Wimberley Council approves wine tasting pop-up off Ranch Road 12

WIMBERLEY — A temporary pop-up trailer for wine tasting and sales will be set up off Ranch Road 12 following a unanimous approval by Wimberley City Council at its meeting held on Thursday, Aug. 1. Council also awarded Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) funds to local organizations.

Jaclynn Renée van Sant-Downes, winemaker and owner of Jaclynn Renée Wines/J. van Sant Wines LLC, requested to set up a trailer for wine tasting and sales at 13701 Ranch Road 12 in Wimberley. This is the same location as the previously approved Neon Armadillo food truck and the Kendra Scott pop-up trailer, the latter of which has already been removed, according to Wimberley City Administrator Tim Patek. The applicant only proposed to set up the trailer on the weekends through Oct. 19.

Van Sant-Downes, a native Texan, moved to Sonoma County, California,  to begin her wine career in 2007 and by 2013, she started to develop her very own wine brand. But now, back in Texas, she has been crafting a marriage of wines from both Sonoma County and the Lone Star State:  “Our objective is to make extraordinary, food-friendly wines from some of the best grapes by using little intervention or manipulation and letting the fruit shine from vineyard to bottle,” she said.

Being a full-time employee of Driftwood Estate Winery, owner of her own wine brand and raising her children, van Sant-Downes said that she is fully focused on doing the temporary pop-ups before looking into a brick-and-mortar location.

“We are not looking to do a brick-and-mortar at the current moment, so pop-ups really support our business,” she said. “We do [also] have a proper TABC permit, so every event we pop-up [at], we will always have TABC permitting to have and serve alcohol at the premises.”

Council member Rebecca Minnick praised van Sant-Downes’ commitment to serving and helping the community of Wimberley in multiple ways.

“Jackie does a lot for the community. She’s always generous with her time and her wine. We appreciate that. I know that the nonprofits here appreciate that, too,” Minnick shared. “I am sure you have some good loyal customers that will be there at the pop-ups.”

To stay up-to-date on Jaclynn Renée Wines, visit www.jaclynnreneewines.com.

Disbursement of HOT funds

Wimberley City Council also unanimously approved, following a recommendation from the HOT Committee, the disbursement of HOT funds and a reimbursement agreement between the city and local organizations/events.

The Wimberley Valley Arts & Cultural Alliance — a nonprofit formed in 2014 with a belief that arts and culture enhance economic viability and quality of life — will be receiving $4,850 in HOT funds to go toward The Hill Country Haiku Initiative. This initiative is intended to develop into a long-term project involving dozens of haiku stamped into the sidewalks of Wimberley.

The funds will be applied to purchase four concrete stamps for embedding the haiku and installation of concrete embossed panels at the entrance to the crosswalk. The remaining funds will help purchase paint and other art materials for the decoration of the actual crosswalk, as well as funding for the artists involved.

With council’s approval of $25,000 in HOT funds, the goal to restore and preserve the history of Pioneer Town is set to begin. The funds will be used to restore the Pioneer Town buildings. This process will happen in phases, with the first phase involving rebuilding the facades that line Pioneer Town to the left upon entrance from the parking lot and turning the corner to head to the river. The second phase will include improving the facades from the cowboy museum to the current barber shop. The multi-phase project will continue in the off-season for the next couple of years.

Lastly, $5,010 in HOT funds will go to the Wimberley Valley Arts & Cultural Alliance for a second WinterNights – A Singer-Songwriter Showcase. According to Wimberley Arts Board member Denise Renter, the first showcase held in January was “very successful and we have a great model to use to plan for another 2-day event.” This event is aimed to showcase the local singer-songwriters, while also promoting overnight stays and tourism during the slow time of the year.

To listen to the full meeting, visit www.cityofwimberley.com/292/Public-Meetings. Wimberley City Council is set to meet next at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 15.