Come explore Texas Wine Country!

Yes, I said that right Texas has a wine country. If you are a Texan it may also be referred to as Texas Hill Country.  Texas wine country is centered around the little German town of Fredericksburg, located west of Austin and north of San Antonio.

The quaint little town of Fredericksburg looks like an old country American country town. Built in the late 1800s, Fredericksburg has a main street and town square near the center.  Just outside of town along the main highway and country roads are over 50 vineyards with even more throughout the surrounding towns.  Not only does Fredericksburg have fabulous wine, but also scenic views of the Texas Hill countryside.

Texas Vineyards and Tasting Rooms

Fredericksburg has been producing award winning wines from the native mustang grape since the town was first settled.  Texas is becoming more well known for its wine production with some of nations top producers. The following are some of the most popular

Established in 1992 by the Becker family, Becker Vineyard is one of the leading vineyards in the area. It is located just a few miles out of town a country road off of the highway 290. The winery and tasting room are in an old stone German barn that has been refurbished with today’s modern amenities.  Outside the barn is a matching stone covered patio where you can enjoy your tasting, charcuterie tray, and the panoramic views of the vineyards.  Becker is known for its Bordeaux, Burgundian, and Rhone-styled award-winning wines.

Grape Creek Vineyards, with its gorgeous Tuscans style buildings and matching landscape is just east of town off the highway 290. The winery has a large Tuscan style tasting room in the main building.  Surrounding the main building is a large multi-level stone patio, with iron fixtures, and patio furniture where you enjoy lunch and feel like you are in Italy.  The patio can get quite busy, so arrive early to reserve your table. Better yet, sign up for a wine club membership to get priority seating.

In addition to tasting 90+ wines in the tasting rooms, they also offer other tour and tasting room options.  The Tour and Wine Tasting takes you on a one-hour wine adventure including a tram ride through the working vineyards, a tour of the production facilities while tasting aging wines right out of the barrels, and a wine flight back at the Tasting rooms with a wine flight.  Their newest tasting option is the Jenblossom Cellars tasting showcasing a specially selected flight of ultra-premium and AVA-driven red wines.

While you are at Grape Creek Vineyards, you will want to visit Heath Sparkling Wines.  Heath offers an elegant wine tasting in their contemporary upscale tasting room.  The tasting includes a short video about the sparkling wines and the production while the host serves wine in their signature wine glasses and pairing it with small appetizers. Finishing with one last pour of your favorite wine while sitting on their elegant patio enjoying the panoramic view of the vineyards.

Messina Hof Hill Country is also located on highway 290 just outside of town.  The Messina Hof tasting room offers 50 different wine options including their award-winning wines.  They also have several appetizer options you can enjoy with your tasting or on their stone patio after the tasting.

Pedernales Cellars is located a little farther out into the countryside but offers a fantastic view overlooking the Pedernales river valley.  The vineyard specializes in Spanish and Rhone wines, known for their Tempranillo and Viognier wines.   Enjoy the tasting from their country style tasting room.  Afterwards, savor glass of your favorite wine on their wood deck or on the rolling hill overlooking the valley. 

Other things to do in Texas Wine Country

Take a stroll through downtown Fredericksburg to explore the many shops and dine at a German restaurant.  Main street Fredericksburg has numerous gift shops, antique shops, clothing stores, and art galleries where you can purchase something to commemorate your Texas Wine Country excursion.  In case you decide that you need another bottle of your favorite vineyard, Becker and Grape Creek have additional tasting rooms along Main Street. 

If you’re looking for a bite to eat and a beverage? You can stop at one of the many German restaurants, Mexican restaurants, or ice cream shops also along Main Street.

Walk the trails of Wild Seed farms to appreciate the wildflower fields and gardens surrounding their barn.  Finish off by enjoying a glass of wine or snack in the tasting room.

Take a hike through Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. The park has over 8 miles of hiking and nature trails with fabulous views of rock formations, lakes, and countryside.  If you prefer, you can do rock climbing, cave exploration, and/or camping while you are at the park.

To finish off one of days, head over to Old Tunnel State Park Bat Cave. Arrive before 5pm to watch 3 million Mexican bats emerge from the old railroad tunnel in search of food.  Viewing season takes place from April to October shortly after 5pm, the exact time is determined by the bats.  Reserve your viewing in advance at State Park Reservations.

Places to stay in Texas Wine Country

Fredericksburg and the surrounding area have plenty of lodging available. Hotels such as Holiday Inn and Ramada Inn are in the downtown area, but the most ideal place is in one of the many Bed & Breakfasts.  The following come highly recommended.

Our favorite place to stay is the historic Hoffman Haus Bed and Breakfast just a block away from downtown Fredericksburg. The Hoffman Haus has several new and old houses and suites, each decorated in their own style.  Accommodations include comfortable furniture, antiques, and fresh linens. Each room and suite have modern bathroom and kitchen amenities with antique finishes to complete the historic look.

During your stay, the Hoffman Haus drops off a gorgeous breakfast basket daily. Filled with a delicious pastry, fresh fruit, an entrée, and fresh orange juice, the basket is delivered to your cottage porch. Coffee and tea can be made in the coffee maker provided in each room.

Manor Haus Bed & Breakfast at Messina Hof has adorable little cottages.  Each of the individually themed cottages has a kitchenette, a King or Queen size bed, and a walk-in shower. The bedroom in each cottage leads out to a private patio looking out into the woods.

Dining in Fredericksburg

As mentioned earlier, Fredericksburg has several German restaurants in the downtown that are worth a try, but they have plenty of other types of restaurants in the area. 

If you are looking for fine dining Cabernet Grill offers Texas Hill Country entrées and wine in a romantic and rustic setting.  Not only are the entrées delectable, but they have widest selection of Texas wines in the area to pair it with.

Altstads Brewery is located just out of town. Altstads offers German entrées and award-winning German beers.  The Bavarian style building also has a Biergarten with views of the countryside, the Rathskellar decorated with cozy leather chairs and features live music or sports games on the large televisions, the Grand Hall with true German style seating for live music, and the Tractor Museum.

The Stable Craft Cocktail Bar & Lobster house, a hidden Gem, is located a just a few blocks off Main Street. The menu includes Lobster rolls, Lobster Mac & Cheese, some sandwiches, and a charcutier tray that is amazing. This tiny little restaurant also has a full bar with a nice selection of signature drinks.

Conclusion

The town of Fredericksburg and the Texas Wine Country is a fantastic place to explore and experience award winning wines produced in Texas.  Not only can you savor many of the delicious wines from the area, but there are plenty other adventurous things to do while you enjoy the scenic view of the surrounding Texas hills.

Are you heading to Dallas? Read 6 Things to do while in Dallas.