Rendy Kerr grew her small business from a 10-foot-by-10-foot leased space at the former Western Winery, where she sold clothing and household items, to the Montgomery staple that Rancher's Daughter is today. The boutique sells clothing, jewelry, household items and art as well as 275 varietals of wine from 65 Texas wineries and 13 Texas beers. Rancher's Daughter will also soon feature local craft beer from various Montgomery County breweries, Kerr said. The business was originally named Southern Quarters when it operated as a boutique inside Western Winery in downtown Montgomery. Kerr purchased Western Winery in 2009 and renamed the business Rancher's Daughter. She moved the business to its current Montgomery location in 2011. Kerr said when she purchased Western Winery she did not know much about wine, but she was able to rely on customers to help her learn about the industry. The owner said she embraced the challenge, and serving wine to customers has become a staple of Rancher's Daughter ever since. "I didn't know a cabernet from a chardonnay, so it was very intimidating." Kerr said. "I am all about Texas, and I thought, 'I am going to support the Texas wine industry.' This is Texas, and yes, I [didn't] know a thing about the wine industry, but it is Texas wine. I wanted to be the cheerleader, and that is my personality." Kerr purchased the current Rancher's Daughter building when the space became available in 2011. She said owning the building had been a longstanding dream of hers. "This is the building I had always had my eye on—always," Kerr said. "God just let it be this building." Kerr travels to the Dallas Market Center and other markets where she is able to handpick and acquire distinctive items from vendors from throughout the U.S. to offer at the boutique. Although Kerr said she has such quirky taste in clothing, she reminds herself to consider the customer's taste in fashion and novelty items. "Fashion is my passion, and [so is] home decor," Kerr said. "I try to add a different flair to my clothing, and I really search for that at the market. They do have a little bit of a gypsy flair because I am a gypsy spirit." Rancher's Daughter also offers paintings signed by local artists and has become a popular location for artists who seek to display and sell their work, Kerr said. "I used to really have to seek out artists, but now I have artists that will tell other artists, 'Oh, have you been to Rancher's Daughter to try to sell your stuff?'" Kerr said. "Now after five years they will come by [themselves]."

Wine Down Wednesday

Every other month Rancher's Daughter hosts Wine Down Wednesday, a meet-and-greet event that features speakers, musicians and wine. The event is held at 5:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month. The next event is scheduled for May 20.