Author Archives: Bill Skrapits

About Bill Skrapits

Bill’s roots in wine go back to his grandparents who had a vineyard and made wine in Hungary. Living in Germany, France and Spain, Bill began his love affair with wine and came to know it as a part of life. Wine was not saved for special occasions, but was something that you shared with friends and family amidst love and laughter. He began making his own wine 20 years ago and since 2002, he’s marketed and lobbied for the growing Texas wine industry; publishing numerous articles and winning international awards for his wine. He’s worked with many Texas wineries at every stage of production and studied under several respected wine masters and leaders in the industry. He started Premier Wine Blends in 2009 as a way to share his passion for wine with other winemakers and be the “go to” resource for the growing needs of vineyards and small wineries, from premium bulk wine, grape sourcing and consulting.

Asking The RIGHT Questions

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Bill Skrapits

Building the Foundation for Your Winery I have found that one of the biggest stumbling blocks for people in starting a business is not asking enough questions. And if they’re asking questions, often they aren’t the right questions of the … Continue reading →

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The Winery Bug Has Got You. Now What?

Posted on April 29, 2011 by Bill Skrapits

You are passionate about wine. Perhaps you’ve been making your own wine for family and friends. Maybe you’re even growing a few vines! But now you’re really excited and motivated about living the dream – being a winery owners and … Continue reading →

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David and Goliath: The Small Winery and the Distributor

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Bill Skrapits

Are your wines distributed?  Should they be?  Many small wineries ask themselves these questions.   The answers are not always easy to come by.   Let’s shed some light on the subject. First, how did we get here? Why do … Continue reading →

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Some Fun Wine Videos from YouTube

Posted on April 13, 2011 by Bill Skrapits

Wine commercials can be silly, funny, ridiculous, true…and not so true. This list was created by Paul Wagner of Balzac Communications. Enjoy! Zinfandel Festival ad Gallo Pink Chablis story USB Wine 1950’s Melody Hill Wine Commercial Rigos wine ad Dixie … Continue reading →

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Similar Does Not Mean The Same

Posted on April 5, 2011 by Bill Skrapits

Your customer purchased your 2009 Viognier and raved about it to their family and friends.  Great!  But will you be able to produce one similar next year when they come back for more?  From grape growing to customer visit cycles, … Continue reading →

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Southwest & Midwest Wineries Show Off at International Competition

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Bill Skrapits

The Fingers Lake International Wine Competition, held this past weekend in Rochester, NY, is the largest charitable wine competition in North America.  The 11th annual competition set a record for entries with 3,259 wines from 788 wineries.  The wines came … Continue reading →

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When Disaster Strikes

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Bill Skrapits

Fire destroys truckload of wine on I-80. How would you like to get that news from the truck drivers transporting your wine?   The fire broke out in the trailer’s refrigeration unit while being delivered. Perhaps you’re saying “Man that … Continue reading →

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Grape Growers, Know Thy Enemy

Posted on March 14, 2011 by Bill Skrapits

Recently I attended the annual Texas Pierce’s Disease Research Symposium conducted by Texas A & M’s Texas AgriLife Extension. Pierce’s Disease, also known as PD, is such a big problem for grape growers that many states have annual conferences and … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, The Vineyard | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

To Blend or Not to Blend

Posted on March 3, 2011 by Bill Skrapits

I recently attended a seminar at Grayson College, Designing Varietal Wines & Blending, led by Texas wine industry leader, Dr. Roy Mitchell.  Credited with being one of the founders of Texas wine as we know it, Dr. Mitchell has been … Continue reading →

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Winter: What’s a Winery To Do?

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Bill Skrapits

It’s February, you look out over your winery and vineyard.  The landscape is brown, the wind is blowing cold, the vineyard is barren, tours are down and there aren’t any wine festivals.  Winters can play havoc on your customer traffic … Continue reading →

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