BEHIND THE WINES: PARABLE WINES
I recently saw a quote from Matthew McConaughey where he said, "Steinbeck says it's a state of mind...In Texas, there is a certain honor of being a Texan that is a measure of doing something the best that you can.” This line seems to capture the spirit of what I have experienced as I met, talked with, and tasted the wines of a few Texans who have ventured into the world of California winemaking.
The world of wine can seem very small sometimes. In the vast ocean of 36 billion bottles of wine produced each year, I love that I can hear about and meet producers who might only make one barrel (about 360 bottles) of a wine in their portfolio. And they might make two to three barrels of a few others. What motivates them? What started it all? I set out to learn the stories behind some Texans, still living in Texas, who decided to make wines in California. How did they create their own California-based wine brands? I had to know.
the story behind PARABLE WINES
Parable Wines is new. I mean, it is brand new. How new? It was only in April of this year that I attended a small launch party for Parable Wines at Qi restaurant in Austin, Texas. The honor of being one of the first people in the vast world of wine to hear their story and taste their wines is not lost on me. Parable Wines is a family project for the Austin-based Eppright family. Their company, FTM Investments, has the initials of Fred Eppright, the father, and his two sons, Trey and Matt. But it was Trey, and his passion for wine, that set them on this journey.
Trey’s fascination with wine began at the age of 15, when his father allowed him to have his first taste of champagne. After turning 21, he began researching wine and trying to learn as much as possible about it. He even took courses in horticulture and grape growing at Texas A&M. As often happens, life intervened. His career in the family business after graduation took precedence over his wine exploration. For a while anyway. A visit to Napa Valley in 2013 reignited his fervor. He visited the Bordeaux wine region of France the following year, and this experience cemented his desire to be in the wine industry one day.
That day came during the pandemic of 2020 after a visit to a friend’s farm in Oregon. He realized he loved farming. He loved wine. It was time. Trey asked Fred and Matt if he could look for a vineyard property in Napa Valley. Fred, ever the businessman, was more practical, “If you can find something that makes sense, bring it to me.” Trey found the old Dutch Henry Vineyard, which had been destroyed by the wildfires of 2020. It made sense, and Parable Wines was born.
They have replanted the 2 ½ acre vineyard with Cabernet Sauvignon and are now rebuilding the property. Still, vineyards must mature before wine can be made. Meanwhile, renowned Napa Valley winemaker Kale Anderson was enlisted to help them identify and source grapes from five prized vineyards in Napa and Sonoma. This allowed them to produce their first vintage of 550 cases (only 6,600 bottles). There are five single-vineyard wines – two Cabernet Sauvignon and three Chardonnay. I was fortunate to taste all five outstanding wines.
As for the name, Parable Wines, it was Matt who suggested it. Why Parable? Wine tells a story. The soil. The weather. The farmers. The harvest. They told me to think of the old parable about the frog giving a ride to the scorpion across the river. They want to be like the scorpion in their winemaking. Stick to its nature. What is the nature of the vineyard? How do you capture that in a bottle of wine? This is the story they want to share with everyone who tastes their wines. As Trey says, “For me, it’s all about the chance to teach people about wine.”
Visit their website here: Parable Wines
