By Paul Takahashi
Houston Chronicle
WWR Article Summary (tl;dr) With the “Urban Winery” concept, entrepreneurs get to own a winery without having to maintain a vineyard.
Houston Chronicle
Waters Edge Wineries plans to open an “urban winery” in Richmond this fall.
The California-based company inked a franchise agreement with Endless Enterprises, led by Candice Elliott, to bring the winery and wine bar concept to the southwest Houston area.
The winery purchases grapes from vineyards around the world and ships the crushed grapes to franchise locations where they are processed and bottled into wine.
The concept allows entrepreneurs to own a winery without having to maintain a vineyard, selling globally sourced wine that is made locally. Franchise owners receive hands-on and classroom-based training on the micro-winery tank system, as well as social media and marketing support from the company.
The Waters Edge Winery and Bistro in Richmond will offer more than 50 types of specialty and vintage wine, including Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, using grapes grown in California, Italy, France, New Zealand, Chile and Germany. The bistro-style restaurant will serve appetizers, flatbreads, sandwiches, salads and desserts, and several private tasting areas can host wine clubs and larger gatherings. The company did not disclose the address of the winery/restaurant.
Waters Edge Wineries was founded in 2004 by husband and wife team Ken and Angela Lineberger.
The company currently operates nine winery and bistro locations in California, Colorado, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas, including Midland and in Midtown, Houston.
