WINE COUNTRY — Mark Rogers and his wife, Becky, celebrated the 10th anniversary of Marker Cellars Winery this past October. This year, Marker Cellars will look to expand their customer-facing operations as they plan to open a public tasting room in downtown Bridgeport.
Before Mark Rogers became a household name in the North Texas wine industry, he worked in the mortgage business for 38 years, traveling around the United States as an operations manager, helping build, buy and merge companies. However, after moving to California for work and meeting the famed Davy Crockett actor-turned-winemaker Fess Parker, Rogers caught the winemaking bug himself.
It fueled his early passion for wine, and when it came time for Rogers to move back to Texas, Parker issued him a challenge.
“He said, ‘Mark, you can grow grapes – plant a test vineyard, try several varieties of grapes, see which ones you like and go from there,’ so that’s exactly what I did,” Rogers said.
Rogers and his family bought 5.5 acres in Argyle and created a quarter-acre “test vineyard” to test his abilities. In 2005 and 2006, Rogers studied enology and viticulture at Grayson College in Denison to further hone his craft.
Rogers said he was flying by the seat of his pants with the first batches of home wine.
“Before I ever had grapes, I bought a winemaking kit, a five-gallon carboy and just tried to follow those kit directions even though I didn’t really know what I was doing,” Rogers said. “Then, off of that test vineyard, our first harvest was about 400 pounds and seven different varieties of red wine grapes. We processed that by hand and basically threw it all together to make an Italian-style blend.”
Those first batches laid the foundation for his operation today.
In 2007, Rogers purchased 90 acres near Alvord. After testing the soil, he established his first vineyard on the property surrounded by the LBJ National Grasslands. In 2012, Marker Cellars opened its tasting room to the public.
As he nears the age of 70, Rogers said that his own day-to-day operations have slowed down, but his love for making wine remains strong.
“There’s nothing that compares to the smell of fermenting fruit, but don’t be fooled – it is a lot of work,” Rogers said.
With the help of his “right hand” Senior Vice President of Winery Operations Casey Prisel, Marker Cellars is planning to expand to downtown Bridgeport this year.
“Last May I was approached by the EDC about building availability on Halsell Street. We had already done some things with Oak & Eden, so it almost became a no-brainer to be able to transition from a purely rural winery to an urban location,” Rogers said.
Prisel explained that the Alvord location will still remain as the production facility and continue to serve as host to special events, but the Bridgeport location will bring a new vibe for Marker Cellars when it comes to customer-facing operations.
“It’s a beautiful, historic space that we’re completely redoing to become modern industrial and will really bring Marker Cellars up to 2023 and into the future,” Prisel said.
While Marker Cellars has held a strong, dedicated Wise County customer base since the early days of the business, Rogers was pleased to add that people from all around North Texas have become regular customers and wine club members.
“People want to get out of the city and experience peace and quiet in a rural setting,” he said. “There are people that are still wine club members to this day that I met at a festival five years ago.”
Prisel also sang her praises of the people who have continually supported Marker Cellars.
“We have the absolute best customer base in the entire world,” she said. “I came into Marker Cellars about four years ago… I have started and owned businesses, and I have never seen the loyalty of customers like Mark has built up.”
When speaking about the offerings of Marker Cellars, Rogers and Prisel commented that the Lightning Cab is still the most popular bottle to date. “People know us for the Lightning Cab,” Prisel said. “And that’s where we get to bring in our partnership with Oak & Eden – we put our cabernet inside of their barrels while they’re wet, and that makes a bourbon-aged barrel cab.”
INSTANT CLASSIC — Marker Cellars has become known for their “flagship” bottle, Lightning Cab. The cabernet is put inside of Oak & Eden bourbon barrels while they are still wet to create a unique flavor.
Marker Cellars’ popular offerings also include the Texas Mourvedre and Ranch Hand Red. But as a boutique winery, the menu is ever-changing and makes for a unique and exciting experience for the makers and customers. “We could get a call in two months that says, ‘Do you want these new grapes,’” Prisel said. “Mark and I will look at each other and say, ‘Heck yeah!’”
Among Roger’s favorite parts about the job are the people he meets and the relationships he has built through Marker Cellars.
“Seeing strangers meet on the patio, invite each other to sit down and come back time and time again is something I never thought I would experience when I started this business,” Rogers said. “I was always thinking about the wine business and never really gave any credence to the people aspect of this, but that has become one of my favorite parts … It’s created a family.”
Rogers has also had the chance to recognize veterans and first responders through his business, even commissioning a special World War II bottle in memory of a veteran after learning about his heroic efforts.
As Rogers slowly lets go of the Marker Cellars reins and transitions into a proper retirement, there will be no slowing down for the winery itself as they continue to expand while staying true to its rural roots.
If you want to host your next celebration at a beautiful location or are itching for a mouthwatering glass of North Texas wine, be sure to visit Marker Cellars the next time you get a chance. To try their offerings or schedule an event, visit markercellars.com or make your way 1484 County Road 2585 in Alvord.
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