About - Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards

Perry & Diane Wilson

Perry and Diane love all things Texas. Perry was born and raised in Houston and Diane moved to Irving, Texas as an infant. They met in the Dallas area over 20 years ago and were married a few years later at their weekend ranch near Winnsboro. They realized their retirement dream of living in East Texas when they moved to Pittsburg to help manage Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards.

Perry is a native Texan who was born and raised in Houston. He earned his degree in Business Management from the University of Texas at Austin. He retired from a successful 40-year career in technology sales to move to East Texas and work full time at Los Pinos. He is excited to be out of the corporate rat race and doing what he loves – selling and promoting Los Pinos wines.

Diane grew up in Irving, Texas with two brothers and two sisters in her family. She had a long career in banking and later as a high school teacher. These days, she stays busy managing the La Familia Wine Club and the Vine Tasting Room at Los Pinos.

They live in Pittsburg with Bob, their rescue dog and Katie, their Belgian Malinois. They have three grown children, three grandchildren and enjoy traveling the world, good food and of course, good wine.

David & Karen Neeley

David and Karen both grew up in Mt. Pleasant and lived there until 2019 when they decided to move to Fredericksburg to enjoy the music, restaurants and wineries that are abundant there.

David was a founding partner of what is now Elliot Auto Group. In addition to building successful auto dealerships, he was a board member of Titus Regional Medical Center and the Sulphur River Basin Authority.

Karen was vice president in operations and accounting at Guaranty Bank & Trust. She was a Chamber of Commerce Ambassador, board member of Cypress Basin Hospice, and chaired the annual Hearts for Hospice Ball for nineteen years.

They retired early to be able to travel and enjoy the grandchildren that were beginning to show up in their lives. Besides travel in the United States and the Caribbean, they have traveled to Singapore, Bali, and many countries in Europe, enjoying the food and sights along the way. Small ship cruising is a favored method of travel. They consider Santa Fe, an amazing foodie destination, to be their home-away-from-home.

The Neeleys have two sons and their families: Bryan & Keely Sheets, Thomas, Brylan, and Keegan who live in Wylie and Barry & Marla Sheets, Kenadee, Brynn, and Gentry in Longview. They have been partners in Los Pinos since 2015.

Ken & Lisa Colbey

Ken and Lisa are both East Texas natives. They married in 1999 and after spending almost 16 years in the DFW metroplex, they were lucky enough to move back home to live on Lake Bob Sandlin with their furry friends, Bailey (Golden Retriever) and Whiskey (Chocolate Lab). They now enjoy the outdoor life, spending time on the lake with friends, and beautiful sunsets.

Ken grew up in Tyler, TX and earned his Accounting degree from Sam Houston State University, his MBA from LeTourneau and is a Texas CPA. Throughout his career he has served as the CFO for small and large companies including Lufkin Industries, Varel International, L-3 Communications and Mid America Pet Food.

Lisa grew up in Groveton, TX has been an RN for over 23 years. Her areas of specialty have included pre-op, surgery and recovery room. During the summer months you can find her basking in the sun on the lake and perhaps enjoying some wine.

Having lived in the UK for three years and traveling extensively throughout the world, they have had the pleasure of expanding and developing their palates for both great food and fine wine and spirits (thanks to living in Scotland). Their goal as partners at Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards is to share their experiences and develop new friendships with all that pass through the doors. They truly hope you enjoy your time at Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards as they aim to make your visit a truly remarkable experience.

Jeff & Heather Schrunk

Jeff and Heather have spent most of their adult lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth area raising two children, multiple cats, dogs and birds while trying to balance work and home life. They relocated to East Texas in 2017 full time to work their land and enjoy a slower pace of life. Of course, purchasing land right next to a winery was a HUGE plus.

Jeff spent most of his time climbing the corporate ladder and traveling extensively both internationally and within the United States with companies like Hitachi, Pioneer, KeyLink Systems Group and finally Lumenate, a $750 million dollar consulting firm where he retired as the CIO and SVP of Compliance in 2017. Prior to their time together Jeff was a Deputy Sheriff in Southeastern Oklahoma for 8-ish years which is also where he obtained his pilot licenses while attending Southeastern Oklahoma State University and their Aviation Business Management program.

Heather has been a successful entrepreneur and running her own custom embroidery and clothing company since 2013 called PrincessMonkey Designs. Prior to opening her own business, she also worked in technology, which is where she met Jeff and was an expert with the systems that allowed the company she worked for to integrate and support IBM system sales through the Distribution channel. Along with the responsibility of building a business from scratch in 2013 she was very active locally in the city where they lived running various city-wide organizations that provided activities for the children of Garland. In addition to this she was also very active in the school lives of the children and ran the PTA organizations for their elementary and middle school years.

