Prior to their partnership, both Bill and Chris had numerous years of experience growing grapes in Texas. Both farmed grapes and made wine for established wineries. In 2008, the pair decided to take their combined experience and passion to create authentic Texas wine and began William Chris Vineyards. Bill and Chris bottled their first vintage under the William Chris label in 2008, utilizing Old-World winemaking techniques to create a genuine expression of the Hill Country's distinctive terroir. They produced 16 barrels of our flagship red wine and called it Enchanté.
William Chris opened the doors of a small tasting room and produced a couple of thousand cases of wine. Several wines from this vintage gathered acclaim including the 2010 Enchanté, 2010 Hunter, 2010 Cabernet Franc, and the 2010 Blanc du Bois.
In 2011, Bill and Chris broke ground on a new and larger production facility enabling them to double their capacity. With the purchase of additional storage tanks and barrels, the winery produced 4,500 cases of wine in 2011.
The epic drought of 2011 produced a small-berried harvest that created great concentration and quality scarcely matched by any previous vintage in Texas.
In 2012, William Chris Vineyards introduced a new tasting room and patio for guests to enjoy. The old farmhouse was turned into a wine club lounge for Hye Society members only.
Our winery added a very special fermentation and wine aging vessel made of terracotta. All wines made in the terracotta pot are a very limited production each vintage. So, once we added terracotta wines the Hye Pot Club was established.
In 2016, our winery welcomed our very own bottling line and ramped up our production considerably.
In 2018, we expanded our wholesale program and distribution to include select retail locations including retailers headquartered in Texas beginning with Whole Foods Market and H-E-B stores.
In August of 2019 we opened our brand new wine club members tasting room. We couldn't be more proud of this beautiful building to host our members in for tastings, release parties and private dinners.
Katharine has been helping out at William Chris Vineyards since her husband, Chris Brundrett, co-founded the winery in 2008. She joined the team full-time mid-2014. Katharine is in charge of making sure that all of our executive operations run smoothly and efficiently. She also helps to manage our direct to consumer shipping compliance so that you can receive wine shipments - even across state lines. All federal government label approvals and reports also pass through Katharine's hands. You can reach her at info@williamchriswines.com
Joe brings over 15 years of direct experience in both domestic and international wholesale distribution and retail operations. Joe started his career in the specialty food business managing a private label line of Italian gourmet food products before transitioning to wholesale specialty beverage sales. He has held a number of positions over the years in several top organizations, including CR Goodman, Ben E Keith Specialty Beverage, and The Flying Saucer, and has consulted with specialty beverage manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, both in Texas and in Italy.
John joins us with an incredible background in hospitality, customer service, and resort management. He has worked for Disney, Hilton, and Benchmark Hospitality throughout Florida including Orlando, Daytona Beach, and the Keys. But don't worry, he is a Texan. John grew up in San Angelo, Texas and even went to Angelo State before finishing school at the University of Central Florida.
Leah joined William Chris Vineyards during the 2019 harvest season. Her background is in consumer marketing and advertising for various global brands, including YETI, BMW and Target. Leah is a native of Austin and is honored to have the opportunity to share the William Chris story and our Texas-grown wines with more people every day. In addition to her dream job, Leah enjoys learning more about wine, spending time outside, traveling, and relaxing with her husband and young daughter. Leah is a graduate of Texas A&M University's Mays School of Business.
Taylor joined the William Chris team in January 2021. Taylor loves how much WCV really makes you feel at home. We truly are one big happy family. She said, "It's so fun to wake up in the morning and actually look forward to going into work." Although Taylor does not know too much about wine she is super excited to be here and continue learning more and more each day. Taylor is our reservationist and is in charge of all the bookings; she is our phone answering machine. When not at the vineyard, Taylor enjoys visiting with her family, hanging out with friends, or spending quality time with her dog Smokey. You can reach her at reservations@
Anthony Harvell leads the sales, operations, and administrative divisions of WCV. He has overseen the company production growth from 4,000 cases to 33,000 cases. During his tenure with WCV, he has also contributed to Texas wine organizations including serving two years as a board member for the Texas Hill Country Wineries association and creating the premier Texas wine event, Texas Wine Revolution. Prior to WCV, Anthony led teams in the retail sector, most recently with Skechers USA where he developed the central Texas market. Anthony has also held a national training role for Safilo USA as well as General Manager of a boutique retail brand. Anthony is a graduate of North Carolina State University as well as the prestigious North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics.
