Overview: Ranch Brand Wine & Spirits has established a distinct footprint in Texas, offering a portfolio that spans wines and spirits including vodka, gin, and bourbon. Co-founded by Weston Stone and Christopher Ware in 2020, the company is rooted in the Hill Country region of Dripping Springs and Wimberley.
The Full Story
There is something distinctly Texas about Ranch Brand Wine & Spirits, from its Hill Country roots to the independent spirit behind the company itself. Co-founder Weston Stone began shaping this philosophy at an unlikely time: the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Stone and co-founder Christopher Ware launched Ranch Brand Wine & Spirits in 2020, when much of the hospitality and beverage industry was navigating uncertainty.
Rather than waiting for conditions to improve, they saw an opportunity to get to work. Stone states that by going out and calling on the market during this period, the company showed it was not sitting on the couch waiting for people to contact them. That willingness to show up mattered significantly. Stone notes that the people who were still working during the pandemic appreciated seeing the new company making the effort to build relationships face to face. It was an unconventional beginning, but perhaps a fitting one for a company grounded in an independent Texas identity.
Today, Ranch Brand’s portfolio extends across wines and spirits, including vodka, gin and bourbon. Among its signature offerings is Ranch Vodka, a grain-to-glass spirit made from Texas corn and distilled in the Hill Country. The result is a company that combines an unmistakably Texas personality with a serious approach to its products. Ranch Brand has grown from a business launched during one of the industry’s most challenging periods into a vast portfolio and a tasting room in Wimberley, where guests can experience the brand firsthand.
Production & Profile
Ranch Vodka is grain-to-glass distilled from Texas corn using copper-column distillation. The vodka is copper-column distilled, a process designed to create a smooth spirit without relying on filtration. For Stone, quality begins with what goes into the bottle. What sets us apart is the limestone water of the Hill Country and using only the best ingredients, which gives our vodka a very smooth finish.
That focus carries throughout the spirits portfolio. All of our spirits are very elevated in taste and approachability. We over-deliver on both proof and price point. Ranch Brand is also a member of the Clean Wine Initiative, which emphasizes ingredient transparency, sustainable farming practices, and traditional winemaking without additives, sweeteners, or dyes. For consumers, Stone says that means knowing more about what is actually inside the bottle.
Brand & Industry History
Weston Stone has worked in this business for 26 years and has seen many mistakes. He jokes that he has a Ph.D. in what not to do. This experience has given him a clear perspective on how he wants Ranch Brand to operate and, equally important, what he wants to avoid. The brand was launched during the height of the coronavirus pandemic by co-founders Weston Stone and Christopher Ware.
What This Means
For Stone, that approach has been part of Ranch Brand from day one. The result is a company that combines an unmistakably Texas personality with a serious approach to its products. While the portfolio may continue to grow, the foundation remains straightforward: good ingredients, thoughtful production, and the willingness to show up and do the work.
Consumer Takeaway
Guests can experience the brand firsthand at the tasting room in Wimberley. The vodka is copper-column distilled using limestone water of the Hill Country and Texas corn.
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