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Texas’ largest winery acquired by investors

Llano Estacado Winery, one of the oldest wineries in the state of Texas, has been acquired by a group of investors for an undisclosed sum.

Founded in 1976, Llano Estacado was previously owned by more than 100 small stockholders, but it is now under the leadership of a smaller group of investors, including attorneys Kevin Glasheen and Noe Valles, retired business executive Bryan Miller, Ron Ross and business consultant Aaron Handler.

Also in the group is Bret Perrenoud, a seasoned veteran of the Texan wine trade who previously served as general manager of Becker Vineyards for 17 years, and is a co-founder of Airis’Ele Vineyards in Fredericksburg, which opened in 2022. The group of investors is working under the name ‘Llano Operating, LLC’.

As part of the shake up under the new ownership, Perrenoud will be taking on the role of general manager of Llano Estacado, and Handler will serve as CEO. Mark Hyman, who joined the estate in 1994, will be stepping down from his role as president.

Jason Centanni, who has been with Llano Estacado for 20 years and became winemaker in 2015, will remain in his post. He expressed excitement about the new ownership and described its vision as “truly inspiring”.

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Plans for 2025 and 2026

Among the plans announced for Llano Estacado Winery are two new tasting rooms, one in Lubbock’s Cactus Alley Shopping Center (due to open this April) and another on Main Street in Fredericksburg (expected to open at some time this year). Plans have also been announced for a new “state-of-the-art” winery and tasting room in Fredericksburg, with plans to begin its operations next year.

“We see the tremendous opportunity ahead and believe in our winemaker, Jason Centanni, and believe Bret Perrenoud’s leadership can take Llano to the next level,” commented Glasheen.

Llano Estacado produces a wide range of wines, including its ‘Mad-Ira’ dessert wine, a pet nat sparkling, and a range of Syrahs (two of which won silver medals in the 2022 edition of the Global Syrah Masters). According to the estate, today it is responsible for around 40% of Texas wine retail sales. The estate describes itself as the “largest and second-oldest” in Texas.

Roger Morris recently dug into what the future may hold for Texan wine for the drinks business, considering the thorny issues of production regulations and exports.

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