Kix Brooks’ love of wine was a way to “act sophisticated” to impress girls in college

Kix Brooks‘ passion for wine started in an unlikely way — trying to impress girls.

The Brooks & Dunn member developed a love for wine while attending Louisiana Tech University as a way to impress the women he was courting. But the hobby soon developed into a true passion that led Kix to owning and operating his own vineyard in Tennessee.

“I’ve always liked wine. I was like every other Romeo in college, it seemed like a great way to act sophisticated when you had a date who seemed a little out of your league,” he told Wine Spectator. Though his initial knowledge on wine was limited, Kix said that it slowly grew over time to the point where he was paying close attention to the wine he was drinking.

“I didn’t really know much other than I liked it and that [wine brand] Mateus made a good candleholder. Before I knew it, I was really paying attention to taste and to labels and, of course, to price tags,” he said.

Kix is now the proud owner of Arrington Vineyards in Arrington, Tennessee, just outside of Nashville. In 2004, the country legend purchased a cattle farm in the area and began converting it into a vineyard. It was opened to the public in 2007 and continues to host wine tastings, weddings, live music and more.