Elise joined the William Chris family in January 2016. She is from the North Texas area and is a native of Canada. She is in charge of all William Chris accounting. With her 30+ years of accounting experience, she is a key team member. Elise lives in Canyon Lake with her husband Donnie. They have two sons and one daughter who are all grown. Elise has been a lover of wine for most of her life and enjoys all of the learning experiences she has available to her here at William Chris Vineyards. When she is not keeping our finances in order, Elise and Donnie enjoy riding their Harley Davidson all over the country. You can reach Elise at accounting@williamchriswines.com
Clay Roup joined the Texas wine industry two years ago and ended up working with the vines for William Chris Vineyards on the 2020 vintage. He has transitioned from managing the wine grapes at Hoover Valley Vineyards to managing the wine education program here at WCV.
Victoria joined the William Chris team in June 2019. Prior to WCV, she was a Special Education teacher and a volleyball, basketball, track and golf coach for 4 years. Victoria attended Belmont University in Nashville, TN where she served as the manager of their Division 1 Volleyball Team. When not at the vineyard, Victoria can be found with her family and friends, floating the river or out at her family's farm in Rio Hondo, Texas.
Rochelle Carnes has been with William Chris Vineyards since February of 2015 where she started out in our tasting room. She joined our team after years of wrangling a house full of boys as a full-time mom in Johnson City, TX. Rochelle has a quick wit, tells it like it is, and she is a natural entertainer so after two years of working with guests in our tasting room Rochelle’s warmth, humor, and approachable nature made her a natural fit for managing our wine club. She spends most of her free time doing what she loves, spending time with her family. You can reach Rochelle at: wineclub@williamchriswines.com
Shawn Fitzsimmons joined the William Chris team in June of 2019. Born and raised in San Antonio, Shawn attended St. Mary's University where he played basketball and met his beautiful wife Ashley. The past ten years Shawn served the people of West San Antonio as the Quality Improvement Manager at Good Samaritan Community Center. Shawn, Ashley, and daughter (Abby), and son (Owen).moved to Fredericksburg, TX during the summer of 2019. During his free time, you can find Shawn hanging out with his family, surrounding himself with friends, or pretending he is good at golf.
Anne’s “encore career” began in 2016 when she joined the William Chris tasting room team, and then later transitioned to the wine club team late in 2019. Prior to that, she had been enjoying retirement from a career in non-profit finance working in the healthcare, higher education, and philanthropic worlds. Originally from Binghamton, NY, she followed her husband to the Gulf Coast in 2004 enjoying life in Lafayette, LA before transitioning to the Texas Hill Country late in 2015. She started her wine journey in the Finger Lakes of Upstate NY during her college days, and felt she right at home here in Hill Country when she found the “Finger Lakes of Texas.” In her time off, she enjoys entertaining, spending time with friends, and traveling - usually to South Carolina (hence her love of Hootie & the Blowfish!) Anne is a graduate of Ithaca College and James Madison University, holding both a bachelor's and master's degree.
Kaylee joined the William Chris Family in June 2020. Kaylee said, “I knew it was a perfect fit when I met the rest of the team, and what this company represents. It was love at first sight with butterflies and everything, I knew I belonged as soon as I stepped foot on the William Chris Hye Estate property.” Originally being from Maine, Kaylee is excited to be a part of something magical. She hopes that her experience with the bar business and her passion for music will be incorporated with her passion for wine.
Jodi joined William Chris Vineyards after holding various positions within the wine industry in the hill country. She enjoys providing her guests with an educational and interactive experience.
