A few years ago, I reached out about potential locations for a business location that my wife and I were trying to open down in Richmond/Rosenberg area. That didn't quite pan out, but we have finally officially opened even closer to the motherland! We are super excited to have started WildFlyer Mead Company, a meadery (honey wine) that we have co-located with BeeWeaver Honey Farm, south of Navasota.

Our business model is based on offering seasonal meads using only fresh fruits sourced from Texas growers, to pair with using only locally sourced honey. I'm working on setting up partnerships with various farmers throughout the state: strawberries, peaches, berries, etc.

This wasn't intended to be an advertisement, I just wanted to give some background. What brings me to the OB is that I would like to offer a "wild" series of meads, using wild, native plants. So, does anyone have, or have a connection to, a fairly large source of wild grapes? We are just getting started, and we are in our small temporary production space for the time being, so only a hundred to a couple hundred pounds (plus or minus is fine) would be fine for getting started proving this concept.

I thought the area around my house would prove to be more fruitful, but it looks like these vines won't produce much. I'm happy to come pick them, I'm just looking for leads. Any ideas or suggestions are welcome.

Thanks!

I have some vines at my house that i usually get 4-5 5gallon buckets of grapes off of. I use to play around with making homemade wine but really dont have the time for it. I'd be willing to let you come pick your fill worth for a couple bottles of whatever comes of it.
Im in Bryan

I'm good with that. Guess on when you expect them to be ready to pick?

They are getting real close, I generally have always picked 4th of July weekend. I'll look them over real good this evening and get back with you.

ok great.

I always try to harvest a bunch of grapes each year as well.

Had a hard time finding Muscadines lately, but for the Mustangs I just look along the side of hwy 6. May be a bit late but most of the people I've talked to don't mind me harvesting some, and I always make contact with teh landowner and seek their permission first.

I drive by BeeWeaver every day (wish they didn't close at 430.......) and that whole stretch of hwy 6 is starting to get ripe.

Youre likely going to have to hit a bunch of locations to get that many. Even our best spots tend to yield maybe 40-50lbs.

The muscadines at one of my properties were ready over a week ago. The mustangs are usually July 10th-15th.

Just as an FYI, you can purchase Muscadine vines easily enough. I bought mine at RCW nursery at 249 and Beltway 8. You can also order online. They like sandy soil and good drainage. In 2 years mine went from tiny little plants to thickly covering a 30 foot wire trellis.

Sorry I can't offer you any, but we eat half and turn the other half into wine.

Congrats and good luck on your business venture.

You're right about it being hard finding that many in one place. That's why I summoned the power of the OB, just in case. I also don't need that many. The amount would just determine the volume I can make this year.

As far as BeeWeaver's hours, we have discussed the store staying open later once our WildFlyer tasting room is finished and open. And/or we will sell certain BW items out of the tasting room since we will be open later.

Thanks! It's definitely a learning experience. Especially in the "how do we get people to drive out to rural Grimes County to try a product they don't know anything about" category.

Jefe07 said:

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Thanks! It's definitely a learning experience. Especially in the "how do we get people to drive out to rural Grimes County to try a product they don't know anything about" category.

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I feel ya on that.

Heck, I live in semi-rural Grimes County, and I never make it over there (granted the aforementioned hours of operation don't help).

Does Bee Weaver have any distributors? Even if it's just some of the smaller shops in Navasota or Anderson it may help to get your products out there. Not sure how many of em can sell wine, but just thinking out loud.

There are a lot of them along the Cypress Creek bike trails but most have already fallen off

I can't remember why they decided not to sell their honey retail anymore. Honestly, not much of their business is honey. It's mostly bees.

As far as our mead, our production is too small right now for selling externally. We have our "pop up" tasting room open at the BeeWeaver store on Fridays before they close and then out of our temporary tasting room in the honey house on Saturday afternoons, which is where we are doing our production right now. We are releasing a new mead weekly on Saturdays, but we are only doing by the glass and growlers/crowlers to go.

Construction of our permanent facility is just getting started. Once we get moved in there, I can scale up and start packaging for self-distribution. The goal, though, is to create a "bee amusement park" between the BeeWeaver store, hive tours, and WildFlyer Mead Company, etc. We'd like to grow it into an eco-tourism destination where you can spend an afternoon/evening there are our location. Obviously we will have to be able to sell offsite, or no one will ever know about us. Going to be a challenge though.

It's been a weird year for grapes. Most of the grapes here around the house were ready two weekends ago. Picked a bunch and made jelly.

Headed out to the ranch that weekend in Robertson county (~25 miles away) with dreams of picking a bushel or two. Hardly anything was ready.

Will try again on the 4th, which is traditionally when we pick.

I think I saw your sign on 6 last week. Good luck! Looks great.

I have a few muscadine vines and a guy in town has probably 20+ mature vines, he produces a lot of fruit and usually let's people pick what they want. Located in Hughes Springs tx.

Also check out Isons online I ordered from them and they have many choices for muscadines.

Also they sell some good muscadine wine.

WHITE FOX VINEYARDS, 14491 FARM TO MARKET ROAD 773, MURCHISON, TX, 75778, UNITED STATES
(903) 469-3702

BeeWeaver has been selling Rohan mead (la Grange) for a while now through our winery license while we get up and going, so that's what the sign is actually referring to. Although, it indirectly is directing people to us now.

We are working on signage now and it will more specific to WildFlyer soon.

Ok thanks for the info. Although if I plant anything, it should probably be blackberries. Dang they're expensive.

I'm located in N. Grimes Co about 4 miles north of Iola. Normally the grapes are all over.

List a number to text and you can come get all you can find. I'll look around when I walk the dog this morning

I'm guessing they might be ready. All the rain this year has been weird on the grapes as they started blooming again





If you wanna come check it out Friday let me know

I can't do Friday because we are open tomorrow and have to be around here. Maybe Sunday?

What'd you find on your walk?

As far as number, the phone# listed at the bottom of the site is my cell. That way I don't have to post and forget to take down for all of the internets to archive.

www.wildflyermead.com

AgySkeet06 said:

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I'm guessing they might be ready. All the rain this year has been weird on the grapes as they started blooming again





If you wanna come check it out Friday let me know

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Not just blooming again, but a flush of new growth. Those blooms are all coming off of very young branches judging by the lobes on the leaves around them.

We saw got skunked again on the 4th at our place. Picked maybe one quart. All the mature vines had dropped grapes to the ground already, but lots of new vines were loaded down with clusters of green grapes.

It seems everything had grown/matured in fits and spurts this year.

The ones on my place are ripe, and their usual tart flavor as well. Makes great jelly/jam.

Not just blooming again, but a flush of new growth. Those blooms are all coming off of very young branches judging by the lobes on the leaves around them.

Are you sure that's not AZ grape ivy fruiting that is mixed in with those mature grapes?

Normally do mustang but came across a mess of muscadines so went that way this year.

Be careful picking them. Yellow Jackets love them some grapevines to build nests.