At this time, our wines are available for purchase exclusively in our online shop or through our Wine Club.
The hands behind our award-winning wines:
Manuel Lechuga,
Head Winemaker
Manuel’s history within the Texas wine industry is longest of all the Adelphos family. In the 1980’s, he took a job in the vineyard and cellar at Pheasant Ridge under its original owner, one of the pioneers of viticulture in Texas. Manuel remained at Pheasant Ridge for the next three decades, and saw the coming and going of three different owners. He was faithful to the vines, and passionate about the making of great wine; he learned advanced winemaking techniques both from a consulting Italian vintner, and from his own trials and successes, year in and year out in the cellar. He has, himself, consulted with many other Texas wineries throughout the past 20 years, and some of the most awarded wines in Texas came from barrels he tended. We were thrilled when he agreed to join the Adelphos team as our full-time Head Winemaker at the beginning of 2020.
Get to Know our Head Winemaker, Manuel Lechuga
Q: Where are you from and where did you grow up?
A: I’m from the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, and I grew up in a town called Santa Clara.
Q: What made you want to begin making wine?
A: I started making wines by the grace of God when Bobby Cox [owner of Pheasant Ridge Winery] gave me the opportunity to do so in 1993.
Q: What is your favorite part of the winemaking process?
A: Well, I really enjoy the whole process of winemaking very much.
Q: What do you believe is the most important component of making wine?
A: The most important component of making wine is beginning with quality fruit, like the fruit that comes from the Cerro Santo [estate] vineyard.
Q: Why do you believe that the wines you make have been so successful?
A: I think my wines are successful because I love what I do, and in each one, there's a little bit of my heart.
Q: What makes our High Plains grapes special, and what impact do their characteristics have on the wines?
A: The High Plains is a great wine region because it produces very concentrated fruit due to the hot days and cool nights.
Q: Which Adelphos wine are you most proud of?
A: That's the same thing as asking a mother to choose her favorite child; she would answer "all of them." So that's my answer too: all of them!
Q: What is the most important lesson you've learned over your 30 years of making wine?
A: Every year you confront new challenges; so I'd say, I've learned to never stop learning new things.
A final parting note from our Winemaker:
I don’t want to say goodbye without giving thanks to God for the opportunity to bring joy to so many people who enjoy our great wines made with all the love possible.
Sincerely, Manuel
¡Hasta pronto!
