Food and Drink - Spring 2011 - (Page 28)

AMERICAN WINE TRAIL } STE. GENEVIEVE WINES A Taste of Texas Ste. Genevieve winery promotes Texas as a wine-producing state. B Y LONE STAR: Ste. Genevieve endorses Texas for wine. LORI SICHTERMANN P Pat Prendergast, president of Ste. Genevieve Wines in Fort Stockton, Texas, has spent a lifetime in the wine business. “Wine is in my blood, literally and ﬁguratively,” he says. Ste. Genevieve Winery sits on 1,600 acres of west Texas land leased from The University of Texas Land System, which beneﬁts Texas A&M and The University of Texas. Ste. Genevieve has 600 acres of vineyard at its west Texas location, and this year, the winery plans to sell 640,000 cases of wine in white, red and rose varieties. In terms of domestic wine production, Ste. Genevieve ranks as the 23rd-largest winery in the United States. And while the winery has experienced success since it opened in 1981, it’s not been easy growing. According to Prendergast, Ste. Genevieve still has a lot of ground to cover – literally and ﬁguratively. T H E W R AT H F O R G R A P E S much higher than in other wine-producing states, such as California and Washington. As Prendergast explains, late spring freezes are always a concern, as are hail storms. “We’re at a high eleva- > C O M PA N Y P R O F I L E STE. GENEVIEVE WINES ANNUAL PRODUCTION: 640,000 cases EMPLOYEES: 40 HEADQUARTERS: Fort Stockton, Texas SPECIALTY: Texas wines PAT PRENDERGAST, PRESIDENT: The hardest and riskiest part of his business, Prendergast relates, is growing grapes in Texas. “You have to have thick skin to do this – no pun intended,” he says. Although Texas vines produce quality grapes, the risk involved in growing them is “You have to be passionate about what you do in this business. There are constant challenges, and in order to be successful, you need perseverance.” 28 food and drink • spring 2011 • www.fooddrink-magazine.com http://www.fooddrink-magazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Food and Drink - Spring 2011

Food and Drink - Spring 2011
Tableside Chat
Table of Contents
News a la Carte
Current Events
FAD Exclusive
A Ripening Field
History in the Making
New Wine Paradigm
Don Sebastiani & Sons/ The Other Guys
St. Julian Winery
Ste. Genevieve Winery
Herzog Wine Cellars
Meier’s Wine Cellar
Oak Ridge Winery
Producers: Keeping Trade Secrets
MaMa Rosa’s Pizza
Gel Spice Co. LLC
Vegetable Juices Inc.
Royal Caribbean Bakery/Caribbean Food Delights
Red Stripe Beer
Robertet Flavors
Tofutti
Annabelle Candy
Andrea Foods
Anchor Brewing
F&F Foods
Santa Sweets Inc.
Hillside Candy
Ricos Products
Sethness Greenleaf Inc.
Wunder-Bar: Automatic Bar Controls
Antigua Distillery
AMES International
Amato’s Bakery
Charlie’s Pride Meats
Citromax Group of Companies
Diamond Bakery
Grindmaster- Cecilware Corp.
Heartland Mill
Kirschenman Enterprises
Rakhra Mushroom Farm
FAME Food Management
Schneider Packaging Equipment Co. Inc.
Sea Harvest Corporation (Pty) Ltd.
Sparrer Sausage Co. Inc.
Jamaican Teas Ltd.
Westminster Cracker Co.
Distributors: Don’t Risk It
The Fricks Company
U.S. Foodservice – Milwaukee Division
Arizona Select Distribution
Fairway Packing Co.
Ingredient Innovations
J.J. Taylor Distributing Co. of Minnesota Inc.
Mastronardi Produce
Milne Fruit Products Inc.
Nebraskaland
Pellerito Foods
Albion Fisheries Ltd.
RPE Inc.
Retailers: Savoring the Moment
Roadtown Wholesale Trading Ltd.
Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt
Quick Chek
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
Sendik’s Fine Foods Inc.
Zaro’s Bakery
Balboa Brands
Restaurants: Toss Around Ideas
Sizzler USA
Dick’s Last Resort
Granite City Food & Brewery Ltd.
Liberty Entertainment Group
Roly Poly Franchise Systems
Santa Fe Cattle Co.
Winger’s USA Inc.
Bensi Restaurant Group Inc.
Leo’s Coney Island
Three Things

Food and Drink - Spring 2011