After planting a two-acre vineyard in the rolling hills of southern Grimes County, Billy S. Cox, Jr. knew that a winery would not be far behind. After discussing the purchase of a few pieces of equipment a few months earlier, Carl Droemer, owner of Lehm Berg Winery, contacted Mr. Cox about purchasing his winery equipment and inventory, lock, stock and barrel. On January 05, 2009, on the strength of a handshake, the deal was done and Retreat Hill Winery & Vineyard was born.
Lehm Berg Winery was steeped in German heritage and wine making traditions. In 1997, Ben Droemer, Carl's son, became interested in wine making and tried his hand with a few wine making kits with mixed results. In 1998, Carl and Ben picked wild grapes and made 42 gallons of mustang grape wine, along with raisin wine and some other fruit wines.
When this first batch of wine was complete, it was served at numerous gatherings in the area. Local residents asked Carl to consider building a winery in Giddings to distribute the wine made from Texas fruit and native varietals. Most of the local residents were familiar with this type of wine because it was the type they remembered having at "grandpa's house."
As Ben and Carl visited different wineries and grape growers in the area to gain information, they made many new friends and met many wonderful people who were eager to share their knowledge of viticulture and winemaking. They joined the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association and attended enology classes at Grayson County College in Dennison, Texas, to learn more about the wine making process.
In 2001, Carl acquired a commercial wine making license and began making wine. In the years that followed, Carl grew the winery and continued to make high quality wine. However, in 2008, his beloved wife Mary Beth passed away and he lost his desire to operate the winery. So in 2009, he passed the keys to the shop to Mr. Cox and the deal was done. The equipment and bottled wine was moved to Retreat Hill Winery in Navasota. We will continue to offer the remaining inventory of Lehm Berg Winery in our tasting room until the last bottle is sold.