While doing all of these activities they had the opportunity to travel and taste wonderful food and wines. This created in them both what you would call “Foodies” and a desire to indulge in fine food and great wine which led them to Los Pinos one afternoon in 2016 as a customer and back again in the summer of 2021 as owners.

Jason Moore – Head Winemaker

Jason Moore was born and raised in Dallas, Texas where he fell in love with wine in his teenage years while working as a waiter in the city’s fine dining restaurants. After a quick year in real estate at the age of 21, Jason realized that his passion was in wine, and more specifically, his lofty aspiration was to become a winemaker in Napa Valley. With the approval of his girlfriend, they eloped in secret, sold everything they owned, and drove cross country to pursue Jason’s dream of attending UC Davis’ Oenology & Viticulture program and starting a winery. However, after living in Davis for a few months and meeting and talking with students in the program, he realized that Davis wasn’t a good fit for him personally. It was to theory based as his learning style was “hands on”, like his father who was a carpenter… a tradesman. So, he took it upon himself to teach himself, reading every winemaking book he could find. So, at that point, he had the theory, he had just never actually made wine…

So, with no formal education in winemaking, Jason honed his craft in the garage of an elderly vineyard owner in Napa that he had fortuitously met at a wine tasting. He grew the grapes, Jason made the wine, and they split the wine on bottling day.

In 2004 at the age of 26, Jason officially started his professional winemaking career by launching Modus Operandi Cellars & Vicarious Wines with 200 cases of Napa Cabernet. Since then, Jason has grown the winery over 3,000 cases selling 90+ percent direct to consumer with little to no advertising.

His wines have been poured at a historic White House State Dinner, they’ve been written into a Michael Connelly novel The Black Box and have consistently scored in the mid to high 90’s by Parker, Dunnuck, Galloni, Suckling, and other major critics.

We could not be happier to have Jason as our Head Winemaker!

Tyle Cooley – General Manager

Tyle was born in West Palm Beach, Florida and when she was 8 years old her mom, a Gourmet Chef, moved them to Houston, Texas, where Tyle spent her teenage years competing in Latin Ballroom dancing. At age 13 Tyle’s dad, a Master Tile Setter, passed away which led her to meet extended family in California and ultimately fueled her passion for horses. At age 19 Tyle became a certified Salsa Instructor and moved to Fulton, Missouri to attend William Woods University for a Bachelors Degree in Equine Science and Administration. In 2012, Tyle moved to East Texas in the pursuit of happiness and working to further her career with horses. However, instead of horses Tyle met her husband Chase Cooley who enlisted her in the food industry. Because of her background with her mom Tyle has always been a foodie and with her drive to learn and lead she has excelled in the restaurant business for the last 10 years. Tyle has worked every position in restaurants big and small including Chili’s, Saltgrass, Two Senoritas, and The Chophouse. She is now delighted to be a part of the Los Pinos family as the General Manager for the Pittsburg location.

Alicia Whitby – Assistant Winemaker and Vineyard Manager

Meet Alicia, a true Texan by birth whose childhood years were woven into the fabric of the Blackland Prairie zone. While her roots lie in the Lone Star State, her journey led her to Minneapolis, Minnesota during her formative years, where she completed high school and left her mark on the basketball court throughout her college years. In 2006, the call of adventure led her to Ohio, and soon after, she embarked on a remarkable chapter as an avionics electronics technician in the United States Navy, focusing primarily on the P3 Orion platform. Stationed in scenic Whidbey Island, Washington, she honed her skills while embracing the spirit of service.

Transitioning from military life in 2011, Alicia’s path took her into the realms of management within production and manufacturing companies across the nation. But home’s magnetic pull eventually brought her back to her beloved Texas in 2016. Here, amidst the tranquil landscapes of East Texas, fate smiled as she encountered her future husband, and together they now steward a charming ranch on the outskirts of Winnsboro. Their days are dedicated to nurturing a menagerie of goats, chickens, old spot pigs, and Holsteins.

In the year 2020, following the culmination of a contract role as a site coordinator and liaison for two prominent solar companies, Alicia’s journey took an intriguing turn. Drawn by her passion for new experiences and a touch of serendipity, she cast her aspirations towards Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards. From the moment she stepped into this new chapter, Alicia has been embracing the art of winemaking under the mentorship of the esteemed head winemaker, Jason Moore.

As the seasons have unfolded, Alicia has donned various hats in her role, diligently tending to the intricacies of the winery’s daily operations. Her versatile skill set has made her a linchpin in the vineyard, where she is committed to nurturing and refining the grapes that form the heart of the winemaking process, ensuring that each bottle from Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards carries the essence of dedication and craftsmanship.

Alicia’s journey is one of resilience, adaptability, and commitment to mastering new horizons. From the Navy’s avionics platforms to the sun-kissed vineyards of Texas, she continues to infuse each endeavor with the same unyielding spirit that has shaped her trajectory thus far.

Owners, Winemaker and General Manager