Georgetown Winery

The award-winning Georgetown Winery, formerly known as D’Vine Wine of Georgetown, is moving from its present location on Austin Avenue to a delightful storefront on Main Street, directly across from the historic Williamson County Courthouse. Business is thriving for the Winery, and owners Dan and Rebecca Marek anticipate that the increased visibility on the square will draw even more customers through their doors. The move will be complete no later than March 1, 2009.

Where do they get their wine?

Dan and Rebecca Marek, Owners

The Mareks have been surprised by the number of times customers ask this question. They don’t “get” their wine anywhere. They make it, right here in Georgetown. Forty varieties, in fact. They get about 40% of their grapes from Texas and import the rest, mostly from California. They are one of 162 wineries in the state of Texas, according to the state’s Department of Agriculture. This number is sure to increase as the state puts its marketing muscle behind the Texas wine industry.

The Mareks set up shop in September of 2007 and, in under 18 months of business, have racked up an impressive number of industry awards.

• Lone Star International Wine Competition – Grapevine, TX
  • Sangiovese – Silver Medal Winner
  • Super Texan – Bronze Medal Winner
• Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Wine Competition – Houston, TX
  • Sangiovese – Gold Medal Winner
  • Chocolate Cherry Port – Bronze Medal Winner

So impressive are these early awards, in fact, that Dan Marek has been invited to serve as a head judge at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition in New York in March. This honor is bestowed only on vintners deemed to have an impeccable palate. Mr. Marek will be the only judge from Texas at this year’s competition.

Why Georgetown?

Mr. Marek comes from a long line of Central Texas vintners, and he dreamed for years of turning his family’s hobby into a career. The Mareks did a demographic study of Georgetown, Round Rock, and Bastrop. Two main factors led to Georgetown in the site selection process. First, the square provides the tourist draw the Mareks wanted, with its quaint Victorian hometown friendly feel. And second, their research indicated that a large portion of their business would come from folks aged 50 and up, so Georgetown’s reputation as The Best Place to Retire in the United States promised an established clientele. Georgetown Winery hosts periodic wine tasting parties at the Sun City Social Center, and will arrange to do so in other neighborhoods or family homes upon request.

The Georgetown Winery sells wine directly to the public from their storefront and will continue to do so from their new location on the east side of the downtown square. Prices per bottle range from about $6 to about $37, with the aforementioned Sangiovese coming in at the midpoint. Local real estate agents often take advantage of the custom label promotion by giving clients a commemorative bottle of wine with a picture of their new home on the label. Wine classes are held the first Tuesday of every month

Plans for expansion

The Georgetown Winery has a number of commercial accounts locally, including Silver & Stone restaurant at the top of Tamiro Plaza, the City Center Market in Sun City, and the Cotton Patch Café in Wolf Ranch Town Center. The Mareks hope their wines will grace the tables and shelves of more restaurants and liquor stores in our area in the months to come.

Soon after the move to Main Street, the Georgetown Winery will offer a truly unique memento of Georgetown: a Courthouse Edition bottle of wine, with a picture of the refurbished courthouse on the label. The Winery can also ship their wine upon request.

For more information, call the Georgetown Winery at 512-869-8600 or email texaswinery@yahoo.com.