Dr. Bob Young Honored with the Gilstrap Innovator Award

On Wednesday of last week, Dr. Bob Young was honored with the Gilstrap Innovator Award from the Texas Hill Country Wineries Association.

Named in honor of Gary Gilstrap, who along with his wife Kathy, were the driving force behind the inception of THCW.  The Gilstrap Innovator Award is presented to an individual nominated from the Texas wine industry who has made an impact and a long-lasting change to the industry.  The nominee should be an industry member whose commitment and passion has led to a positive effect on the industry through their leadership and professionalism.

I had the honor of presenting the award, and below is the introduction that I gave when presenting.

Dr. Bob Young is the owner and executive winemaker at Bending Branch Winery. After a distinguished career in medicine and public health, he turned his attention to winemaking and founded Bending Branch in 2009. From day one, he brought his pioneering spirit to Texas wine.

Dr. Bob has pioneered multiple grape varieties in this state like Tannat, Picpoul Blanc, Petit Manseng, Souzão, and Charbono. He's applied scientifically-driven approaches to enhance polyphenol extraction through processes like cryo-maceration and flash détente, … along with other experiments  that we can't quite talk about just yet. 

And he has been taking Texas terroir to new heights by aging wines and bourbons with Texas White Oak, which is something that has gained national attention and interest.

It's very normal for Dr. Bob to bring charts and graphs to wine tastings, dinners, and meetings because it's part of his DNA as an educator to share the science behind the innovation. I mean, who wouldn’t want to hear about oligomeric proanthocyanidins, grape cell wall vacuoles, and 5-Methyl-Furfurals while enjoying their main course?

Kidding aside, innovation requires investment—of time, of resources, and of courage. Not every experiment succeeds, and that takes resilience.

What makes Dr. Bob's work even more powerful is his spirit of collaboration, whether with Texas A&M, Standard Cooperage, or countless others.

But his impact extends far beyond grape varieties, extraction expertise, and Texas White Oak. He has been a mentor to many, both formally and informally, and continues to inspire. I cannot tell you how many times someone in this industry has come up to him and said, “You're the reason I got into Texas wine.”

Dr. Bob is a restless innovator who constantly drives to do more, to improve more, to push boundaries further. And yet, amidst all that relentless pursuit of excellence, he remains extremely devoted to his family and to the community.

Simply put, beyond all the science and the accolades, Dr. Bob is just a really good person. He is the kind of person who makes this industry better just by being in it.

So please join me in congratulating Dr. Bob Young as the recipient of this year's Gilstrap Innovator Award.

In Dr. Bob’s acceptance remarks, he applauded the innovation happening by the entire industry. 

Congratulations to Dr. Bob on well-deserved recognition.

Dr. Bob accepts the award from January Wiese, Executive Director of Texas Hill Country Wineries.
Photo Credit: Bill Peary