The Roots of Our Story

Claire Richardson is a winemaker and lover of all things wine, food, and travel. Claire grew up in Houston, Texas in a home where meals were homemade and wine was on the table. She has had numerous formative travel experiences with wine being central to many of them. 

 

One of those formative travel experiences was a Food and Wine Processing and Mediterranean Nutrition study abroad program in Italy. Claire had the privilege of participating in this program as a student at Texas A&M University. Eager to get the most out of this trip, she was at the front of every presentation and asked countless questions. Yes, she was that girl. Claire had many opportunities to have a behind-the-scenes look at producers of wine, pork, beef, pasta, cheese, pesto, confectionery, and more. The program allowed her to hear from the makers themselves, about the history of the land, and the products it allows them to produce. 

 

The study abroad program also afforded Claire the opportunity to connect with Douglas Heise and Erica Vecchione. Doug and Erica were the brains and craftsmen behind the educational and impactful itinerary of Claire's study abroad program. Little did they know that just a few years later, they would be in touch again to connect the Texas wine community to the places and producers they once explored together. 

 

After the completion of the program, Claire decided that she wanted to pursue a career in the wine industry. Yes, it was that impactful.

 

Claire began her career in the wine industry in 2018 as a harvest intern at William Chris Vineyards. Upon graduation, Claire became a full-time member of the crew, and twice, took pauses in Texas to pursue opportunities to sharpen her skills in New Zealand. In 2020, Claire rejoined the William Chris team as the Assistant Winemaker. Roughly one year later she accepted a new role within William Chris Wine Company as the Winemaker of the newly launched Uplift Vineyard brand. 

 

Uplift Vineyard is a 76-acre property with 55 acres under vine and 13 grape varieties. The guest experience at Uplift is focused on sharing a sense of place, along with the history of the land and the people who settled it. As the winemaker of this single-estate vineyard, Claire’s priority is to produce wines that are both representative of the site and respectful of the vintage conditions presented to her. For Claire, winemaking is a form of storytelling—about the land, the weather patterns, and the challenges encountered along the way. Each harvest is transformative for Claire, offering new opportunities to refine her craft and deepen her connection to the vineyard.

 

In 2024, Claire earned multiple 90+ point scores from esteemed critics, including Jonathan Cristaldi of Cristaldi & Co. and Jim Gordon, Executive Editor at JamesSuckling.com. Claire’s hard-earned ratings reflect her dedication to her work and her commitment to continuous growth. More importantly, they have fueled her to further advance the larger mission of establishing Texas as a globally recognized winegrowing region.

 

Claire is the Director and co-founder of Grafted, a personal and professional development organization focused on enriching the community of women in wine. Grafted is a non-profit organization that operates based on four pillars: empowerment, education, equity, and engagement. Grafted was formed as a response to the need for better work-life integration, equity within the industry, female empowerment, education, and the need for more engagement among women in the community. Grafted’s mission is to cultivate, enrich, and sustain a community of women within the wine industry to confidently own their positions as leaders, students, and advocates of Texas wine. Just as you select a rootstock for a grapevine to thrive in the place and the conditions that it grows, Grafted’s goal is to provide women with resources that will allow them to grow, develop, and plant the roots of their “rootstock” that will serve as a foundation for them to be fruitful in their personal and professional lives.

 

Explore Oeno is ​Claire’s latest endeavor and is an intersection of the brands and organizations that she is a part of. It is a culmination and celebration of her work, studies, and travel that have been the stepping stones in her life and career. Explore Oeno offers a behind-the-scenes look at her winemaking at Uplift Vineyard and provides personal insights into her experiences in the wine industry. Explore Oeno is opening the doors to wine travel with Explore Oeno Abroad, allowing you access to curated wine, culture, and food tours in Italy, co-hosted by Doug and Erica.

 

Claire cannot wait to connect the Texas wine community to the cities, sites, and producers that once influenced her career choice in winemaking. ​Her path in the wine industry is a testament to her deep-rooted passion for wine and travel. From her formative travel experiences to her roles as a leader and a winemaker, Claire's work embodies her dedication to creating wines and experiences that tell the story of her past and present and celebrate the richness of wine, culture, and community.