Fifty years ago, a handful of Texas Tech professors and Lubbock investors had an idea that sounded unlikely: making fine wine on the High Plains. Today Llano Estacado Winery calls itself the largest premium winery in Texas, and in 2026 it’s celebrating its 50th year with new owners, a new tasting room near Texas Tech and plans that stretch all the way to the Hill Country.
A Lubbock idea, born in a dry county
According to Texas Wine Lover, the winery was founded in 1976 by Dr. Clinton “Doc” McPherson and Robert Reed, along with Dr. Roy Mitchell of Texas Tech and other investors. Doc McPherson’s son, Kim McPherson, later started McPherson Cellars.
The winery was established southeast of Lubbock while the county was still dry. State law changed a couple of years later to allow wine production in dry counties, according to the winery’s history and published accounts. The first vineyard was planted in 1978.
Early recognition came fast. The winery says its 1984 Chardonnay won a Double Gold at the San Francisco International Wine Competition.
From 1,300 cases to Texas’ biggest
Llano Estacado made about 1,300 cases in its first year, according to Texas Wine Lover. The winery now says it produces more than 100,000 cases a year, all made in Lubbock, and sends wine to markets around the U.S. and overseas. According to the company, it accounts for about 40% of Texas wine retail sales, led by its popular “Sweet Red.”
Much of that fruit comes from right here. The winery lists about two dozen High Plains vineyard partners, including growers near Shallowater, Brownfield, Tahoka and New Home.
Winemaker Jason Centanni has been with Llano for about 20 years and has led winemaking since 2015. At a 50th-anniversary ribbon cutting in January, he told KCBD that people once thought growing grapes and making wine in Lubbock would be especially hard. “We’re competing against the world,” he said.
New owners, new rooms
For most of its history, Llano was owned by more than 100 small stockholders, many of whom served on its board for decades. In early 2025, a group of investors bought the winery, according to the winery’s announcement and The Drinks Business. The group includes Lubbock attorney Kevin Glasheen, attorney Noe Valles, Ron Ross, retired executive Bryan Miller, business consultant Aaron Handler and Bret Perrenoud, a longtime Hill Country wine executive who co-founded Airis’Ele Vineyards near Fredericksburg.
When the sale was announced in January 2025, Handler was named CEO and Perrenoud general manager. Longtime president Mark Hyman, who joined in 1994, retired, and the winemaking team stayed in place.
The new owners have moved quickly. The winery has opened the Llano Estacado Wine Bar at Cactus Alley, 2610 Salem Ave., an urban tasting room near Texas Tech and the medical district. It offers flights, wine by the glass and Sunday brunch.
In the Hill Country, Llano now runs the Airis’Ele tasting room in Fredericksburg. According to the Austin American-Statesman, the owners started construction in November 2025 on a $3 million “Vintner Estate” tasting room on U.S. 290 east of Fredericksburg, with completion expected in May 2027. The winery also plans a downtown Fredericksburg location.
Visiting the original winery
The original winery and tasting room is at 3426 E. FM 1585, just southeast of Lubbock. Posted hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and noon to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday. The winery notes that hours can change for events and game days. The phone number is 806-745-2258.
According to its website, a tasting of five 1-ounce pours is $20, and a 90-minute guided Legacy Tour with cheese and charcuterie runs Friday through Sunday. Reservations are recommended, but walk-ins are welcome. The winery also hosts seasonal events like its fall Grape Day and has added community events like a summer peach festival.
Who’s behind it
The winery’s public announcements name its owners and leaders, but they don’t share much personal background beyond career highlights. We also didn’t have state business filing details for this profile. If any of that changes, we’ll update this story.
After 50 years, the winery that started as a long shot in a dry county is still turning High Plains grapes into wine people know across Texas.
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Sources
- Llano Estacado Winery, About: https://www.llanowine.com/about
- Llano Estacado Winery, Lubbock winery & tasting room: https://llanowine.com/lubbock-tasting-room/
- Llano Estacado Winery, Wine Bar at Cactus Alley: https://llanowine.com/llano-estacado-wine-bar-lubbock/
- Llano Estacado Winery, acquisition press release: https://llanowine.com/news-press/llano-estacado-winery-acquired-by-new-investor-group/
- KCBD (Imani Jackson), Jan. 2026, 50th anniversary: https://www.kcbd.com/2026/01/08/llano-estacado-winery-celebrates-50-years-texas-largest-premium-wine-producer/
- The Drinks Business, Jan. 23, 2025: https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/01/texas-largest-winery-acquired-by-investors/
- Austin American-Statesman (Rhyma Castillo), Dec. 19, 2025: https://www.statesman.com/news/texas/article/texas-largest-winery-3-million-hill-country-estate-21252302.php
- Texas Wine Lover (Jeff Cope), 2012: https://txwinelover.com/2012/07/texas-wine-llano-estacado-winery/
- Wikipedia, Llano Estacado Winery: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llano_Estacado_Winery
