Pheasant Ridge Winery Comes Full Circle

Bobby and Jennifer Cox purchased the Pheasant Ridge Winery brand, building and vines from Bingham Family Vineyards.

Lubbock, Texas—Bobby Cox, a pioneer in the modern Texas wine industry planted a vinifera vineyard with his wife, Jennifer Cox, at Pheasant Ridge Winery in 1979. The pair then opened the winery in 1982. The Coxes brought in an investor in 1987 and, as a recession in Texas deepened in the early 1990s, William E. Gipson Sr. became owner of the winery in 1992.

This year, on May 23, the Coxes again took over as owners of the winery building, the Pheasant Ridge Winery brand, and approximately 60 acres of land, including the vineyard acreage.

What happened with Pheasant Ridge Winery in the 23 years between 1992 and 2015?

Gipson, a geologist who was president of Pennzoil Offshore Gas Operators in Houston, Texas, enjoyed wine and liked to serve Pheasant Ridge wines to family and friends. As an absentee winery owner, he hired staff to manage about 35 acres of vineyard and produce up to 5,000 cases of wine per year. By 2013, when he was 89 years old and retired, his family decided to sell the 122-acre property at auction, including the vineyard.

The property was divided into four parcels for the sale. The first parcel consisted of 11 acres, including some Cabernet Sauvignon and Sémillon grapes, a 5,800-square-foot winery building with a tasting room and wine-production area, the winery equipment and wine inventory consisting of 3,545 cases of bottled wine. The second parcel was composed of the vineyard equipment and 49 acres that contained the balance of the vineyard. This acreage, which has two wells for vineyard irrigation, was planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Ruby Cabernet, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc. The third and fourth parcels totaled 62 acres of undeveloped land.

The auction was held Nov. 6, 2013, and the first two parcels were sold to Bingham Family Vineyards in Meadow, Texas, for $650,460. The third and fourth parcels went to an undisclosed bidder for $59,220. After the auction was finalized, Cliff Bingham, owner of Bingham Family Vineyards, announced that Cox would be “winegrower” for the Binghams, with responsibilities as both winemaker and vineyard manager.

After losing control of Pheasant Ridge Winery in 1992, Cox became a consultant and worked with many potential and existing vineyards and wineries in the High Plains region. One of his clients was Bingham Family Vineyards, one of the largest vineyards in the region; the Bingham family owns or manages more than 200 acres of grapes in the Texas High Plains AVA. After Cox joined the Bingham organization in 2013, the family released its first wines as a winery and opened a tasting room in Grapevine, Texas, just north of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. A tasting room is also under construction at the vineyard location in Meadow, Texas, southwest of Lubbock.

This spring, Cox and the Binghams reached an agreement to divide the assets of Pheasant Ridge Winery. The Binghams got the viticulture and winemaking equipment and the existing wine inventory; Cox and his wife regained ownership of the Pheasant Ridge Winery brand, the winery building and approximately 60 acres of land, including the existing vineyard.

Cox told Wines & Vines, “It’s a bit bittersweet. There’s no inventory, and the winery is not equipped. The vineyard has about 9 to 11 acres of viable grapes, but we do have the brand and the building. The bottom line is that I know this ground can grow world-class wine, but it will take a while to get there.” He continued, “One thing I’ve learned is how important the specific site is, and how much of a difference it makes. I know we can grow wonderful wine here.”

When asked about his plans for the vineyard and winery, Cox stated, “We need to pull some vines and plant some new ones to get to an economical unit. I know that 35 acres here are really prime vineyard land. I ordered two acres of vines—Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot—just the other day to plant in 2017.” He plans to continue planting and figures that in 10 years, the vineyard will be where he wants it to be: producing great wines.

He adds that things move fast in the Texas wine industry: When “I planted my first grapevine in 1972, you couldn’t find vineyard equipment in Texas. Now the John Deere dealer here has four grape harvesters for sale on his lot!”

This fall, Cox may make a small amount of wine, and may use a corner of some friends’ wineries to produce “a couple of barrels.” While he builds up the Pheasant Ridge vineyard and winery, he plans to continue consulting for clients launching or improving their vineyards and wineries.

Cox had one final comment about the future: “Don’t forget about us, we’re coming back!”