by Andrew Chalk
Word from Fall Creek Vineyards in the Texas Hill Country is that they have hired Sergio Cuadra Schlie as their new winemaker. Schlie is a Chilean who brings a vast range of experience with working for or consulting to such names as global superstar winemaker Paul Hobbs, Chile’s largest winery Concha y Toro and California vintner Fetzer Vineyards. He trained at the Unversidad de Talca in Chile as an Agronomy Engineer.
This is a very significant hire for Fall Creek. Not just because of Schlie’s qualifications and experience, but because of what it signifies about the winery’s intentions. Here is a Texas winery entering the global winemaking employment market for talent. The rationale has to be a push to the top of the pack among Texas wineries. I suspect this kind of reaching with become more common in the near future and interpret it as yet another indication of the increasingly maturity of the Texas wine industry.
Will be very interested to see how this goes. I enjoy some of Concha y Toro wines but honestly not so much of Fetzer
Maybe… they should have looked for a winemaker from California.
That person would have been more familiar with the grapes they use…