Graham may not be the ideal breeding ground for wine enthusiasts, but it’s good enough for Chris and Deedra Keel.The Keels are the owners of Put a Cork In It, a new shop devoted exclusively to wine sales. Located in the Park Hill Shopping Center between the Park Hill Cafe and Park Hill Hair Designs, Put a Cork In It brings a unique taste to the Fort Worth wine scene.

“I try to stock wines from smaller vineyards that you can’t find anywhere,” Keel said, who married his high school sweetheart, Deedra Keel, in July.

And he’s not kidding. Just this weekend the Keels stocked a zinfandel, made by JRE Wines, that yielded 58 cases and only eight in Texas.

Keel developed and fine-tuned his wine palate in college, working at a country club in Wichita Falls as a waiter, bar manager and maitre d’.

“I drink mostly red wines – cabernets, zinfandels – but I will always try a wine at least once,” Keel said, who worked on a committee which held wine classes and tastings for its members.

“Deedra has a totally different palate; she prefers sweeter wines.”

For someone just learning about wine and its varieties, Keel says, the best thing to do is just sample it. Put a Cork In It holds weekly wine tasting Friday and Saturday, during which there are usually three or four wines to experiment.

“It is a great way to see what a wine tastes like and to see if you like it,” Keel said.

A wine party with friends is another way to develop your taste for wine. Keel is always willing to recommend a good, reasonably-priced wine for any home tasting.

For the seasoned wine lovers, Keel has what you like and if he doesn’t, he’ll get it.

“We do special orders on wines we don’t have in stock,” Keel said.

Whatever your familiarity with grapes or your palatial preference, the Keels will happily assist your efforts in purchasing the perfect wine.