Born in San Antonio and trained as an actress, Kelsey's passion for wine and performance are a surprisingly great compliment to each other! Wine education, sommelier certifications, and virtual wine connection are some of her wine hobbies, but on the side she loves to travel and experience different cultures in order to connect with people on a deeper level.
Mr. Bill Pace was born in Beaumont, Texas. He is a graduate of Lamar University. Bill has been a hard worker since his first job shining shoes in a barbershop at the age of 12. Bill retired from the Texas Workforce Commission on August 31, 2001. He and his wife, Carol, joined our wine club in August of 2012. Bill fell in love with William Chris and our story came out of retirement and traded his wine club membership for a job in our tasting room. Bill has been with us since 2012, soon after joining our wine club. He and Carol reside in Fredericksburg.
Eva is a native Texan, raised in Dallas. 30 years in food and beverage service from bartending in Deep Ellum to fine dining in New Orleans. The hospitality industry has allowed Eva to travel the country working and making friends. Coming home to Texas in 2009, she settled into the Texas Hill Country and began to take on a lifelong hobby of photography. Carol Blackmon saw a display of her photographs and invited her to have a room in the William Chris Vineyard farmhouse in 2011. Eva joined our tasting room team in 2014.
Originally from England, Mary has a way with guests and it's not just her accent that makes the tasting experiences she hosts memorable. Mary enjoys showing off our vineyards and educating her guests about the structure of the vines, the terroir on Hye Estate, and the varietals we grow here.
Tara is a native of New Jersey, and she relocated to Texas after being introduced to William Chris Vineyards by some of her family members who call Texas home. She's been an important part of our tasting room ream since day one, and in 2019 was promoted to Assistant Tasting Room Manager.
Tracey Ulrich
Josh Tye joined William Chris Vineyards to head up the culinary program which is currently under development for the new members tasting room. Josh previously owned and managed a Texas native food truck that bridges the gap between street food and white table cloth dining. His years of experience in high-end catering and event management are an asset to our team. When Josh isn't in the kitchen he and his wife enjoy time with their kids and in their at-home cross fit gym. You can reach Josh at joshtye@williamchriswines.com
Michelle has been with the William Chris team for several years now, starting out as a star in our tasting room and eventually finding herself responsible for flawlessly executing our onsite events, both public and private.
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Carol’s adventures in wine started with an agriculture upbringing in west Texas, along with her brother, Bill Blackmon. She learned early on the importance of weather and soil conditions for quality crop production. She expanded on this in college with the study of horticulture and plant maintenance and owning her interior-scape company in the Dallas area. Carol has many years of experience in the food and beverage hospitality industry. These skills made for the perfect blend for her responsibilities here at William Chris, evolving from Hospitality Director to Wine Club Manager to her current position as Guest Relations. As a resident of Fredericksburg, she has been with William Chris since day one.
Diane joined our team in 2016 as a tasting room ambassador, but was usually found outside in the flower beds. Since we could never keep her in the tasting room, she was moved to the landscaping department, filling her desire to play in the dirt. Diane is a native Texan, Blanco County Master Gardener, and beekeeper. If you see her in the flower beds, please stop and say hi!
Leah joined William Chris Vineyards during the 2019 harvest season. Her background is in consumer marketing and advertising for various global brands, including YETI, BMW and Target. Leah is a native of Austin and is honored to have the opportunity to share the William Chris story and our Texas-grown wines with more people every day. In addition to her dream job, Leah enjoys learning more about wine, spending time outside, traveling, and relaxing with her husband and young daughter. Leah is a graduate of Texas A&M University's Mays School of Business.
Andy has been with William Chris Vineyards for several years. He resides on a ranch in the Texas Hill Country. Reach him at andy@williamchriswines.com
Jason, lovingly known around here as Ponch, joined the William Chris tasting ambassador team in November 2019. What started as a weekend side gig turned into a full-blown passion for wine after relocating to San Antonio and becoming part of the William Chris family. When he is not out in the vineyard, in the tasting room, or helping out with the production team, Jason spends his time with his wife, Katherine, and their three dogs.
