A Taste of Tokio, Texas: Williams Ranch Vineyard & Winery expands with history, flavor
Alana Edgin, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
5 min read
TOKIO - Some families show their history through trees, but this family with century-old roots near Plains shares their story by vines - grape vines to be exact.
On a hot June morning, Kirk and Shawn Williams walked down the rows of grapes, which would later be turned into their family's Williams Ranch wines, as they shared their story.
"It's really good to be able to tell our story to people," said Kirk, whose family started the ranch in 1915 in Tokio. "It's nice to be able to carry on the tradition."
The grapes, once harvested near the tasting room on 2031 CR 120 or other nearby vineyards, go to Brownfield to be crushed and bottled, then the bottles are labeled by their youngest son.
Each bottle boasts a label with tidbits of the family's history. The Moscato, Rosé, and Cabernet Sauvignon labels depict the Tokio post office. The Markey Mayhem Merlot honors Shawn's mother, the youngest child of a large family, with a black and white photo of the family. Rafter W Red Blend, named after Kirk's father, and Mary Dale's White Blend honor relatives as well.
Shawn Williams holds the Markey Mayhem Merlot wine at Williams Ranch Vineyard, Wednesday, June 21, 2023, in Tokio. Williams' mom loved Merlot and they named the wine after her.
"We've been able to tell the story of our parents and our family, and that's been fun," Shawn said.
From the land to the label, family is the heart of the operation, and the Williams hope to bring more families to experience all the property has to offer.
Rooted in family: Williams Ranch Tasting Room offers family-friendly space, events, in century-old home
Off the beaten path near Plains sits a unique 1930s house, where bits of sandstone stick out from the exterior to spell out initials or reveal other details about the family that has called this land home since 1915.
"The house is made with concrete blocks, which were made on-site, and my grandmother broke sandstone pieces and stuck them in wet concrete," Kirk said. "We have people's names, designs, art. We're still finding artifacts in the stones."
Shawn Williams walks around the Williams Ranch Vineyard tasting room, Wednesday, June 21, 2023, in Tokio. The house is her husband, Kirk's, family home from 1915.
The Williams family recently renovated and opened their historic home as a tasting room for anyone who wants to swing by for a drink, a chat and some family-friendly fun.
"We're very child-friendly," Shawn said. "We have crayons, Legos, cornhole and activities. It is an hour drive from Lubbock, and you can bring your kids. We have five kids ourselves, so we are very family-friendly."
The vineyard and winery also offers special events that are open to everyone. For September, they will host a harvest festival with grape stomping.
"That's something people like to do," Shawn said. "And we do not use the grape juice from that. We just celebrate."
In October, they host Pumpkins in the Vineyard, where people can pick their own pumpkins, take photos, and enjoy hayrides. Food trucks and live music will be there as well to keep the fun going.
In December, they are looking forward to having Christmas at the Ranch. Last year, the event offered free photos with Cowboy Santa, mulled wine, free children's' activities, ornament making and cookie decorating.
Shawn also suggested people join their wine club, which gives members 15% off their wine, includes three shipments of three customized bottles a year, and other benefits. Members can have orders shipped, delivered, or pick it up themselves at one of the pickup parties.
"Our pickup parties always have food, and sometimes we'll do dinner with pairings," Shawn said. "It's just a fun time, and members could be the first to try our new wines. We hope to expand our club and our line this year."
Outside of events, the wine can be purchased online, on location Saturday afternoons from 2-6 p.m., or at their Downtown Lubbock Farmers Market booth on Saturday mornings.
Williams Ranch turned mesquite pasture into vineyard, here's why and how
When it comes to planting wine grapes, there are many things to consider. Two of the items on that list are soil and and climate, which the Texas High and South Plains regions meet.
"This is a good region to grow grapes because our elevation is high, 3,000 feet above sea level, so we get a nice diurnal shift between morning and evenings," Kirk said. "When we get rainfall, it usually just rains and moves on. The soil is good, and drains well."
Kirk Williams stands in his vineyard, Wednesday, June 21, 2023, in Tokio.
Kirk's decision to join the growing Texas wine industry came to fruition in 1998, when the Williams began planting Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in the once mesquite-infested pasture.
"I've worked in the agriculture industry out there in Northern California, and kind of caught the wine bug up there," Kirk said. "When we came back on vacations, we would pass by Newsom Vineyards, and that clicked that we could grow grapes."
In Kirk's opinion, another part of why vineyards are popping up more frequently is due to wine grapes being a high-value crop with a fun product that doesn't take as much time as sorghum.
"The finished product is fun, and wineries are a desirable place to go," Kirk said.
The vineyard initially sold their grapes to other wineries. In 2020, the family decided to start using their grapes to make their own wine.
