Wine Fusion winery on tap for Grapevine

When Nicholas Kaufman was growing up, his mother loved all things wine — even hosting occasional wine parties.

After she died when he was 17, he always felt a special connection when involved in wine-related activities.

Over the years, many of them working for Kroger where he learned a lot about the wine retail business, Kaufman thought about his mother and her passion for grapes and fun.

So on June 16, he went before the City Council to ask to open a winery — Wine Fusion winery.

He was successful.

And with his new bride, Danielle, he is leasing space at 603 S.Main St. and plans to open in November.

“My mother had a great passion and love for wine,” Kaufman said after the City Council meeting. “This [winery] makes me feel closer to mom.”

Kaufman told the councilmembers that his winery will offer a “unique” twist — education.

Every weekday and occasionally on weekends, they will offer a two-hour class on wine making. He said the wine classes will teach enthusiasts everything from how to blend their own wine to bottling it to making a label and corking it. Patrons will leave with their own bottle that night.

“I always feel closer to my mom when I talk about wine and teach others as she

taught me,” the businessman said.

Although concerns were raised by members of the council about adding another winery to Main Street — which has seen the addition of similar businesses in recent years — several members spoke favorably about the idea.

“I think the educational process is phenomenal,” Mayor Pro Tem C. Shane Wilkbanks said.

City Councilman Mike Lease added that is would be a nice addition to the south end of Main Street — the major street that runs through Historic Downtown Grapevine — because it would “draw people” to an area that does not have much in the way of wine-related businesses.

City Councilman Chris Coy agreed, saying, “I’m glad to see you’re bringing something different — education.”

Kaufman talked later of how his dream of owning a winery, which will feature retail space for Texas artists and other shopping experiences, came to fruition.

A Dallas native, he grew up in the area with his parents and three brothers, one of them his twin.

“Wine was always a huge part of his life as my mother was an avid wine drinker and connoisseur,” he said. “Whether it was sharing stories about wine in new places, enjoying it with friends or talking about the different regions of wine, mys family was surrounded by it.”

However, things changed when his mother died.

“Then, a void followed for many years,” he said.

Kaufman started work out of high school, doing overnight stocking for a grocery chain. He climbed the ladder to store manager where he managed several stores, including a Kroger in Southlake.

Being a fine wine store with a huge selection, he started to learn more about wine.

“Having lunch and dinners with winemakers from all over the world, a spark was rekindled,” Kaufman said.

He traveled and trained at wineries all over the country, gaining knowledge and experience in the wine industry. He found that the more he talked about it and helped teach others he felt closer to his mother.

He left the big grocer to pursue his love of wine, eventually leading to the creation of Wine Fusion.

“I wanted to create a place, like my home, where people could come and relax, learn, laugh and enjoy the many intricacies of wine like I did growing up,” Kaufman said.

Noticing a disconnect between the consumer and the daunting wine industry, he said Wine Fusion’s concept was created to help merge the two groups in a way that is not intimidating.

“Wine Fusion wants to help you shop for wine easier in the grocery store, wisely pick wines from a daunting wine menu at a restaurant, learn how to dissect confusing wine labels, taste, smell and see,” the winery owner said.

Telling the City Council that he spent his “whole life” in the wine arena, he said, “I know we can win.”

This story was originally published July 1, 2015 at 9:07 AM with the headline "Wine Fusion winery on tap for Grapevine."