American wine, aside from the West Coast and a few burgeoning regions across the country, is an industry that still comes front-loaded with preconceptions. Oklahoma, after all, is not exactly the Sonoma of the Great Plains. But by playing to strengths and exceeding expectations, the local wine-making industry has taken strides in recent years, as exemplified by the potable artistry being poured at Water’s Edge Winery in Moore.
Located at 2001 S. Broadway Ave. in a modest shopping plaza just off I-35, the winery and bistro is a continued legacy for two owners who started as regulars — and want to share that affection with others. Mike and Mara English are the husband-wife couple who took over ownership of Water’s Edge after the previous owner wanted to close its original Oklahoma City location.
“It was too special of a concept, and I’m a believer that south Oklahoma City needs more things to do,” said Mara, who formerly frequented the original location with her husband, and cited the lack of bars in Moore as a motivating factor for the relocation. “It’s a town built to be a family town, so there’s churches and schools”—but few drinking establishments—“and we happened to be in a location that was zoned properly for it.”
Reopened in 2021, the new Water’s Edge came with food for the first time, as well as a dedicated retail selection. Wine is still front-and-center, and from the Englishes’ diligent sourcing to their fermentation processes and labels designed by Mara herself, it’s some of the best being produced in the state.
They source grape must from vineyards around the world, working through brokers’ established relationships, to bring in top-shelf products that they ferment and bottle in-house. Of their impressive portfolio, which runs the gamut from Chardonnay to Petit Verdot, from California to New Zealand, Mara said they ease Oklahomans in by offering sweet wines, but broaden palates with off-dry iterations and a depth of options.
“We stick to the classics, like Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet, Pinot Noir,” she explained. “But from there, we introduce different regions. So if they like Pinot Noir from Oregon, we bring in a Pinot from somewhere else, and we like to see their reaction as to what they think is different about it.”
Reds, she noted, are hard to keep in stock to meet demand, while whites, sparkling wines and sangrias round out the offerings. The Vandam, a California Viognier, is a quenching varietal that straddles the line between mildly sweet and off-dry, while the sparkling rosé is as crisp and vibrant as they come. By eschewing excessive sugars, the Englishes dodge preconceptions about Oklahoma wine while giving customers a wider wine realm to appreciate.
Ultimately, though, the goal at Water’s Edge is to continue the winery’s legacy as a community cornerstone. “It’s a place for people to hang out and call their spot,” says Mara. “We put a lot of emphasis on our wine club, and members getting to know each other. We have members who go on vacation together now. It’s been really good to connect people.”
