Our Team
The staff at Texas Hills Vineyard is anxious to meet you and educate you about our wines and our winery. Kathy and Gary are both pharmacists or chemists so we jokingly say “better wine thru chemistry”. We are very innovative in our approach to winemaking integrating traditional techniques along with modern techniques.
Gary Gilstrap
Owner / Winemaker / Sales
Gary’s chemistry/biochemistry background along with his UC Davis classes ensure that the Texas Hills Vineyard team produces the best wine possible. Wines produced are acid balanced to create food friendly wines. He is blessed with a good palate and the wines are a reflection of this trait.
Kathy Gilstrap
Owner / General Manager
Kathy, being very detail oriented, oversees the office and tasting room. She also works in the winery, bottling line, and the vineyard- wherever extra help is needed. She is also part of the final tasting team which helps choose the blend that will be bottled.
Robert Brown
Vineyard Manager / Assistant Wine Maker
Growing up in the Texas wine industry and working with his father at multiple hill country wineries has shaped Robert’s experience and given him knowledge with all things wine for 27 years. From monitoring fermentations to repairing harvesters, he has expertise with every step of the winemaking process from grape to bottle. Now at Texas Hill Vineyards, Robert has accepted the position as vineyard manager and assistant winemaker, as well as managing the bottling line. With 8 years of experience as a vineyard manager, and 6 years as a cellar master, he looks forward to making great Texas wine for y’all to enjoy here at Texas Hills Vineyard.
Jenny Lyday
Wine Club Manager
Jenny fell in love with Texas Hills wines in 2010 as a Wine Club member, and started working part time in the Tasting Room a few years later. Accepting the position of Wine Club Manager in 2016, she works diligently to ensure that the club runs smoothly, while keeping the lines of communication open with our customers. Any questions concerning wine club should be addressed to her by emailing: wineclub@texashillsvineyard.com
Vanessa Melchor
Social Media
Vanessa hails from London, England, and after working and traveling in Thailand and then across the US, she landed in Texas to be close to family. She is adept at Social Media, and posts events for us on instagram, facebook , as well as on our website. She has a keen photographic eye as well as other artistic talents! You will also see her smiling face in our Tasting Room, taking great care that you have an exceptional tasting experience.
We ship to Alabama (via ABC Store), California, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Texas, North Carolina and Washington D.C. Someone over 21 has to be home to accept the delivery !!