Committed to the Community

Fay J Durrant and Melvin Fagan give back through Fay J Winery

Story and Photos by Katie Stone

Fay J stands with melvin fagan inside Fay J Winery located on Texas Blvd.

Fay J Durrant is no stranger to serving the Texarkana community, from business owner to volunteer. Fay J is a member of the Texarkana International Rotary Club, where he has served as a member and past president. He has also dedicated his time to the businesses in the community as a member of the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce board of directors. He received  the 2017 C. E. Palmer Award, which is the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce’s most prestigious award recognizing an individual for a lifetime of service to Texarkana.

In 2013, Fay J and partners opened Red Road Winery. In 2014, they rebranded as Summerhill Winery. Now known as Fay J Winery and Entertainment, the business, located at 2325 Texas Boulevard, sells bottles, holds private tastings, and hosts events. They also create wine and candy labels, which makes sense, as Fay J comes from a background in paper manufacturing. 

“I have been in the paper bag manufacturing business most of my life, and we did small custom orders. That is where I got the idea for the custom labeling for wine and candy,” he said. “It is great for businesses, weddings, small businesses, individuals.” Most of the custom labeling orders that are filled are within a 250-mile radius, but he has sold to buyers all over the United States.

Fay J and his business partner, Melvin Fagan, have created a whole experience in choosing the best wine for a person’s palette. “We use a scale of 1 to 10, the higher the negative number, the dryer the wine. The higher the positive number, the sweeter the wine,” Fay J said. Part of the experience is wine tasting with Melvin on the fourth Thursday of each month at Fay J Winery. 

“Come and enjoy wine with me on this day, then buy a bottle of your favorite wine, and we will call it even,” Melvin said. “If you know me, then you know I am free entertainment. If you hang out with me, then you know that I aim to create a warm, friendly environment when you come to the winery.” It is more than creating a custom label or buying a bottle of wine; it is a complete cultural experience.

Fay J Durrant offers custom labeling for wines and candy.

It is important to Fay J and Melvin alike to support local organizations. They dedicate a large portion of their efforts to the Rotary and its mission to “provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through our fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.”

“It’s hard to be at the winery and not talk about Rotary. It’s all around,” Melvin said. Their Rotary Club is currently raising money to help end polio worldwide, and Fay J Winery is donating a six-liter bottle of 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon from the Charles Krug Estate. Tickets can be purchased at the winery or online at www.fayjwinery.com. Each May, they can also be found at the Alzheimer’s Alliance Tri-State Area’s Twice as Fine Texarkana Wine Festival. 

Fay J Winery has donated this bottle of wine to the Rotary International Club of Texarkana as a giveaway to help end polio worldwide.

For artists in the community, Fay J Winery displays local artwork for sale at the winery, where they offer an event space, wine tastings, an inviting atmosphere and a one-of-a-kind experience. On the fourth Thursday of each month, stop by the winery to unwind and experience fine wines and great times.

For more information about custom labeling, visit the website at fayjsprivatelabelwine.com.