WE ARE

A Boutique Texas Winery and Bistro

We make all the wines we sell, and our bistro features dishes that show off the best of food and wine pairing.

We are family owned and run.

     Terry and Caris Turpen are the owners, and Caris is both the winemaker and chef.
     We have a tasting room where you can taste our wines, and our gift shop has many items made by local artists - we do our best to find unique items that promote what we call "The Culture of the Table" - food, wine and friendship.      Our goal in wine tasting is to help you find something you like - don't worry about "not being a connoisseur" - nobody is born knowing about wines...it takes trying them to figure out what you like and perhaps even why you like it - we're here to help.
     Bistro LightCatcher offers lunch and dinner Thursday evening thru Sunday afternoon. Besides our ongoing lunch and dinner menus, we create weekly specials that match with specific wines. We do on-site catering for wedding receptions, parties and private dinners. We love pairing wines and foods and providing a cool place to enjoy them.
     On the winemaking side, we are dedicated to making small lots of very fine wines. Our small estate vineyard of 50 Lenoir (also known as Black Spanish) vines is used for grape growing and pruning demonstration - we harvest enough fruit each year to make about one barrel. For our other wines, we use Texas grapes, mostly from the High Plains AVA, to craft wines that showcase the best each vineyard has to offer. Fine wines are begun in the growing of the grapes - you can't make a great wine from mediocre fruit. Our winemaking practices are devoted to developing delicious, pleasure enhancing wines thru clean, subtle and thoughtful winemaking. We release a total of 3500 cases of 12 - 15 different wines each year.
    The winery has several areas available for rental for various events, from bridal showers and birthdays to wedding receptions, fundraisers and corporate meetings.

     Come visit us, taste some wine, have a bite to eat and enjoy a bit of Texas wine life.

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Bistro LightCatcher
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Welcome to the Winery

Wine Tasting
delicious medal-winning wines
to taste and enjoy by the glass or bottle

Bistro LightCatcher
relaxed finewinedining with a sense of style

Come for lunch, dinner, or a light bite.
Dinner resrevations advised.

Jazz Sundays and Events
music, wine, food, friends

      Come for a wine tasting, lunch and glass of wine, Jazz Sunday (live jazz the 1st and 3rd Sunday Mar-Nov), an elegant and relaxed dinner, or just for some time on the Terrace.
     Come by yourself, with a sweetheart or meet friends -
we have a spot for you.


Bistro LightCatcher Barrel Room


Front Garden


Tasting Room & Gift Gallery

Pavilion & Terrace

Caris
Co-owner
Winemaker
Executive Chef


"Winemaking is Art and Science,
stirred by Mystery."

     Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, I have lived in Fort Worth since 1990. My dad was from Moran, Texas, near Albany (north of Abilene in Shackleford County), 4th generation Texan. My mom was Greek-American from San Francisco. Her grandmother was the family winemaker in Greece and then in New York. I love that I come from winemaking heritage - and I think it's funny I didn't know that until I had been making wine for five or six years.
     I am a creative person. I spent 25 years in the film industry doing camerawork. I got tired - of the long hours, of the politics, of the.... oh, well, lots of things. I started winemaking as a hobby when I was working as Visual Effects Supervisor on the TV series WISHBONE (for which I won a Daytime Emmy™ in 1998), as a way to have a little fun making something I enjoyed. (WISHBONE was shot in Plano and Allen, north of Dallas). An interest blossomed, a passion developed and a talent emerged. I went back to school and worked on a degree in Enology and Viticulture (winemaking and grapegrowing). I made wines, lots of wines. I worked for a commercial winery. Terry and I saw that it was possible to start our own little winery, and we elected to begin a second career - one that, hopefully, will see us through to the end of our working days. I love the sensory experience of wine and food, and I love the emotional and spiritual experience of sharing these with friends.

Terry
Co-owner
Host
Wine Cocktail Specialist


'I want every guest or customer to leave with a smile on their face.'

     Terry put himself through college tending a wine/beer bar in Commerce, Texas. He learned lots of things that he's been able to apply to the winery - how to make people feel welcome, how to pour a generous glass of wine, and how to talk to the many types of folks that come thru our doors. But these things are in his nature anyway. He likes people. He loves good conversation. He is a natural teacher and can explain all about the winemaking process. At home he makes a mean martini, which, after some days, we really need.

Terry's martini shaker and barware collection is now on display at the winery.

The LightCatcher Mascot

     Chai was a six month old stray kitten who adopted us - we took her in and the winery was her home for her many years of beautiful life. She left us one day and we remain with our love of her wise, gracious and charming spirit and gratitude for the time we had with her. Our HAPPY CAT wine is named after and labeled with her image above, taken while she was watching the sunset one afternoon from her favorite wine barrel perch. The Happy Cat brand continues in her honor.

     We support animal fostering and adoption. Chai and our home kitties and dogs are all rescues who found their way to a loving home - most are not so fortunate. Spay/neuter your pet and help them live a long and healthy life, and avoid adding to the unwanted pet population.

CATTAILS.ORG is a local health & management organization for feral kitties. Visit their website to learn about the work they do, and how to volunteer or donate to this hardworking group.

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Tasting Room Hours:
Closed Monday & Tuesday
Wednesday & Sunday
12 - 6
Thursday • Friday • Saturday
12 - 9

Bistro
Wed & Thurs
Cheese Platters are available from 12 - 4

Lunch
Fri • Sat • Sun
12 - 3

All ages are welcome at lunch

Dinner
Thursday • Friday • Saturday
5:30 - 10
RESERVATIONS ADVISED - WALK INS WELCOME
To maintain the atmosphere of our evenings,
we ask no children under 12 at dinner (including infants).
Thank you for your understanding.

Walk-ins are welcome at lunch and dinner.
Group
on guests, parties of 5+ and seating after 8 pm require a reservation.
For reservations call:
817-237-2626

We do not take reservations thru email.

• Tasting Room
Taste three wines for $5
Wine is available by the glass and by the bottle to relax and enjoy.

Wine tastings are done as you arrive and want to taste. No reservations are necessary, and there's no worry it's a formal affair - it's not! We're here to help you find something you like.
• Gift Gallery
Wine accessories and creative tablewares,
art and craft, many made by local artists.

• Barrel Room and Terrace
Seating inside and outside
for relaxed light or fine dining, enjoying our wines and hanging out.


Some of our awards