MEGAN STRANIK- CO- OWNER & WINEMAKER

Megan, was first introduced to the world of winemaking at Sonoita Vineyards. Sonoita is the original Sonoita-area vineyard, and was founded in 1983. She spent a year as a volunteer, helping tend the vines. Working outdoors to grow the plants became what she wanted to do with the rest of her life, and opening her own winery quickly became part of that desire.

For many years, she worked at various wineries around the area, learning more and more about the entire process of winemaking: planting, weeding, racking, lab work, fixing flaws, stabilization, bottling, filtration, label approvals, inventory tracking, tasting room work — everything, from beginning to end. A year before Hops & Vines’ debut, she lived with her sister Shannon and her three children. Between the two sisters, there were their six kids, 5 turtles, 6 dogs, 10 chickens, and a lot of crazy ideas – not least of which was: Let’s make a winery.

Her three kids have been wonderful helping around the farm, and she loves working with her sister, co-owner Shannon. She has never killed or been bitten by a snake, despite many run-ins with them while creating and tending the vineyard. When you visit Hops & Vines, she will almost certainly be found outside , but is always happy to chat with guests about her wonderful, crazy, and “impossible” little winery.

SHANNON AUSTIN - CO -OWNER, MARKETING/SALES

Shannon and her three kids spent a couple weeks visiting Megan and her kids , thinking about the adventure of a family farm and winery. On their road trip back, the conversations often turned to whether or not the family should move from their home in Washington, D.C. permanently to help make Hops & Vines a reality. On the way, they stopped at the St. Louis City Museum, and a particular quote caught Shannon’s eye:

“"The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.” – Jack Kerouac

She called Megan. Not long after, Shannon packed up her kids and moved across the country to Sonoita, Arizona, and helped turn their crazy idea into a real business.

Today, Shannon leads marketing, sales and events for Hops and Vines, and is active in the Arizona’s wine industry, while Megan leads winemaking, and vineyard operations. Together they’ve built the kind of winery they also wanted to visit: serious about the wine, not so serious about everything else,