Our Winemaker - Kim McPherson

Although Kim McPherson has painted the modern portrait of high-quality winemaking in Texas, his father, Clint “Doc” McPherson, provided all the requisite tools. What started out as experimental vine planting in the 1960s­—at a time when there were virtually none in the entire state—evolved into an extraordinary framework that has since shaped the Texas High Plains landscape today. Doc is, and will always be, recognized as one of the founding fathers of modern Texas wine.

Feeding off the tenacity and vision of his father, Kim completed his enology and viticulture studies at world-renowned UC Davis in the 1970s before heading off to work in Napa Valley. On the heels of the Judgment of Paris, the region was in the midst of a buzzing wine renaissance that would soon reach all corners of the world. Despite being in the epicenter of this bourgeoning wine region, Kim’s heart drifted back to Texas: he wanted the same success for his home state.

Fully believing in the still-vastly-unexplored terroir of the High Plains, Kim came back to Lubbock where he crafted wine at local wineries (including his father’s Llano Estacado Winery) for the next twenty plus years. In 2000, Kim proudly launched his eponymous label in dedication to his father. Since then, McPherson Cellars has blossomed into a small but thriving operation that focuses on sustainably farmed, expertly crafted, small-batch wines exclusively from the Texas High Plains. The renowned James Beard Foundation has twice nominated Kim as a semifinalist in the “Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Producer” category. McPherson Cellars wines have been recognized and awarded in several international wine competitions, including the prestigious Texsom International Wine Awards. He continues to play an innovative and dynamic role in the development of Texas's wine industry.