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Don and Ruby Corley the captains of Colony Cellars
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| The entrance to Colony Cellars beckons visitors to come in where visitors are treated to sweet versions of Texas-grown grapes made utilizing whole grape berry fermentation. |
By Ron Saikowski
Houston Wine Walk
On the eastern fringes of the Katy Prairie is COLONY CELLARS. This unique winery was opened on Nov. 10, 2006 by a husband & wife duo married for 51 years. DON CORLEY and his wife RUBY, handle all of the winery operations from the vineyards, to winemaking, to the operations of the wine tasting room. This dynamic couple have been married for 53 years, but act like a couple who are much younger.
DON CORLEY grew up in Del Rio, Texas in the shadows of VAL VERDE WINERY. He remembers growing up during Prohibition when Val Verde Winery operated as the only winery in Texas, making sacramental wines and Cabernet Sauvignon jams. He learned how to make wines and grows grapes.
After retiring, DON & RUBY began to live their dream of making wines when they planted the initial phase of their 30-acre vineyard are in 1999. They have planted various varieties of grape vines over the years. Their vineyards include Black Spanish Rose, Chambourcin, Blanc du Bois, and Santinana grapes. Their vineyards have been producing grapes for wines since 2003 with additional sections being planted each Spring to expand their grape harvests. Their careful plantings and extraordinary care (including pruning) have produced vineyards that equal the care of any vineyards that I have visited.
Their grapes are harvested and fermented as whole berry clusters utilizing the same processes as utilized in the Beaujolais area of France. The whole berry fermentation process is very unique in the USA and produces a sweeter, fruitier wine with less alcohol than conventional methods. COLONY CELLARS goes one step further and utilizes ONLY the natural yeasts and bacteria found in their vineyards in their fermentation processes. As a result, COLONY CELLARS WINES are UNIQUE producing a sweet, fruity, low alcohol wine utilizing only native Texas yeasts.
The CORLEYS produce a red wine, a blush wine and a white wine made from their native grapes. The wines are produced in groups of these three wines at four levels, being CRISP (driest), SMOOTH (semi-sweet), RICH ( sweet), and RANDOM HARVEST ( a unique blend of the various reds, white, and blushes). These wines are very unique as far as any type of wines since they are made with whole grape berry fermentation with Texas-grown grapes. These wines are sweeter and fruitier than most wines.
The CORLEYS make almost 8,000 cases of wines each year utilizing their unique approach to wine making. They sell most of their wines at the winery with 12 wine shops selling the rest.
A tasting panel went through almost 2,000 wines from all over the United States and 15 other countries on the weekend of Nov. 15-16 to determine the “pick of the litter” for Houston Rodeo Uncorked 2009. The top Texas Wine was PINEY WOOD TEXAS MOON MAGNOLIA (no vintage). Several other top Texas wines included HAAK VINEYARDS & WINERY JACQUEZ MADEIRA TEXAS 2004 (Gold), LLANO ESTACADO VIVIANO TEXAS 2005 (Gold), BRENNAN VIENYARDS AUSTIN STATE “COMANCHE RED” 2007. There will be more on this competition in future columns.
The Texas Wine & Grape Growers Association held a competition for non-commercial wine makers on November 8th in Fredericksburg during the “Grape Camp” with 40 Texas winemakers competing. Top winemakers receiving gold medals for their non-commercial wines include BARRETT ROUSE (3), MARK ROGERS, JOSEPH ZAPPONE, SCOTT & CAROL GREENE, ZIAD NOSHIE, and JEFF & PATRICIA COBO-STARK.
Ron’s wine pick is a huge robust BECKER VINEYARDS 2005 CABERNET SAUVIGNON RESERVE. This oak-aged RED is loaded with black currants, wild berries, and hints of cloves. This wine is grown in the NEWSOM VINEYARDS in West Texas at an elevation of 3800 feet. This wine is great for that cold winter day and would pair excellently with a Texas steak. This wine retails for $24.95 per bottle at places like SPEC’s, H-E-B Central Market, and Woodlands Liquors.