Tony Offill, the winemaker for William Chris Vineyards, has been in the Texas wine industry for the past six years. During his tenure at Texas Tech University, Offill completed several harvests in the Texas High Plains, where he developed a passion for winemaking and wine growing. He has since taken his passion for the craft and has worked to enhance the quality of Texas wines throughout the state. Offill relocated to the Texas Hill Country in January 2016 and joined the William Chris Vineyards team the following year. Contact tony: tony@williamchriswines.com
After graduating from Virginia Tech with a Biology degree, he took a job as a cellar hand for the 2015 harvest at a winery an hour outside his hometown of Richmond, Virginia. That is where his respect for the hard-working people who make this industry so unique really begin to grow. Jordan has traveled around the world making wine: Washington, California, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and now Texas. He couldn’t be happier to be making wine for William Chris today, and he believes the best is yet to come. Reach Jordan at jordan@williamchriswines.com
Jason first joined the William Chris Vineyards as a tasting room ambassador. After spending a few months working with our wines Jason developed an interest in the production process and joined our winery crew for his first harvest in 2018 and today he is our Lab Manager.
Dusty has been a valued member of the William Chris Vineyards team for several years now, serving key positions in our tasting room before taking on his new role on our production team.
Remi joined William Chris in January 2020. Starting in tasting room, her fascination with wine grew into a desire to help make incredible wine herself. With degrees in Biology and Chemistry from Texas State University (Eat em’ up), Remi spends her days, nights and weekends apart of the winemaking team at William Chris. Born and raised in Austin, she has since relocated to Fredericksburg to be immersed with all the wine country has to offer. Remi has completed vintages in Texas and Oregon, with many more on the horizon. Away from the winery, Remi spends her days studying for her WSET certifications, drinking fabulous wine and playing fetch with her dog Russell.
Ray joined the William Chris Vineyards winery team in 2019.
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Claire began working at William Chris Vineyards during the summer of 2018 as a Harvest Intern. She then graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Food Science and Technology, a minor in Horticulture, and an Enology Certificate. Claire completed her third harvest with us in 2020 and is currently the Assistant Winemaker. In between harvests at William Chris Vineyards, Claire completed two harvests at Marisco Vineyards in Marlborough, New Zealand. Claire is a native Houstonian and is proud to share her passion for Texas wine with the world. In her free time Claire enjoys cooking, traveling, the outdoors, and spending time with her friends and family.
Joe brings over 15 years of direct experience in both domestic and international wholesale distribution and retail operations. Joe started his career in the specialty food business managing a private label line of Italian gourmet food products before transitioning to wholesale specialty beverage sales. He has held a number of positions over the years in several top organizations, including CR Goodman, Ben E Keith Specialty Beverage, and The Flying Saucer, and has consulted with specialty beverage manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, both in Texas and in Italy.
Trace is a Senior Enterprise Client Partner at Toptal, where he helps enterprise companies solve their most complex problems by matching them with the world's top on-demand talent. Prior to Toptal, Trace worked in varying technical and management consulting roles at Slalom, Southport Services Group and MicroStrategy Professional Services. Before his professional career, he spent time in the Marine Corps as an infantryman in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Trace is a proud graduate of Texas A&M University, the Corps of Cadets and the Aggie Band.
He and his wife Amy - a successful 16-year business owner and now small business strategist - live in Rockwall, TX just east of Dallas, with their five children (20, 18, 8, 2-1/2-yr. old twins). They enjoy drinking and evangelizing Real Texas Wine, live music, patios and talking to strangers. Trace continues a life of services in varying capacities, from City Councilman in Rockwall, TX, to Adjutant in the local American Legion Post, founding member of Rockwall Veterans Business Alliance within the Chamber of Commerce; founding member of the 100 Business Leaders of Rockwall. He also volunteers his time offering advice to transitioning veterans and helping youths in the community. Trace and Amy intend to build a second home and ultimately retire on their property in Hye.
Trace has been a member of the Board of Advisors since July 2019.
