Dr. Robert W. Young, M.D., MPH, is the executive winemaker for Bending Branch Winery in Texas Hill County. He’s a pioneer in population medicine, known for developing primary care models in underserved coal-mining regions of Kentucky and West Virginia—programs still in use today as medical training sites. He later led the Kentucky and Arkansas state health departments, launching one of the nation’s first rural healthcare development programs.
In Atlanta, he managed a major multi-specialty group and helped establish the hospitalist specialty. Board-certified in preventive medicine, he’s also a Commandeur of The Renaud Society, which promotes wine and health research.
Dr. Bob holds a Winemaking Certificate from UC Davis and founded Bending Branch Winery, where he introduced bold grape varieties like Tannat and Picpoul Blanc to Texas. His innovations in phenolic research and extraction have helped shape the state’s wine industry.
A committed mentor and philanthropist, he’s supported winemaking students and served as Chair of the Comfort Area Foundation, championing both his local community and the broader Texas wine region.
Media Inquiries: jen@bendingbranch.com | https://www.bendingbranchwinery.com/
What’s the ONE THING most unique, authentic, & memorable about your brand?
Bending Branch Winery is known for innovation, curiosity and experimentation. From introducing and pioneering new grape varieties for Texas, such as Tannat, Picpoul Blanc, Souzão and Petit Manseng, to using Cryo-Maceration or Flash Détente in the winery, Bending Branch loves to explore new possibilities.
Our innovative winemaking techniques are designed to release the full potential of Texas grapes – with Cryo-Maceration giving us approximately 50% more polyphenols and Flash Détente doubling that to 100% more than traditional fermentation of red grapes. These techniques not only make bigger, bolder wines but also are a hedge against climate change and the decreased phenolics caused by extreme heat during grape maturation.
I also continue to push the definition of Texas terroir – most recently introducing the first Texas wines aged in Texas white oak. The Texas white oak aging program puts our stamp on terroir while also providing a more sustainable approach to oak aging. Sustainability is paramount to Bending Branch; one of my proudest moments was when we were awarded the Grand Champion of the inaugural Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo/BRIT Texas Sustainability Winegrowing Competition. Our focus on sustainability impacts everything from the tasting room, organic vineyard management, winery operations and our people.
Describe how and what you’d do with your winemaking career or winery business if you were not constrained.
If the sky is the limit, my winery and vineyards operations would be fully sustainable and organic. My facilities would be Platinum LEED certified and 100% solar-powered. I would have a separate research facility with university-level capabilities to further explore how to make the best wine out of Texas fruit and continue to combat climate change impacts on grapes and wine. And I would love to experiment with growing grapes and making wine from the high-altitude vineyards perhaps in the Andes – my favorite Colomé Malbec uses grapes grown in the highest vineyard on the globe.
What is the One Wine most emblematic of your brand and/or winemaking style? Tell us its story.
As the Tannat House of Texas, Tannat would be top of the list. Tannat is among the red grapes with the highest levels of procyanidins, the polyphenolic compounds known for their strong antioxidants. When well made, Tannat can easily stand beside the great Cabernet Sauvignons and Bordeaux wines of the world. Specifically, the 2018 Bending Branch Tannat, Newsom Vineyards, which was produced using Flash Détente and has one of the highest levels of polyphenols and procyanidins ever evaluated in Roger Corder’s lab in London. This means that it has some of the highest levels in the world. This wine tastes great now and will age incredibly well. I recommend decanting for about 30 minutes before serving.
But I also must include our new 2021 Texas Cowboy Cuvée Reserve from Newsom Vineyards, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Sirah and Malbec that was aged with Texas white oak. This wine, along with two other red wines that we produced, are the first ever to be aged with Texas White Oak. The Texas Cowboy Cuvée Reserve wine is emblematic of my vision for elevating Texas terroir to a new level. I love everything about Dr. Bob’s choice for the most emblematic wine. Read the wine review here!
Bonus Question: What’s the one thing people would be surprised to learn about you?
As a physician for 35 years, I had a great medical career, including serving as the first medical director of a rural medical center that provided healthcare to coal miners and their families in an underserved “holler” in West Virginia. I also established the Department of Rural Healthcare Development in Arkansas to assist medically underserved communities. Both the West Virginia medical center and the Arkansas Department have continued to serve rural communities for almost 50 years.
I was an early pioneer in the evolution of the Hospitalist physician specialty in the United States; Hospitalists are hospital-based physicians coordinating medical care for inpatients across the country.
My approach to innovation in the medical field has carried over to my approach to find creative, lasting solutions to our many challenges – and opportunities – in the Texas wine industry.