If you’re familiar with the wine scene in the Texas Hill Country, you’ve no doubt heard about the impressive underground barrel cave and expansive glass-walled tasting room at Slate Theory Winery in Fredericksburg. The winery focuses on 100% Texas-grown wines from their estate vineyards and sources from exceptional regional growers. The business is family-owned with an inspiring look and feel that rivals any reputable winery around the world.
A hint of the brand’s mission is seen in the artistic and precise skull logo with interesting wine names, such as The Pharmacist, The Neurologist, and the club-member-only Insomniac bold red blend. When the Jones family purchased the closed Terre de Pietra winery in 2018, they envisioned a winery that would challenge norms by creating wines “as complex as the human brain.”
The winery name, and in fact, the focus of the brand, are influenced by John Locke’s “Blank Slate Theory.” In 1689, this English philosopher established a foundational concept in his work "An Essay Concerning Human Understanding." Locke proposed that individuals are born without any innate ideas or built-in mental content, but is a blank slate. In one way, the name represents the family’s fresh start in opening a winery.
The brand strives to lean into artistic thinking and experimentation in the look and feel of the winery, and in the wines themselves. Slate Theory is built on the family’s unified commitment to mental health advocacy with the goal of showcasing incredible wines while opening conversation.
Randy Jones is the business patriarch and is often in the tasting room, greeting guests and sharing stories. Four of the seven children are a daily part of the winery’s operations. Cody handles the company image. He created the skull logo to be a blend of aesthetics and awareness. Justine manages human resources, while Maranda handles philanthropy, and Erika deals with merchandising and swag.
Chase, general manager, is often seen in the tasting room overseeing much of the daily operations, as his wife, Emily, manages social media and marketing while providing her viticulturist expertise. Chase explains, “We wanted to make wine with a purpose.” From the very beginning, the family had a goal in mind rather than just selling wine.
“When you have something that helps you get up in the morning, it really helps you do your job better. So, we named all of our wines after a mental health condition or challenge,” Chase added. “And, you know, when you're sitting around drinking wine with family and friends, it stimulates conversation. We wanted to help break the silence around a topic that is way more relevant than some people realize.”
The family’s commitment to mental health awareness goes beyond just breaking the silence. Each of the wine club member parties has a silent auction with 100% of the funds raised donated to NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. To date, well over $50,000 has been donated for the purpose of bringing awareness to and providing support for mental health.
What's stated on the winery’s website is also felt through the guest encounters in the tasting room: “Our mission is to offer a tasting experience unlike any other while sparking meaningful dialogue around mental health. Fill Your Head with Texas wine, immersive spaces, and ideas that linger long after the last sip.”
This is a winery that is making an impact, and we can all raise a glass to that!
NAMI can be found online at NAMI.org.
Slate Theory Winery is located at 10915 US HWY 290 in Fredericksburg, TX.