Lost Draw founder Andrew Sides came from humble beginnings in the small High Plains farming town of Brownfield, Texas. Andrew spent his high school summers in the sweltering heat, planting grapevines with his uncle, Andy Timmons. He had no idea that a seed was being planted that would later grow into his passion for wine.
Andrew earned a civil engineering degree from Texas Tech in 2009. After working for a few years after college, he abandoned what would have been a more steady and predictable career path to follow his dream of growing and making his own Texas wine.
“It was absolutely a risk and one that had plenty of reasons not to bear rewards,” said Andrew in an interview with DSCL. “But I knew in my gut that I wasn’t going to be satisfied until we at least gave it a shot.”
Once the initial idea had caught fire, Andrew worked with his uncle and his father-in-law to create a rough business plan, and in 2012, Lost Draw produced its first vintage of wine. In 2014, they opened their original tasting room in downtown Fredericksburg.
Andrew and his team now have their sights set on new horizons. Inspired by the incredible growth in Texas wine tourism, fandom, and wine quality that’s taken place over the last decade, they’re swinging for the fences. Ground broke this past fall on a new tasting room and winery for the brand located in Johnson City, and the first phase of the project opened in December.
Open 7 days a week, the tasting room in Johnson City currently offers intimate wine experiences in a sleek building set back behind the estate vineyard. Enjoy being welcomed with a glass of Texas wine as you make your way through the wraparound horseshoe entrance and take in views of the vines. As the project progresses toward a grand opening in the Spring of 2024, visitors will be able to watch the full vision come to life right before their eyes.
When asked about the brand’s expansion in Johnson City, Andrew shared his vision. “We want to open more people’s eyes and minds to the fact that Texas is making fantastic, sophisticated wines that more than hold their own with the best wine growing regions in the world,” he said. “And Johnson City puts our wines and our story that much closer to the fine folks that call Austin and Dripping Springs home. We want to be an extension of that community.”
Texas hospitality, warmth, pride, and passion seep through in every aspect of a Lost Draw visit.
“We want to provide an experience where you can bring your kids, spend a day on a working vineyard, enjoy and learn about Texas wine varieties, and take home a new appreciation for the farm-to-bottle nature of locally grown wine,” he said.
“We believe so strongly in what we’re building here in Texas wine country, and it’s just a matter of time before the secret is fully out that Texas grows and makes outstanding wine.”
