10.19.2023

Today’s Forecast

69º | Mostly cloudy | 8% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:35 a.m. | Sunset 6:55 p.m.

🍷 Soul in every sip

5 questions with Rae Wilson, founder of Austin-based Wine for the People

Rae Wilson started making wine in Texas more than ten years ago. | Photo provided by Wine for the People

Happy Texas Wine Month to all who celebrate.

Texas is home to the third-largest wine-growing region and second-most visited in the US, drawing in ~1.7 million visitors each year.

We sat down with Rae Wilson — founder of Austin-based Wine for the People and vintner with more than a decade of experience in the industry — to learn more about her journey into the wild west of Texas wine.

Editor’s note: this interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

ATX_WineforthePeople — The artwork on Wine for the People’s La Valentía wine was made by local artist Katy Schmader.
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Photo by ATXtoday

Can you tell me a little bit about how you came into the wine industry?

I was in restaurants, and I became a sommelier. … When I decided to do winemaking, I moved up to Napa. I was there for about a year. After that, I went to Portugal, then briefly France before coming back to Austin.

I ended up hearing that there was a burgeoning industry here and at first, I honestly did not think much about it. After a little time, I thought, “Okay, well, you should go out and try one of the wineries.” And so I did. I convinced a friend of mine, who’s a big food and wine nerd, to go with me … We were hesitant. I think a lot of people start there.

Rae Wilson sitting at a table with a glass of wine in front of her. — Rae Wilson’s journey into Texas wine began with a glass of rosé, and grew into multiple other lines.
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Photo provided by Wine for the People

Then in 2014, I had an opportunity to get some fruit. … I made my first rosé. I wanted to start with rosé because it was just what I wanted to drink. Really traditional, dry French rosés, that’s my jam.

What I also learned is that there is no one thing that’s going on in Texas. Texas is larger than the entire country of France. There’s no one variety, there’s no one style, there’s no like, “This is going to be Texas’ thing.”

So, that’s how I came to it. I had no intention of making wine in Texas. … Now, I’m really excited about it.

Try the wine

Events

Thursday, Oct. 19

MercyMe and Crowder | Thursday, Oct. 19 | 7 p.m. | H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, 2100 Ave. of the Stars, Cedar Park | $28-$89 | Andrew Ripp will also join this “Together Again” tour performance.
In Conversation with Annette Gordon-Reed | Thursday, Oct. 19 | 7:30 p.m. | The Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave., Austin | $52-$252 | The historian will sit down with UT Journalism Professor Kathleen McElroy, who will be presented with a First Amendment MOLLY Prize during the event.

Friday, Oct. 20

F1 United States Grand Prix | Friday, Oct. 20-Sunday, Oct. 22 | Times vary | Circuit of The Americas, 9201 Circuit of The Americas Blvd., Del Valle | $425-$4,250 | From three days of racing, to performances by The Killers and Queen + Adam Lambert, it’s sure to be an action-packed weekend at COTA.
Lila Downs: Día de los Muertos | Friday, Oct. 20 | 8 p.m. | Bass Concert Hall, 2350 Robert Dedman Dr., Austin | $10-$79 | Downs’ Mexican and Mesoamerican music will honor the traditions of Día de los Muertos at this event, where attendees are encouraged to dress in costume and makeup.

Saturday, Oct. 21

Art From the Streets 31st Annual Show and Sale | Saturday, Oct. 21-Sunday, Oct. 22 | 11 a.m.-5 p.m. | Blue Genie Art Bazaar, 6100 Airport Blvd., Ste. B, Austin | Free | Shop art made by unhoused or at-risk individuals, who will receive 95% of the profits.
Nickel Creek | Saturday, Oct. 21 | 6 p.m. | Moody Amphitheater, 1401 Trinity St., Austin | $32-$400 | Monica Martin will also perform at this show featuring the acoustic trio.

Events calendar here

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News Notes

Outdoors

Zilker Park’s main lawn will remain closed until Wednesday, Nov. 1 so crews can clean up after ACL Fest. During that time, crews will aerate, irrigate, and apply nutrients to the grass to restore the lawn. (KVUE)

Number

111. That’s how many Austin businesses will be relocated to make room for the upcoming I-35 expansion project. Affected businesses include The Austin Chronicle and Nature’s Treasures — see the full map. (KUT)

Biz

Tesla Austin Gigafactory has directly and indirectly supported 15,000+ jobs in Central Texas, the company said. The average wage for a worker at the Gigafactory — which is 50% larger than the Pentagon — was reported as $74,000. (KVUE)

Shop

Luxury “facial bar” Face Foundrié secured a 10-year lease on South Congress Avenue. The shop, adjacent to Music Lane near the Hermès store, is expected to open by the end of the year and offer lash extensions, waxing, and facials. (Austin Business Journal)

Open

The Cambria Hotel Austin Downtown, a new upscale hotel near Rainey Street, opens today. The 16-story hotel includes 212 rooms, seven conference rooms, and a rooftop pool. Check out photos.

Coming Soon

Garbo’s Lobster will open a third location in Dripping Springs, located at 136 Drifting Wind Run, early next year. The locally known seafood spot will offer its main menu, plus an expanded raw bar with seafood towers and caviar. (Eater Austin)

Open

Radio/East, Radio Coffee’s new location, opened yesterday in the Montopolis neighborhood. The space repurposes a 1940s-era home, offers live music, and serves food from Veracruz All Natural, Shortwave Diner, and Side Eye Slice.

Award

Round Rock 16-year-old Cooper Smith won $1 million in prize money in an international video game competition this past weekend. Smith will split the winnings from the Fortnite Champion Series with his gaming partner, who lives in Michigan. (KXAN)

Try This

Where can you find lots for sale filled with greenery, hiking + biking trails, and a community pool and farm? Answer: Longview Carolina in SC. This up-and-coming subdivision doesn’t make residents choose between nature and convenience — it gives them both. Check out our experience for a glimpse at Longview living.*

Today Is

🥂 Cheers to two years

Celebrating two years of ATXtoday

City Editors London and Figi at a table with chips and queso, with birthday candles sticking out of the queso.

City Editors Figi and London celebrated ATXtoday’s second birthday with some birthday chips and queso. | Gif by ATXtoday

They say it’s our birthday … we’re going to a party party.

ATXtoday is celebrating two years of bringing hyper-local and positive Austin news straight to your inbox. To commemorate the occasion, City Editors Figi and London shared some birthday chips and queso and rounded up the stories we’re most proud of producing in the last year.

London

Figi

Want to give us a birthday gift that keeps on giving? Tell a friend about our newsletter.

Answered

🎃 Come as you aren’t

Have a spook-tactular Halloween, Austin.

Photo by ATXtoday

Earlier this week, we shared some Austin-themed Halloween costume ideas and asked you what you would be dressing up as this year. Here are a few of the clever + creative costumes you submitted to us:

“Gumball machine (I’m pregnant)” — Vikki C.
“Girl scout” — CM
“Bowls of ramen and boba tea” — Stacey T.
“Ratatouille family costume (parents are chefs, babies are rats)” — Anonymous

Happy trick or treating, ghouls.

Submit your costume

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
London

From the editor

One of my favorite ways to celebrate a birthday is with a slice of chocolate fudge cake from H-E-B. I’ve tried many, many different cakes across various birthdays, but this is the one I return to year after year.

What’s the best cake you’ve had in Austin?

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