Colony Cellars
Address: 35955 Richard Frey Rd, Waller, TX 77484
Production: 8,000 Cases
Founded: Vineyard 1999; Winery 2006
Wine: Four levels of wines with a red wine, blush wine, and white wine per level.
Owners: Don & Ruby Corley – married 53 years
Vineyards: 30 acres growing five different grape varieties
DON CORLEY grew up in Del Rio, Texas in the shadows of VAL VERDE WINERY. He remembers growing up during Prohibition when Val Verde Winery operated as the only winery in Texas, making sacramental wines and Cabernet Sauvignon jams. He learned how to make wines and grows grapes.
After retiring, DON & RUBY began to live their dream of making wines when they planted the initial phase of their 30-acre vineyard are in 1999. They have planted various varieties of grape vines over the years. Their vineyards include Black Spanish Rose, Chambourcin, Blanc du Bois, and Santinana grapes. Their vineyards have been producing grapes for wines since 2003 with additional sections being planted each Spring to expand their grape harvests. Their careful plantings and extraordinary care (including pruning) have produced vineyards that equal the care of any vineyards that I have visited.
Their grapes are harvested and fermented as whole berry clusters utilizing the same processes as utilized in the Beaujolais area of France. The whole berry fermentation process is very unique in the USA and produces a sweeter, fruitier wine with less alcohol than conventional methods. COLONY CELLARS goes one step further and utilizes ONLY the natural yeasts and bacteria found in their vineyards in their fermentation processes. As a result, COLONY CELLARS WINES are UNIQUE producing a sweet, fruity, low alcohol wine utilizing only native Texas yeasts.
The CORLEYS produce a red wine, a blush wine and a white wine made from their native grapes. The wines are produced in groups of these three wines at four levels, being CRISP (driest), SMOOTH (semi-sweet), RICH ( sweet), and RANDOM HARVEST ( a unique blend of the various reds, white, and blushes). These wines are very unique as far as any type of wines since they are made with whole grape berry fermentation with Texas-grown grapes. These wines are sweeter and fruitier than most wines.
The CORLEYS make almost 8,000 cases of wines each year utilizing their unique approach to wine making. They sell most of their wines at the winery with 12 wine shops selling the rest.
A tasting panel went through almost 2,000 wines from all over the United States and 15 other countries on the weekend of Nov. 15-16 to determine the “pick of the litter” for Houston Rodeo Uncorked 2009. The top Texas Wine was PINEY WOOD TEXAS MOON MAGNOLIA (no vintage). Several other top Texas wines included HAAK VINEYARDS & WINERY JACQUEZ MADEIRA TEXAS 2004 (Gold), LLANO ESTACADO VIVIANO TEXAS 2005 (Gold), BRENNAN VIENYARDS AUSTIN STATE “COMANCHE RED” 2007. There will be more on this competition in future columns.
The Texas Wine & Grape Growers Association held a competition for non-commercial wine makers on November 8th in Fredericksburg during the “Grape Camp” with 40 Texas winemakers competing. Top winemakers receiving gold medals for their non-commercial wines include BARRETT ROUSE (3), MARK ROGERS, JOSEPH ZAPPONE, SCOTT & CAROL GREENE, ZIAD NOSHIE, and JEFF & PATRICIA COBO-STARK.
Ron’s wine pick is a huge robust BECKER VINEYARDS 2005 CABERNET SAUVIGNON RESERVE. This oak-aged RED is loaded with black currants, wild berries, and hints of cloves. This wine is grown in the NEWSOM VINEYARDS in West Texas at an elevation of 3800 feet. This wine is great for that cold winter day and would pair excellently with a Texas steak. This wine retails for $24.95 per bottle at places like SPEC’s, H-E-B Central Market, and Woodlands Liquors.
Colony Cellars
Address: 35955 Richard Frey Rd, Waller, TX 77484
Production: 8,000 Cases
Founded: Vineyard 1999; Winery 2006
Wine: Four levels of wines with a red wine, blush wine, and white wine per level.
Owners: Don & Ruby Corley – married 53 years
Vineyards: 30 acres growing five different grape varieties
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