Some winemakers start their career in another field and then discover the wine industry, which leads them down a different path. Meredith Reed is someone who worked in the healthcare field, but once she discovered the wine industry, it was the change she needed. Today, Meredith is a general manager and a winemaker at Rivenburgh Wine and Kerrville Hills Winery at Schreiner University. We are happy to feature Meredith Reed as this month’s Winemaker Profile.
- What did you do before becoming a winemaker?
Before entering the wine industry, I worked as a Registered Dietitian in the cardiac and transplant ICU in the Texas Medical Center in Houston. In January 2016, I stepped away from that career to begin running our small family winery along the Texas coast. That leap of faith eventually led me to the Texas Hill Country, where I landed in January 2022 and continue working today.
- What is the toughest challenge about being a winemaker in Texas?
Every wine region has its challenges, and Texas is no exception. Weather is always part of the equation, no matter where grapes are grown. One of the bigger challenges here is changing perceptions. There are still plenty of people who say they “don’t like Texas wine,” often because they’ve heard outdated information or assume most Texas wines are made from out-of-state fruit. Helping people discover the quality and authenticity of Texas-grown wines and watching their opinions change after a tasting is always rewarding.
- Is winemaking an art or a science or both?
It’s absolutely both. The science provides the foundation: understanding fermentation, chemistry, stability, and aging. Without that knowledge, the art can’t really exist. But the artistry comes in interpreting the fruit of each vintage. No two growing seasons are the same, and a winemaker has to adapt. I believe both the science and the art start in the vineyard. The goal isn’t to force the fruit into becoming something it isn’t. The goal is to understand what it wants to be and guide it there.
- What is your favorite food and wine pairing?
You can’t go wrong with pizza and Sangiovese; it’s classic for a reason. I’m also a big fan of pairing a sweet white wine or dessert wine with a bold, “stinky” cheese like bleu cheese. The contrast works beautifully.
- If you didn’t make wine, what would you do?
I’d probably still be in healthcare, but likely on the management side rather than bedside care. Healthcare will always be a part of my background, but winemaking has definitely captured my attention in a different way.
- What first attracted you to winemaking and how long have you been doing it?
If I’m being honest, at first it was simply the chance to step away from healthcare. I was feeling burned out, and the idea of doing something completely different was appealing. But once I got into the wine world, the science and creativity quickly pulled me in. There’s something incredibly satisfying about taking fruit grown in the vineyard and guiding it through a process that ultimately becomes something people gather around and enjoy. I’ve been involved in winemaking since 2016, and every year I learn something new.
- What is the most common question you are asked as a winemaker?
“Do you stomp the grapes with your feet?” That question never goes away. I think most people picture winemaking as this romantic process, but they’re usually surprised to learn what it actually involves. Harvest can mean days of driving a forklift, processing tons of fruit, cleaning equipment, managing fermentations, and sometimes loading and unloading 18-wheelers. It’s messy, physical work, but it’s incredibly rewarding.
- After a long day in the winery or vineyard, what do you do?
I usually spend at least an hour on the phone with my family every evening. After that, sleep becomes pretty important, especially during harvest!
- What’s the greatest part about being a winemaker?
The variety. No two days are the same. Over the course of a year, you move between harvest and bottling seasons, and within those seasons you’re constantly shifting tasks—processing fruit, pressing, fermenting, barreling down, filtering, blending, topping barrels, bottling… It’s a cycle that never really gets boring.
But the most special part is taking something grown in a field and turning it into a wine that reflects a specific place and moment in time. In many ways, each bottle is a small snapshot of that vintage—history captured in a bottle.
- What is your winemaking philosophy, that is, what are you trying to achieve with your wines?
Let the fruit speak for itself and intervene as little as possible. Great wine starts in the vineyard, and while the cellar is where the magic happens, it’s also where a winemaker can easily do too much. The goal is to respect the fruit and allow it to express where it came from.
- Anything else you would like to add?
The Texas wine industry is one of the most welcoming and supportive professional communities I’ve encountered. I’ve met so many incredible owners and winemakers who are generous with their time, knowledge, and advice. Mentorship is incredibly important in this industry. I’ve been fortunate to have wonderful mentors, especially John Rivenburgh, and I would encourage anyone entering the field to find people they trust who can help guide them. Sometimes all you need is someone to bounce an idea off of or call when a challenge pops up.
If you are a wine grower or winemaker, and have not been featured yet in a Grower Profile or Winemaker Profile, please contact us!
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