Recently, we’ve had an overwhelming outcry from the masses wanting to know: Who is this Jeff Binney guy? Is he qualified to educate us on all this wine stuff? Where is he from? Is he real or a fictional character Grape Creek has made up? Well folks, I’m here to tell you Jeff is a living, breathing entity. If you’re lucky enough to end up at his bar for a tasting, soak it in and ask the man a question or two, he loves discussing wine and all things Grape Creek!

Also, Jeff wanted me to remind you that it’s time to renew your membership to the Jeff’s Corner Fan Club. And, if you’re not a member, there is no better time to sign up. It’s simple, just get your hands on as much cash as possible and send it to Jeff Binney, care of Grape Creek Vineyards, attention Chelsea.

Jeffrey grew up in San Antonio and graduated from The University of Texas with degrees in English, history, and philosophy. He realized early on he wasn’t going to write the great novel of his generation and fell into a life-long love affair with the hospitality and wine industry.

Jeff has combined three decades of restaurant management with rewarding careers in writing and education. Since its inception in 2001, he has been a judge for the San Antonio Express-News Wine Competition and has been invited to judge the prestigious San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition every year starting in 2016.

He taught for ten years in the Restaurant Management/Culinary Arts Department at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi and was a frequent guest speaker at wine festivals throughout south-central Texas.

He was also Food and Wine Editor for Gulfscapes Magazine which enjoyed a large readership throughout Houston and the Coastal Bend of Texas. In addition, he was a restaurant critic for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times newspaper.

Jeff and his wife, Kathy, fell in love with the notion that Texas could produce great wine in the early 1980’s, and were pioneers in promoting the fact that Texas wines were more than a novelty. After many visits to the Texas Hill Country, they took up residence in Fredericksburg in the summer of ‘06 and have been with Grape Creek Vineyards since 2009.

Jeff has a hand in writing all our tasting notes for Grape Creek and Heath Vineyards wines. Additionally, “Bald Binney Boy” (Jeff’s secret blues name) has graced us with his humorous and eloquent writing skills on his blog, Jeff’s Corner, with over 500 posts, the first being shared in 2010. Today, you can find Jeff at a tasting bar continuing to educate our guests and helping them to further explore the vast world of wine.