Lee Foster Fuqua and his "better half" of 24 years, Julia Guilford Hagmann Fuqua. 

Lee Foster Fuqua founded Fuqua Wine Companies™.  Longtime wine enthusiast and fine wine connoisseur, Lee sought to expand and deepen his understanding of wines.  In doing so, he graduated with honors from the T.V. Munson School of Viticulture (grape growing) and Enology (wine making) located at Grayson County College, one of only four schools in the United States that offered a degree program in viticulture and enology.  

Julia's hero, Dom Perignon!

Lee did his undergraduate work at Baylor University in Waco, Texas and then studied another three years in the Professional Chef's curriculum at El Centro College in Dallas before starting his studies at the T.V. Munson School of Viticulture and Enology.  Lee has also studied advanced winemaking at Texas A & M University organized classes in Bordeaux, France and in Tuscany, Italy.

A Grand Seneschal, a Chancellor and three Knights enjoy a little Kir at the Cross of Bourgogne headquarters in Dijon, France.

In 1992 Lee was knighted by the very exclusive Ordre Ducal de la Croix de Bourgogne (Cross of Burgundy) in Dejon, France.  He is now known as Chevalier Fouquet to his friends in Dijon.  Lee is one of less than a hundred Americans ever knighted into the French Ordre Ducal de la Croix de Bourgogne.

Front page, food section photo from the Dallas Morning News of Lee working on his wines in their dinning room winery, before any of the real wineries were established.

Lee has been a prolific winemaker for more than 18 years and is now recognized as one of the better winemakers in the United States.  In just a few years, Lee’s wines have won many medals and awards in competitions, including many top awards.  (see Awards)
  

Romanée-Conti - A difficult grape, the Pinot Noir, transformed into perfection. 

In addition to Lee’s gifted abilities with wines, a tasting board has been established to ensure the highest quality product possible.  This tasting board comprises wine writers, wine retailers, wine experts, local wholesalers and FUQUA Winery investors.  

Lee with world renowned viticulturists Dr. Richard Smart of Australia and Dr. George Ray McEachern of Texas A&M at the T.V. Munson Center in Sherman.

Lee with Castillo Banfi owner John Mariani at his winery in Tuscany.  It is one of the largest wineries in Italy with over 7,100 acres.  The total storage capacity of the winery is over 12 million liters of wine.

 

Lee and famous winemaker, Don Brady, stop to celebrate Thanksgiving Day at a small country inn in the French countryside near Bordeaux.