Austin Texas Wine Society
About.
If you've ever stood in a wine aisle and felt like you were guessing — you're not alone. That's where this started.
I work in the industrial HVAC industry. Wine has nothing to do with that. It never did. But for years it's been one of the most consistent things in my life — not as a hobby, not as a credential, just as something I kept coming back to.
Back in 2020, I was one of the original co-founders of the Austin Texas Wine Society. We built a community around tastings, gatherings, and wine education with people from across Austin and Texas wine country. We were never strictly focused on Texas wine — just great wine and the people who love learning about it. The society still exists. You may still see Richard Arebalo, another original founder, out tasting and judging wine throughout the industry.
As for me — I'm in a different stage now. Most of my free time is spent with my wife and my soon-to-be two-year-old son. I don't get out the way I used to. Wine became something quieter and more personal. Writing about it became something close to an obsession.
That's what this is. No scores. No borrowed language. No manufactured authority. Just honest attention to what's actually in the glass — and what it costs the people who put it there.
Wine doesn't need advocates. It needs witnesses.
The Work
Three forms. One standard.
If any of this resonates — the newsletter is where it comes together. Every Wine Wednesday. Essays, a field observation, a passage from whatever novel is live, and one question to sit with. Free. Always.
Want to reach out directly — Jake.Ruse@austintexaswinesociety.com