Christoval Vineyards awarded at high-profile wine competitions

CHRISTOVAL — A nearby winery earned numerous awards recently in various competitions in and out of Texas.

Christoval Vineyards, located about 20 miles south of San Angelo, brought home 11 awards from four competitions.

The biggest highlight was at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, where their 2018 Tempranillo won a double gold medal, meaning every judge declared it a gold-medal wine.

“We're always thrilled and pleased when our wines appeal to our peers from within our state, but to have our Tempranillo win a double gold from the San Francisco Chronicle competition was really exciting,” Christoval Vineyards owner Wendi Neff said.

The Tempranillo also won gold at the Texas International Wine Competition.

Other highlights for the winery included their Petite Sirah being named Texas Class Champion at the Houston Rodeo Wine Competition, and their 2018 Montepulciano winning gold medals at the Texas International Wine Competition and the Lone Star International Wine Competition.

Built in 2010, Christoval Vineyards was acquired by Wendi and Bart Neff in 2019, as they were interested in finding a “retirement gig.”

Wendi previously worked in medical device sales, while Bart, who has a Ph.D. in organic chemistry, worked for Dow Chemical Company.

Using their background in sales, marketing and chemistry, the two attribute those skills as part of everyday operations.

“I felt like my training was all pretty applicable to keeping those things going,” said Bart.

Besides a vineyard and winery, the Chapel Event Center is also located on the property to hold weddings and special events.

Last April, Christoval Vineyards partnered with H-E-B to sell exclusive wine flavors at San Angelo stores. The couple had been in talks with the Texas retailer since 2019 to sell their wines, though plans were halted due to COVID-19.

“The management and the people at H-E-B were wonderful to us,” Bart said. “H-E-B does a nice thing and tries to find ways to help local producers. Whatever it may be, they try to carry local stuff in the stores. They were very receptive.”

As many businesses across the nation suffered throughout the ongoing pandemic, Christoval Vineyards managed to stay afloat through pick-up orders and by selling select wines at local retailer Pinkie’s Liquor during the lockdown.

“(Pinkie’s) just really supported us in the three years that we've been here, not really knowing what we were going to do once the pandemic hit,” Wendi said. “We were very grateful to have their support, especially during that rough time.”

Besides San Angelo and other parts of West Texas, Christoval Vineyards receives customers from other parts of Texas such as Dallas and San Antonio. Relatives of service members at Goodfellow Air Force Base often visit the winery as an attraction during their visit to the area, Wendi said.

“It is super unique. It doesn't look or feel at all like San Angelo,” Wendi said. “It really looks more like the Hill Country, so people come out here and they can sit for an hour or two and just relax.”

For more information on Christoval Vineyards, visit www.christovalvineyards.com.