Our Story

Some may ask about how this Rustic Spur dream came to fruition. Well I guess you could say its’ beginnings were in 1984 when Jim & Ranae married. They both had been raised with a keen awareness of respecting things like: the land, it’s bounty, honest and hard work, and achieving life goals. Over time Jim and Ranae have been honored to receive awards, recognitions and accolades, but they all pale in comparison to the pride they have in raising two of the finest young ladies in Texas. As the youngest was preparing to graduate from high school, the thoughts of having an empty nest grew. They began searching for their next adventure and discussed a dormant dream Ranae had from the late 70’s. Jim & Ranae each had farm and ranch family heritage and a desire to honor that.  When Ranae was a teenager she asked her dad, who had spent his lifetime raising cotton, sorghum and sunflowers if he would ever think of planting wine grapes as some were starting to do in the Texas High Plains. His answer was no for a couple of reasons: 1) he did not know how to grow wine grapes 2) he did not care for the taste of wine. With that answer, Ranae’s dream of growing wine grapes did not die, it simply laid dormant for the next thirty years.  They began their search for farmland in the Texas hill country near Fredericksburg to begin this adventure they affectionately refer to as their “mid-life” crisis. A parcel of land was purchased that was formerly a peach orchard near Stonewall. In 2013 they planted their first three varietals of wine grapes: Tannat, Souzão and Sémillon. Their first intention was to simply grow and sell some of the finest wine grapes in Texas. At the same time the young grape vines were maturing and growing so was their dream to begin to make and to bottle some of their own wine. Sherah, their youngest daughter, was working on an Agriculture degree and decided that she would like to pursue this passion as well. She completed her undergraduate and master’s degree in Viticulture and Enology. Sherah spends many hours in the vineyard with a watchful eye and they are grateful! Their oldest daughter, Leah and husband Micah, have busy careers and are raising their son Caden. 

They have beside them from the beginning, helping to prepare the land, followed by the planting of the vines in 2013 and finally, harvest! Leah and Micah have played such an important role in our vineyard reality even from miles away. They thank all who have helped with the success of this family venture.  It was Sherah’s love of horses that led them to the name Rustic Spur. One of her cherished possessions is an 85-year-old saddle owned by her great grandpa, “Pawpaw Moyer” when he was a ranch cowboy out in Eastern New Mexico. Also passed down to her, a set of spurs from “Pawpaw Moyer”, ”Gramps“ and Great Great “Uncle Aubrey”.

These rustic relics remind us of the hard work, sweat and toil of a humble family trying to eke out a simple living from farming and ranching. We honor the memory of these rustic cowboys of yesterday that formed the genealogy of Rustic Spur. We honor the contributions of Jim and Ranae’s dads, grandpas, and uncles who have made farming a way of life on the South Plains of Texas.