An interview with Chief Operating Officer at Reddy Vineyards, Eric Sigmund
Reddy Vineyards holds a large name in the Texas wine industry, and an even larger estate. The vineyard itself spans 400 acres and grows 38 different grape varieties. The quantity is just as impressive as its quality, as Reddy Vineyards was recently celebrated in this year’s San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Accolades include Best in Class Cabernet Franc, a double gold for their 2020 Reserve Pinot Noir, and multiple gold medals. They have also received 90+ point scores for multiple wines from Meredith May at Tasting Panel and at the Los Angeles Invitation Wine and Spirits Challenge.
Dr. Vijay Reddy founded Reddy Vineyards in 1997 as a fifth generation farmer and viticulturist. His farming expertise originated from years in India and planting cotton and peanuts in west Texas. After earning his PhD in Plant and Soil Science, he maintained a soil consulting laboratory before discovering the quality of grapes that the Texas soil could offer. Two years after graduating, he planted vines in 1997, with a vision of elevating Texas wine, not just in the vineyard, but on the production side as well.
Following in his footsteps, Vijay’s son, Akhil Reddy, the current CEO, is leading the next generation of the family business to help carry on his dad’s legacy. These men are the name and backbone of the Reddy estate, and work with a small team of experts on and off the farm.
Eric Sigmund is proud to represent Reddy Vineyards, one of the most established vineyards in the state. Sigmund joined the Reddy team in 2018 and was impressed by the Reddy family’s “role as one of the pioneers of Texas viticulture, with incredible diversity of 38 different variety of grapes, and the vision to continue to expand into an Estate winery and to lead what’s clearly become a tremendous trajectory for the Texas wine industry.”
Texas fruit is always front and center on their labels. Whether you’re grabbing a bottle off the shelf at a local grocery or shopping online, consumers can quickly pinpoint where their grapes were grown by tracing it back to the block designation on the label. This block method represents the experimental and in-depth approach to each area of the vineyard. If you take an even closer look at the label, as Sigmund said, “You’ll find a copper star pointing left to pay homage to the west Texas terroir, a tip of the hat to the concept that we’re really farmers first.”
Reddy Vineyards is also designated on the labels of many other producers. They have gained a reputation of growing high-quality Texas grapes and continue to supply their premium wine grapes throughout the state, partnering with over 30 producers every year that source fruit from Reddy Vineyards.
Sigmund announced that when someone sees Reddy Vineyards on any label, “They can be confident that the fruit in their bottles is authentically Texas and that the Reddy’s are Texans through and through.”
This year marks the 25th anniversary of when Dr. Vijay Reddy first planted in 1997. In celebration of this milestone, Reddy Vineyards is releasing a special 25th anniversary wine this fall to commemorate their journey in the wine industry. Sigmund describes the upcoming wine to “represent the pinnacle of Reddy Vineyards, using the best fruit available. It is going to be incredibly delicious.” If that’s not enough to look forward to, they are also partnering with “Visit Lubbock” on a media tour they’re working on in October to highlight Reddy Vineyards and west Texas grape growing as the foundation of the Texas wine industry.
We encourage you to take a trip to Brownfield, Texas to visit the esteemed estate of Reddy Vineyards and shop their award winning wines on Sommly!
