Loblolly Cellars

San Antonio acquired its newest urban winery, Loblolly Cellars. The tasting room is located on the city’s northwest side. The winery is a hidden gem, nestled among oak trees. Owner Joe Klenke with Iman Moukaddam operates the winery and tasting room along with help from family and friends.

I visited the tasting room on their official second day of operations and returned a week later; however, they offered wine prior to opening. In the beginning, they shared their wine via the Loblolly wine trailer. This allowed them to bring their wine to their vineyard neighbors in Columbus, as well as events, mainly along the Gulf Coast. Now, the tasting room in San Antonio is open Thursday through Sunday. They keep later hours, so guests can visit in the evenings.

The tasting room offers an oasis near San Antonio’s medical center. They are located behind a dentist’s office (owned and operated by the family); it can make it tricky to find the tasting room. They currently occupy the mother-in-law suite among a group of buildings built in 1929. The tasting room has two levels, a large table on the ground floor and a lounge with chairs and couches on the second floor. Behind and to the side of the building, they have outdoor seating.

The complex has an exciting history of its own. A former head of the San Antonio Zoo had the complex built and included cages for animals kept on the property. Today, only local wildlife prowls the area and one cage remains. The complex is also home to work in the Trabajo Rústico style, created by the original artist Dionicio Rodriguez. The unique artwork includes usable art, such as bus stops, shade structures, planters, and furniture. The wooden-like structures, which appear natural, are made of concrete. Much of the original work can be found in downtown, including the Japanese Tea Gardens.

Loblolly Cellars not only embraces the city of San Antonio but the state as well. They are a proud 100% Texas winery. Their vineyard—K4H Vineyards—is in Columbus, Texas. The winery takes its name from a natural feature at the ranch: the loblolly pines that lead to the vineyard. The vineyard currently has two acres dedicated to Blanc du Bois and Camminare Noir (a Walker variety), but they plan to expand it to eight acres. This will include additional acres of the two varieties as well as a third, which is yet to be determined. Right now, they use their estate Blanc du Bois and source the rest of their grapes from the High Plains or the Hill Country.

The winery’s journey started when the Klenke family decided to apply for an agricultural exemption for their new ranch. This led to the planting of Blanc du Bois. In the early days, more established wineries purchased their grapes, but before long the vineyard started to cost more than it saved. By then Joe had developed a passion for wine and decided to make his own. He is currently finishing his studies at UC Davis.

Loblolly made their early vintages at crush facilities in Nacogdoches with the help of Sages Vintage. Currently, Joe is working with the help of Rob Nida of Pebble Rock Cellars as he takes over the winemaking. They currently offer twelve wines: four whites, one rosé, six reds, and a dessert wine. Tastings include any four wines. They also have The Grove, their wine club, with 3, 6, and 12 bottle options.

The whites include:

• 2022 Reisling (semi-sweet)
• 2022 Trebbiano (dry)
• 2022 Muscat Canelli (dry)
• 2022 Blanc du Bois (dry) – grown at their vineyard

The rosé is a 2021 Tempranillo, which comes from Hill Country fruit.

The red wines include:

• 2022 Lenior (semi-sweet) – Hill Country fruit
• 2019 Mourvèdre (dry)
• 2022 Malbec (dry)
• 2022 Sangiovese (dry)
• 2019 Tempranillo (dry) – from the same fruit at the rosé
• 2019 Red Blend (Sangiovese 45%, Aglianico 55%)

They also have a 2022 Lenior dessert wine crafted in port style.

For those wishing to visit and relax, they do have other offerings. They have frozen sangria (made from their Blanc du Bois), a traditional charcuterie plate, and a cheese and fruit plate. Like their grapes, they want to offer local food; they also take into consideration food issues, such as nut allergies and gluten.

Loblolly Cellars hopes to expand offerings and have events in the future. For now, a visit to the tasting room makes for a great date night or an afternoon escape. You can find them online at Loblolly Cellars and visit them at 11115 Wurzbach Road, Suite 600 in San Antonio, Texas.