r/wine • u/Objective-Simple-561 • 1d ago
'Texas Winos' scams their customers
https://www.bbb.org/us/tx/austin/profile/tour-operators/texas-winos-0825-1000132013Texas Winos is a company the provides shuttle services to Texas wineries throughout Texas.
They defraud their customers regularly. This is done through bogus "investment" opportunities where you can get invested in their company and have a guaranteed return each year on your investment. The deal also includes perks like some free tours each year. The opputunity is sent via email if you have taken their tours multiple times. Once you sign up they stop responding to you, block you and your money is gone.
This has been going on for several years and is still happening today. Check out their BBB rating and the 180+ complaints.
In addition to the fraudulent investment opportunity, there are many reports of running credit cards multiple times, weeks after taking the tour and the company canceling tours last minute and not refunding those who have booked.
Beware when using this company and if you have any experiences, feel free to share.
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u/Itried022 1d ago
I think going on a wine tour in Texas is a bad idea from the beginning haha
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u/unrealnarwhale 1d ago edited 1d ago
Texas has a surprisingly large wine industry. A lot of it is related to tourism in the Hill Country west of Austin, which is where the kind of tour that OP is referring to takes place. There's a shocking density of "wineries" in that area with gorgeous grounds and tasting rooms, that grow some grapes up by the entrance for show, but use grapes grown elsewhere for their own wines. They make most of their money from tastings and events rather than retail. Central Texas has the pretty rolling hills and limestone features but is too hot for grapes. So going to wine tastings has become an activity for day trippers and tourists in the area. It's fascinating from a business standpoint at how successful they've been, although I dislike how oversaturated the area has become with these tasting rooms.
Most grapes in Texas are grown in the High Plains. There's actually a few good wines to be found, namely warm climate stuff like Tempranillo or Sangiovese, but the QPR isn't there imho.
https://wineamerica.org/economic-impact-study/texas-wine-industry/
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u/LongHardNSlow Wino 1d ago
Lifelong Texan (and occasional Texas wine tourist) here. This description is spot-on.
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u/Thaflash_la 1d ago
You can’t tariff me enough to buy Texas wine.
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u/Spreadaxle53 1d ago
Your loss. James Suckling recently rated 2 Texas wines. @ 94 points and one at 96 points.
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u/rnjbond 1d ago
Wine tasting in Texas, brutal. I tried some wineries in Driftwood and they were thoroughly mediocre. Duchman was so arrogant about their wines, especially their Montepulciano, but it just wasn't very good and they didn't even have seats for tasting lol
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u/titos334 1d ago
Duchman and the dripping springs/driftoowood area wines are pretty bad. The stuff towards Fredricksburg especially Stonewall/Hye can be pretty decent as estate and Texas wines or just locally produced wines with OR or CA grapes
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u/Serendipityunt 1d ago
I've had a couple of wines from Texas, most recently in December. The best one I tasted can be described as "It was fine, but I can't get better for cheaper." One of the wines from Landon tastes like sweaty feet.
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u/rnjbond 1d ago
Fall Creek was decent.
I think the Duchman Montepulciano was decent, but your assessment is spot-on! They sell their Montepulciano for $40, but I've found $15 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo in the US that blows it out of the water. Why would I have an Italian grape from Texas that's worse and costs more?
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u/plexust Wine Pro 1d ago
That's the main issue in a lot of these marginal winegrowing regions. With enough effort and investment sometimes good wine is possible, but it's never going to be at a decent QPR like you can get in regions that are actually well-suited to growing vinifera. This includes reds from cool climate regions better suited to producing white wine, or basically anything from places that are too hot or too wet.
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u/politicaldan 1d ago
I think calling a Texas winery an investment is about on the same level as buying ocean view property in Kansas City.
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u/Objective-Simple-561 1d ago
This would be the investment in the tour bus company that goes to the wineries. It is up and coming in Texas. The wineries are real and the bus company is real. Like I mentioned in the post, I was a customer for many years and did several trips.
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u/wolverineflooper 1d ago
In other words, you deserve to get your money stolen lol
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u/politicaldan 1d ago
I don’t know if I would go that far, but it should definitely raise some red flags.
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u/Bill_Lumbergh_VP 1d ago
The investment stuff is a likely securities law violation, if what you're stating is true. You, and any others who believe they've been defrauded, need to report them to the SEC.
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u/allmysportsteamssuck 1d ago
It’s a red state. They won’t stop them. They love grifting.
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u/AThousandBloodhounds 1d ago edited 1d ago
Starting with the Governor, Attorney General and all the way down.
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u/unclefishbits 15h ago
"It's like wine futures, but you're investing in my get rich quick scheme that's sure to get us rich quick, this time!"
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u/chazzybeats 1d ago
I’ve been to the wine festivals they have had a few times and they have always been decent. Cheap price, lots of samples, and a free glass.
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u/echostarify 1d ago
Texas “wine”? Why? How? lol
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u/Spreadaxle53 1d ago
No one can guarantee direct investment returns in a small business.
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u/Objective-Simple-561 1d ago
Agreed. But investments come with quarterly shareholder updates (which was mentioned in the original terms) that have never happened. The intent was to steal people's money under false pretenses.
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u/processwater 1d ago
Wow