Kiepersol is Changing with the Times

Things are changing in the Texas wine world due to COVID-19. One of the wineries who is changing some things is Kiepersol near Tyler, TX. They have a number of changes that will be upcoming.

Like most wineries, Kiepersol is planning on reopening in phases to best accommodate the safety of customers and adhere to state guidelines. They will be moving as fast as possible but will be sure to be safe as Texas reopens.

Kiepersol had a drive through winery available during the early outbreak of COVID-19 and it was closed as the situation became more serious. The drive through at the main office (3933 FM 344 E, Tyler) will be reopening soon. Curbside pickup will be available Monday through Friday on a “honk for service” basis. This will continue as a permanent part of Kiepersol and will operate Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

As we mentioned in a previous post about Kiepersol’s winemaker, Alex Lee, there is a Grand Room now at Kiepersol near the tasting rooms. This building overlooks the vineyard and will become the combined Winery and Distillery tasting room as well as the gift shop. There will be room for distanced tastings, casual seating, as well as live music in the future. Opening hours will be Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The current Winery tasting room will become The Club House, an exclusive space for Club members. It will be available for Club members to rent the entire space. When not rented, it will be open Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for personal tastings or as a Club hangout. Kiepersol Vault wines are available at The Club House and members can look forward to exclusive Vault tasting events. The Salt Kitchen, which is currently aside the Winery tasting room, will remain a space for tours and publicly held classes.

The current Distillery tasting room will become The Infusion Room. Kiepersol will be mixing and making syrups, cordials, tinctures, bitters, and mixers for cocktails to serve all Kiepersol bars: The Club House, The Grand Room, and The Restaurant Bar. This bar will not be open for the public to order cocktails, that will take place at The Grand Room. The lounge will be a tour space as it is currently, and the entire lounge and bar space can be rented for private parties.

The Restaurant will also have some changes. During the COVID-19 shutdown, Kiepersol has set up the Restaurant bar as a craft mixology experience bar by extending the Winery and Distillery permit to encompass the Restaurant itself. All the spirits available in the restaurant are distilled or bottled at the Distillery on-site. Farm-infused, homemade cordials, creams, fruit infusions, herb tinctures, and bitters are now made fresh from their base spirits and round out the destination experience for any foodie. You will be able to see all the creations adorning the back bar.

The Distillery will also be expanding the products they make. When they reopen, these will be the new spirits available: Dirk’s Gin, Pierre’s “Texuila” Agave Spirit (yes, this means margaritas at all locations!), Pierre’s White Rum, and Jerrie’s Brandy. Still aging in barrels, but coming soon are: Jimmy’s Whiskey, Jimmy’s Single Malt Whiskey, and Jimmy’s Rye Whiskey. Initially these spirits will be exclusively for the restaurant bar, but soon, they will be rolled out to retail so you can buy them by the bottle.

Also changing will be the ability to sell wines and spirits to-go from the restaurant. You can purchase closed containers of Kiepersol’s spirits and wines for off-premise consumption directly from the restaurant (some TABC restrictions on hours and quantities apply). So, if you fall in love with the wine you are enjoying during dinner, your server can also sell you a case for home and bring it to your car.

On the wine front at the Restaurant, you will still be able to enjoy wines from all over the world, Kiepersol flagship wines, and limited production wines found only on the estate.

You will not be able to get their spirits directly from them right now, but they encourage you to visit your local liquor stores. Some stores in larger communities such as Total Wine & More and Spec’s are providing curbside pickup. Kiepersol wines are also available at Brookshire’s, FRESH by Brookshire’s and Super 1. You can order wine and gift cards online any time and they ship today to anywhere in Texas.