SPRING BRANCH, Texas – The national push to support black-owned businesses has impacted a San Antonio area winery in a positive way.
“I mean people come out of the woodwork from Austin, from Houston, from Dallas, from San Antonio and it’s been great,” said Sheila Adams.
Sheila and her husband, Donald, both veterans, own Kai-Simone Winery, which is located off Old Spring Branch Road near 281.
Sheila worked as a clinical social worker in the U.S. Army for 28 years before retiring.
“I just wanted to try something different, honestly. I just told my husband I always wanted to own my own business” she said.
In 2016, Sheila retired and decided to open up her winery without knowing much about wine. It took several years of research which involved visiting more than 40 wineries across the nation including Michigan, Texas, Virginia and Ohio.
“And I decided that I just wanted something small and intimate where I can get to know my customer base,” said Sheila.
Sheila’s love for wine didn’t come until her later years in life. In October, she and her husband opened Kai-Simone Winery, which is named after their daughters’ middle names.
Sheila said they had “good momentum” until the pandemic shut them down.
They recently opened their indoor and outdoor spaces again allowing guests to enjoy wine on the premises if they buy a food item. Curbside pick up is also available.
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You can also order wine on their website if you live in Texas.
Kai-Simone Winery currently has 10 wines, including multiple reds, whites, a rose and a few speciality wines. Two of their wines have won awards.
The winery has an indoor space that can be reserved for wedding, corporate or private events.
The push to support black-owned or minority-owned businesses came after the death of George Floyd, which prompted a national conversation about racial justice and inequities.
The goal of the movement is to create economic fairness. It’s known that minority-owned businesses face challenges that white-owned businesses don’t.
“We know that black-owned businesses don’t always survive,” said Sheila.
Kai-Simone Winery is open only Saturdays and Sundays. You can follow their Facebook and Instagram pages for information on events.