The poteet Strawberry Festival Association had been having local wineries make wine from Poteet Strawberries since the 80's, but by the mid 90's there were no area wineries. Poteet Country Winery Was started by Jim Collums, and Bob Denson in 1997 to provide the Poteet Strawberry Festival Association with locally made wines from local fruit and grapes.
We have continued to make wine from local sources, and now use about 8,000 lbs of Poteet Strawberries, 2,000 lbs of Blackberries, and 3 or 4 tons of wild Mustang Grapes per year. Jim just planted our first Vineyard with grapes that should produce in about 4 years.
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| Jim Collums Chuckwagon cooking |
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Jim Collums :
"The Windmill Man" grew up on the farm that is now the winery. It was the dairy barn where he had to milk cows before school. Jim has been restoring antique windmills old farm items and Chuckwagons, for years, and you may catch him in the act.
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| Bob tending bar |
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Bob Denson
"Railroader retired" was making wine for home use since the 1970's. Bob worked in the Hemisfair Tower Restaurant in 1968, and learned to appreciate great wine that he couldn't afford. So he started making his own. Bob worked for 38 years with the Missouri Pacific/Union Pacific Railroads and retired in 2006. Reading, Studying, and trial and error has brought about some wines that we all can enjoy.
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Our Right-hand-man
Gabe Planas has taken up the slack. He has been vinting, bottling, labeling and giving tours and tasting while Jim and Bob are busy with other tasks
Our Volunteers
We would never get through an event day without the volunteer help from Tom an Carleen Smith, Norma Magirl, Bobby and Jodi Denson, Ginger and Joseph Ross, Glenn Dorn, Clinton Beriman, and countless others who pitch in and help.
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