Story by Dan Weldy, Director, The Wine Traveler
This is a longer version of an article also published by United Airlines Rhapsody magazine
It was a quiet Monday morning in Fredericksburg, Texas just before noon the day after the big crowds of weekend tourists had gone home. Yet, there was a couple from Maryland in the tasting room of Lost Draw Cellars enjoying a wine tasting served by the owner Andrew Sides. The visitors were on a four- week driving tour of Texas and they heard there were wineries in this part of the state so they added Fredericksburg to their route. Ordering wines to be shipped home, they seemed pleased with the Texas wines they tasted and being in the company of the owner-winemaker.
This is a longer version of an article also published by United Airlines Rhapsody magazine
It was a quiet Monday morning in Fredericksburg, Texas just before noon the day after the big crowds of weekend tourists had gone home. Yet, there was a couple from Maryland in the tasting room of Lost Draw Cellars enjoying a wine tasting served by the owner Andrew Sides. The visitors were on a four- week driving tour of Texas and they heard there were wineries in this part of the state so they added Fredericksburg to their route. Ordering wines to be shipped home, they seemed pleased with the Texas wines they tasted and being in the company of the owner-winemaker.
In his tasting room just a block off downtown Fredericksburg,
Andrew described how he shares ownership of a small plane with other wineries
in the region so that they can fly back-and-forth to the High Plains of West
Texas to tend to their vineyards, a one hour flight to avoid the lonesome four
hour drive. While there are vineyards in
the general vicinity of Fredericksburg, the rural High Plains around Lubbock is
where they are cultivating most of the vineyards, he explained.
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| Lost Draw Cellars Vineyards in West Texas |
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| Texas Hills Sangiovese |
The discovery of Fredericksburg and Texas Hill Country as a winery destination is fairly recent for people from outside the state and the country. However, Texans have been coming to Fredericksburg as a weekend getaway for decades. The arrival of wineries in this region over the last twenty years has made the experience all the more enjoyable, attracting a new group of visitors who seek out places where local food and wine can be explored and enjoyed.
Fredericksburg is an old town founded by German settlers in
the 1840’s. In the next century it became
popular with tourists for its German heritage, unique shops, natural beauty and
a reputation as the “Peach Capital of Texas.”
Now they have cool wineries, art galleries and farm to table restaurants
too. Willkommen signs still greet
people as they roll into this small town with 11,000 residents. Several long
standing German Restaurants downtown still prepare weiner schnitzel, bratwurst, danishes and other Bavarian dishes.
There is an annual Kielbasa Festival in October so the German heritage
is alive and well.
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| Octoberfest in Fredericksburg |
The Wineries
Fredericksburg is in the heart of Texas Hill Country, a region that is now home to about fifty
wineries.
One of the pioneers of this emerging wine region is Gary
Gilstrap, owner and winemaker at TexasHills Vineyard, started with their first vineyards in 1995 and known today
as the largest winery that only uses Texas grapes. Before he opened his winery, Gilstrap was a
pharmacist, chemist, software engineer and inventor. As wineries began to
become established around Fredericksburg in 1999, he invited about a dozen of
his neighboring wineries to a potluck dinner where they decided to form Fredericksburg Wine Road 290. Today, Wine Road 290 is a 30 mile stretch of
highway that runs from Johnson City to downtown Fredericksburg and just
beyond. “It was a meat and potatoes
start,” says Gilstrap.
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| Texas Hills Kick Butt Cab |
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| Grape Creek Vineyards patio |
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| Grape Creek Tram for touring |
Becker Vineyards
was founded by Dr. Richard Becker, a surgeon in San Antonio and his wife
Bunny. Established in 1992, Becker is
one of the original four wineries in Fredericksburg and today they are among
the best known and highly respected brands in the state of Texas.
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| Richard and Bunny Becker, founders of Becker Vineyards |
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| Fat Ass Ranch and Winery selections |
Wineries have also been established in small towns closer to
the state capital of Austin, in little towns such as Spicewood, Driftwood and
Dripping Springs. Duchman Family Winery offers a gorgeous property in Driftwood and
is one of a group of five wineries
now gaining recognition for making exceptional wines from Texas Grapes.
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| Texas Fine Wine at Cabernet Grill |
The Accommodations
There are many hotel options in Fredericksburg but one of
the most unique is the Hangar Hotel located adjacent to the local airport. Built
in 2004, the property has fifty guest rooms within a WWII military hangar
overlooking the runway. A vintage 1940s
classic diner, 8000 square foot conference center with an old theater marquee
to announce arriving parties, and the Officer’s Club Bar allow guests to step
back in time.
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| The Hangar Hotel with fifty luxury guest rooms |
Most notably, Fredericksburg now offers over 900 guest
houses and bed and breakfasts, ranging from private log homes to private
cottages. These accommodations are found
in town or in the country and are most often sold out on the weekends. Mid-week visits are recommended for a slower
pace.
Texas Cuisine and Culture
Fredericksburg boasts many dining options from Tex-Mex favorites to international cuisine. Old German Bakery offers Bavarian specialties, one of several
classic German restaurants downtown. Otto’s offers new American cuisine
with a German flair. Burger Burger is an independently owned restaurant
that the locals recommend for a burger fix and music on the patio.
CabernetGrill is casual fine dining set on beautifully landscaped grounds with lodging on the property. Cabernet Grill Owner, Ross Burtwell changed to
a Texas-only wine list recently. Wine
sales at the restaurant went up by 30%, he says.
Fredericksburg has a wealth of high end art galleries. Enjoy a stroll with a glass of wine to view
bronze sculptures, paintings, wood works, photography, antiques, and jewelry, featuring
both Texas and national artists.
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| Twenty art galleries are found in downtown Fredericksburg |
Former U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson and famed WWII
Admiral Nimitz are natives of this area. The Lyndon B. Johnson State and
National Historical Parks and the National Museum of the Pacific War are
popular educational attractions in their honor.
Luckenbach, established in 1849 is a short drive outside of
Fredericksburg where at one o’clock, seven days a week folks can gather to hear
live music and enjoy a truly Texas experience with a bottle of beer or a glass
of wine, amongst the chickens and roosters who roam freely on the grounds. Operations Manager Bobbie McDaniel says the
dance hall is rented for everything from Texas Two-Step gatherings to line
dancing clubs on holiday from Germany.
As an emerging wine region, Fredericksburg and Texas Hill
Country will continue to grow. The Texas
Wine & Grape Growers Association reports 7,000 acres planted in Texas vineyards
today which ranks in the top five of the U.S. states. What’s astounding is that the acreage has
grown 200% over a two year period, according to Executive Director, Debbie
Reynolds.
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| Barrel tasting at Becker Vineyards |
“The fact that these wineries have clustered make it
convenient and easy for people to tour wineries,” says Fredericksburg
Convention and Visitors Bureau President and CEO, Ernie Loeffler. “Being in easy driving distance to 20 million
people in Texas makes this a popular destination,” he says. While Texans from Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth,
Austin, and San Antonio are regular visitors who arrive by automobile, those
from further away can find air travel with international airports in Austin AUS and San Antonio SAT.
Both provide excellent service with Texas-based Southwest and American Airlines
as well as United and Delta.
Fredericksburg has a reputation as a good place to come and have
a good time. The wine country destinations are only broadening that appeal.
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| Fredericksburg Food and Wine Festival |
Photo credits: Steve Rawls, Jonathan Bedford, Robbyn Dodd, Julia Ermlich, