Janet Miertschin (and Husband Mark are the owners), and Janet is the winemaker at Portree Cellars in Texas Hill Country. After years of inspiration from Napa visits, they purchased 28 acres in Hye, Texas, in 2019, planted seven acres of vines, and committed to producing 100% Texas wine.
Janet began formal winemaking training in 2020 through the Kerrville Hills Winery Incubator Program and completed the Texas Tech Winemakers Certificate Program in 2022. Portree Cellars opened its tasting room in 2023, and the wines have since earned awards from the San Francisco Chronicle, TEXSOM, Texas Monthly’s Vintners Cup, and other major competitions.
Janet is active in Texas Wine Growers and brings a hands-on, Texas-focused approach to the winery’s growth.
Media Inquiries: Janet@portreecellars.com | https://www.portreecellars.com/
What’s the ONE THING most unique, authentic, & memorable about your brand?
A few years ago, Mark announced, “We should grow grapes and make wine.” Janet ignored the idea while he completed the UC Davis Winemaking Certificate. When he suggested buying land, she assumed it was just an investment.
They purchased 28 acres in the Texas Hill Country and spent weekends clearing raw land, installing water and electricity, and preparing to plant—while both still working full-time corporate jobs in Houston. Janet wasn’t even telling people about their “wine plan.”
Everything shifted after attending Grape Camp in Fredericksburg. Immersed in the collaborative Texas wine community, Janet was all in. They planted their first two acres in 2021, joined a winemaking incubator program, and opened their tasting room in 2023.
Janet ultimately fell in love with winemaking—first in the cellar, then through the Texas Tech Enology program—and now serves as Portree Cellars’ winemaker, crafting 100% Texas wines from emerging varieties. Mark leads the seven-acre vineyard and oversees business operations. Janet’s artwork, begun in 2019, now appears on the bottles and throughout the tasting room.
Describe how and what you’d do with your winemaking career or winery business if you were not constrained.
We’re a boutique, family-owned winery with a small estate vineyard and tasting room. Janet currently produces the wines at a third-party facility while we build toward our next phase.
With no constraints, we would construct a dedicated production facility onsite with full bottling and storage capacity, expand our vineyard holdings in the Texas Hill Country, and grow both production and distribution through a focused sales team. We would also enhance the estate experience with expanded club spaces, more events, and a dedicated art and event venue.
Just two years into operating our tasting room, we see a significant opportunity for growth.
What is the One Wine most emblematic of your brand and/or winemaking style? Tell us its story.
While I have a lot of different varietals (and it’s hard to pick one), Fiano has to be my most emblematic. When we were searching for a white varietal to plant in our estate vineyard, we discovered Fiano at a Texas Wine School Italian wine class. We loved the crisp, bright Italian imported Fianos, and while it was more obscure in Texas, we decided to plant 2 acres. While waiting for our estate vines to mature, I found another Texas vineyard with Fiano vines, Pepper Jack Vineyard, and started buying their grapes in 2021. I was thrilled to have my first Fiano win a Double Gold/Best in Class at the 2023 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. That sealed the deal – Fiano for me! Since then, I’ve added 6 more Fiannos to my portfolio, including 3 to release in April. Here’s the 2022 Fiano review.
Bonus Question: What are your wholehearted convictions related to the wine business? Not about your wines!
Texas produces some amazing wines, and the world is just starting to take note. I want to be part of that wave, representing the “best of Texas”, especially 100% Texas!