A family-run winery known as Southold has embarked on its third chapter after relocating from Texas to France, seeking a fresh start in the Bordeaux region following significant challenges in both previous locations.
Originally based in the North Fork of Long Island, Southold was founded by Regan and Carey Meador, who brought an unconventional approach to winemaking by cultivating grape varieties rarely seen in the area. Despite producing innovative wines, their operations were hindered when local zoning authorities denied their application to build a winery on-site. This regulatory setback prompted the Meadors to move their entire operation, along with their two young children, Coralai and Sawyer, to the Texas Hill Country.
In Texas, near Fredericksburg, the Meadors established a vineyard with more than 20 grape varieties, including less common selections such as xarello and petit manseng. They opened a tasting room and a restaurant to showcase their wines, producing around 80,000 bottles annually. However, starting around 2020, the vineyard suffered from drought conditions and Pierce’s disease, which devastates grapevines and requires treatment the family, committed to organic and regenerative farming methods, resisted. The restaurant also became a strain on resources, requiring significant growth of the wine business and outside investment to remain viable.
Faced with these pressures, the family decided to sell their Texas property in August 2023 and relocate to France. Using the proceeds, they purchased a small vineyard and winery in the Francs-Côtes de Bordeaux appellation, an area on the eastern edge of the Bordeaux wine region known for its green hills. The property includes about 15 acres of vines, primarily merlot, along with some chardonnay planted by previous owners—an uncommon choice in the region.
The move to Bordeaux represents a shift from the relative freedom of American winemaking, where experimental varieties and styles are more common, to a region steeped in tradition and regulated appellation laws. The Meadors have since grafted portions of the vineyard to Bordeaux staples such as cabernet franc, which is better suited to the warming climate, and have experimented with white varieties like chenin blanc and savagnin, which are rare in Bordeaux but offer resilience to climate challenges.
Southold has produced two vintages in France, with the 2024 release—a small batch due to widespread mildew issues—already bottled. Early tastings suggest the wines retain the family's signature style of freshness and distinctiveness. The 2024 Merlot, named Le P’tit Rouge, exhibits a pure and refreshing character with herbal notes, while a 2025 chardonnay sample showed promising texture and depth.
The family now resides in the city of Bordeaux, where their children attend local schools, having transitioned from an international school. They describe adjusting well to their new life and community, contrasting it with their previous, more isolated existence in Texas. The Meadors have downsized their wine production target to between 24,000 and 36,000 bottles per year to better align with their hands-on management style.
Despite Bordeaux’s current lack of popular buzz compared to other regions, Regan Meador expressed optimism about the area's potential. He envisions Francs becoming recognized for small, thoughtful winemaking projects that can highlight the region’s distinct terroir and contribute to Bordeaux’s resurgence as an exciting wine destination over the next several years.