Why do winemakers become winemakers? Looking at the previous lives of some winemakers, one finds
engineers, airline pilots, even mechanics. So, is it the romance, the challenge, or does it just happen?
Perhaps, to some degree, the answer is all three.

"I didn't plan to make wine," said Raymond Haak of Haak Vineyards & Winery. "But we had these vines
because I've always enjoyed the challenge of growing grapes." He chuckles. "Anyway, one day I
looked out at those vines and knew I had to make wine and I had to make it here." Here is Santa Fe,
Texas. Yes, Texas. No turquoise jewelry or large handcrafted silver buckles in sight. This Santa Fe,
with a population of less than 10,000, sits in Galveston County in the southern part of Texas where
humidity may exceed the temperature.

Although bonded as a winery in 2000, Raymond Haak had been making wine as a hobby for over 15
 years. "The hobby sorta got out of control, and I started experimenting with different grape
varieties," he said. "Here humidity is a problem; disease is a problem and I wanted to see what would work 
best here."

An attractive, well-groomed vineyard behind the tasting room 
now includes two successful grape varieties: Blanc du Bois and 
Black Spanish or Jacquet.

With grapes and a desire to make wine, another problem emerged 
for the Haaks. Haak said that there was a shortage of floor space
and they needed to put in a cellar. The shortage of floor space 
was not the real problem; putting in a cellar was. Why? "Here 
you’re only 22 to maybe 26 feet above sea level," Haak said. 
"You dig a hole in the ground; you get water. Water just seeps in."

The solution? Raymond, an engineer by profession, loves to tell the
story. "I was driving by Jiffy Lube and thought to myself, hey, water
doesn’t seep into their pits. So I looked at how they do it and planned
our cellar.

The concrete walls are 18 inches thick and we put in a French drain--
a system of sump pumps made to be submerged. And it works!" It works
very well indeed. The cellar, which also houses barrels, requires no
refrigeration and is easy to work in.

And the wines--Haak has his own style. He believes in heavily 
extracted reds--macho wines (he says with a smile). Although he buys some grapes from California, Haak, 
a native Texan, is very enthusiastic about his wines from Texas grapes, and the awards from wine competitions
reflect his skill. His Blanc du Bois and Texas Chardonnay have garnered silver medals; the Texas Ruby Port has
won a silver medal and has captured a People’s Choice Award as well.

Haak Vineyards and Winery (pronounced hack) is a "destination winery." About 70 percent of the wine is sold on
the premises. With festivals held during the year and well-made wines to taste (and buy!), a stop at this 
mission-style winery makes for a most pleasant addition to that trip to Galveston Island.

(409)925-1401