We’re looking forward to introducing you to Jeff Cope. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Jeff, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I started traveling by myself last year and have enjoyed multiple trips traveling solo. I visited Egypt, which was my favorite trip so far, and I enjoyed some Egyptian wines during that trip. I went to South Africa, where I was able to do three safaris, and coincidentally was on the same tour with a couple of Texas winery owners. We all enjoyed some fabulous South African wine. I enjoyed a Burgundy river cruise where the founders of Messina Hof Winery were the wine hosts. My final trip for this year was to England, Scotland, and Ireland, which was an overall fun trip. That is definitely a lot of trips for me, but I realized I’m not getting any younger, and I want to see some of the world while I can.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I started visiting Texas wineries 15 years ago and after visiting many, I decided to start a blog in 2011 called Texas Wine Lover telling others about the wineries I visited. The blog soon became a Texas wine resource listing all the Texas wineries, Texas vineyards, reviews, and more. Over time, I developed a team of passionate Texas wine lovers to help write, and today Texas Wine Lover has over ten writers contributing to the website.
In 2022, I introduced the Texas Wine Lover website Guide and mobile app that contains listings of Texas wineries along with a Texas winery map, but in addition, it also has local businesses to stay, eat, drink, and more around wineries. Also included is a list of companies that provide services for the Texas wine industry. A popular menu item is Events where wineries and other members can add their events for wine lovers to find.
Today, over 525 Texas wineries and tasting rooms are listed. Over the years, even though some have closed, I have visited over 540 of them. The blog is still very active because one of my goals is to have at least one blog post written about each Texas winery that is listed.
We have the most interactive Facebook group on Texas wine, and it involves both wine industry people and consumers. It has been a lot of fun meeting the wonderful people of the Texas wine industry, along with other wine lovers.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I went to a very small K-12 school and had the same English teacher for grades 10-12. I can’t recall why she said it, but in 12th grade, she told me that I was no good at writing and English. I took that to heart and believed that.
During freshman year in college, I had to speak to an English professor about his class I was in, and he told me I was a good writer. That surprised me! Since that time, I have written a book and have been writing for the blog since 2011. I kind of believe the English professor now.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes, I almost gave up during the creation of the Texas Wine Lover mobile app. The developers I was working with on my first attempt at the mobile app did not understand what I was looking for, and I could tell the cost was going to keep rising without it being completed. It was about 80% complete, and I had to make the difficult decision to stop development and lose all the money I had spent on the development. At that point, I had to make the decision whether I would try again or just give up entirely. Needless to say, I decided to try again, and after a lot more money was spent, I launched the Texas Wine Lover mobile app. It turns out I made the right decision to continue.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
I would say for the most part, yes. I believe the version displayed shows I am dedicated to the Texas wine industry and support it as much as possible.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I would stop buying material possessions. I recently moved into a new house, and I realized that as a single person, I have a lot of material possessions, as they filled the house! We don’t know how much time we have left, so I will probably start getting rid of things I no longer need.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://txwinelover.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/texaswinelover
- Twitter: https://x.com/TXWineLover
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TXWineLover
- Other:
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TexasWineLover
Image Credits
Photo 2: Great American International Wine Competition
