Parker County Today July 2018 | Page 95

on Tucker Road in January 2014. Seven of those acres are planted with 11 varieties of grapes, both red and white. They plan to officially open the winery at Dove Ridge Vineyard this coming fall. “You’ve got to wait three to five years for your vines to truly mature,” Janan said. “So the harvests we’ve had to this point we haven’t been able to keep. But we hope this year we’ll be able to keep our harvest and start processing wine. This year, winter was so late, harvest will prob- ably be in August.” Grapes have been plentiful in previous years, she added, but the upcoming harvest should be the best. The Benefiels have not been “sitting on their hands” waiting for the right grapes — they’ve been busy with a different kind of romance. Since April 1 of last year, they’ve hosted over 70 weddings. “While we were waiting for the vines to mature, we decided to open this beautiful hilltop venue,” Janan said. “It really has stunning views. It’s like you’re not even in Texas. I 93