Texas Wine Country completely blew me away and I can’t wait until my next trip! I didn’t even know Fredericksburg or Hye, Texas existed until a few months prior to going. It was all new to me and I absolutely loved every minute!
Main Street in Fredericksburg is the cutest sight with shopping, dining and Texas bars you won’t wait to miss. Fredericksburg is in the middle of it all, with most wineries about 10-15 min away, and the reason why we rented an AirBnB here for the weekend. It’s a little over an hour away from both San Antonio and Austin, making either airport a great option to fly in and out of.
I am a red wine lover, so all (if not most) of my “favorites” will be red wine. I picked the Reds for tastings purposes, while the hubs and a couple others did the Mixed tastings. You can’t go wrong either way.
William Chris Vineyards was our first stop and one of the best wineries for the weekend. The winery grounds were beautiful, with grape vineyards, a butterfly garden, a large outside area with live music, and two different inside tasting areas (one being for Wine Club Members). We were able to sit in the Member’s Only lounge, since a friend we were with were members! This is not the winery to go for food (at least during “Covid” times) because the charcuterie board we were served was less than appealing, in a to-go box, but not awful tasting. If you go with the Chef’s pairing Tasting, that’ll be completely different.
Our server, pictured with us below, was amazing and so helpful! She has been with the company for many years and was so knowledgeable about every single wine they made, including information about the soil the grapes are grown in!
Favorites: Enchante and Hunter
Garrison Brothers is Texas’ first legal bourbon distillery & four-time American Micro Whiskey of the Year! The weekend we were there, Garrison was holding a huge launch party for their limited release Cowboy Bourbon and we got a bottle! They were not doing tours at the moment, but tours have reopened with reservations. They have a sit-n-sip bar outside and lots of outside seating. Check their website for more information, as this is a must do and a nice stop in-between wineries.
We ended the day at Luckenbach Dance Hall and oh.em.gee, amazing! They have a little “general store”, post office (!!), drinks, and live music both times we went. Seriously, grab yourself a can of beer (wine also available) and enjoy everything Luckenbach. I closed my eyes a few times and just took in the twangy country music that was playing. Don’t leave without getting a picture at the Kissing Booth. We met so many great people here, and honestly just had the best time.
Hilmy Cellars – I loved Hilmy wines and the laid-back winery atmosphere they provided. It is a smaller winery, with few tables available. Everything was set up outside, and a one-man-band was singing us his lbest country tunes. Texas Wine Country heaven.
Favorites: 2018 Politics and Religion, 2015 Hilmy a.k.a Juju, 2018 Malbec
Signor Vineyards was one of the bigger wineries on our list, and it was busy, busy! Beautiful place with a market and large outdoor space that’s separated into sections, with tables scattered throughout. Since it was so busy, I think it was a very impersonal experience. The server only came around to pour us our next tasting, and left to attend all her other tables. I don’t think we heard anything about the winery or wines, except their names. They had a delicious Mediterranean themed platter with hummus, tzatziki, and dolmades. JoAnna’s Market sold sandwiches and baked goodies, along with cute gifts.
Favorites: 2018 Estate Tannat
Grape Creek Vineyards is absolutely beautiful with plenty of outdoor seating for wine tasting and eating delicious wood fired pizza. I got almost zero pictures from this place, but maybe that indicates how much fun we were having! The wine, food, and servers were all amazing.
Favorites: 2018 Cabernet Trois, 2018 Mosaic, 2016 Bellisimo
Crossroads Saloon & Steakhouse – go here for the best time and nightcap on your day! We danced, sang, and enjoyed every minute in this classic Texas saloon. There was a wait since they were only operating at a certain capacity, but it wasn’t long and it was well worth the wait. It’s what Texas bar dreams are made of, just a good ol’ hometown bar feel. There was a live singer and band, line dancing, and drinks. 🙂
More wineries to put on your list:
4.0 Cellars
French Connection
Becker Vineyards
Kulhman Cellars
Southhold Farm & Cellars
Fat Ass Winery
Pedernales Cellars
Texas Wine Tours to experience more!
Caliche Coffee Bar – the husband walked down to this coffee shop from our AirBnb and brought back delicious coffee. Our coffee order is simple, Almond Milk Lattes, and they didn’t disappoint.
Stouts Trattoria We had dinner here on Saturday night and I think this was my favorite food experience of the trip. This intimate Italian restaurant is at Grape Creek Winery. The outside seating made for a wonderful evening under the stars, with gorgeous views of the vineyard at sunset. The menu isn’t large, but has all my favorites: pasta, pizza, steak, and salmon! I must mention the staff as well. They were so much fun and
Otto’s – a German restaurant in a German town
Altstadt Brewery – German brewery with German food
Sweetbriar Rose – a sweet bakery and coffee shop, where you can also grab sandwiches
Emma + Ollie – the perfect Breakfast and lunch spot with sweet treats and avocado toast
Cabernet Grill – We couldn’t get a reservation here, but it was on our list! It’s a small finer dining steakhouse/seafood restaurant in a fabulous rustic setting.
Two days was not enough time to experience Texas Wine Country, but what we did experience exceeded all my expectations.
Put Texas Wine Country & Luckenbach, TX on your travel list!
