People will flock to Lindale to enjoy fine wine and live music during the Piney Woods Wine Festival at Picker’s Pavilion in Lindale. (Tyler Morning Telegraph File Photo)

When Gerald Jones cofounded Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards almost 20 years ago, he had no idea just how large and quickly the wine industry in East Texas would blossom.

Jones was joined by 15 other East Texas wineries during the 2016 Piney Woods Wine Festival at Picker’s Pavilion in Lindale on Saturday. More than 6,000 guests came to enjoy live music and the finest wines available on the regional Piney Woods Wine Trail.

“Lindale is a great spot for us because of the proximity and location in the trail, it’s right in the center,” Jones said. “The growth and development of Lindale just makes it feel like the right spot for us to be.”

Jones said this year’s attendance would far surpass anything the festival had done in previous years at its old Mount Vernon home. He was glad to see so many people willing to come out and try new things.

“Wine is so new in East Texas that we get so many folks who don’t know about wine and they think it’s a pretentious endeavor. We try to strip it of that,” he said. “Really, what better way to sample the wines and figure out which ones you like? If you go to the store it can be so intimidating.”

The event had an almost palpable sense of camaraderie. Vendors and vineyard owners chatted like old friends while introducing attendees to the varieties of vino on hand.

“That’s what’s great about Texas wineries, it’s a very noncompetitive spirit. We help each other out along the way,” Jones said. “In 2000 there really wasn’t anything grape to bottle out here. It is truly the Bible belt and back then it was a big gamble.”

Seong MacLaren, Lindale downtown development and tourism director, spent the past few months working at a breakneck pace to ensure the festival went off without a hitch.

“They were in search of a new home and fell in love with our downtown development and vision,” she said. “We’re just absolutely delighted they’re here.”

MacLaren said the festival would be a good indication to businesses that Lindale was capable of handling anything they could throw at the city. With the new Cannery development coming along, the area soon will see regular events of this size.

“Traditionally this festival requires eight months to prepare,” she said. “We’ve had three, so we’ve been working fast and furious.”

Jones believes the relationship is off to a fantastic start and like his wine, will only improve with age.

“It’s wonderful because it creates so much tourism,” he said. “That farm to table movement is alive and well.”

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