different from that at LD3 Ranch-granite, not limestone. On a handshake, Merlot from the "400 Block" and the Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Viognier from the "Prototype Block" are reserved for us each year. Ideally situated on the west end slope of the vineyard, the one acre "400 Block" Merlot ripens dependably, while the "Prototype Block" contains the oldest vines.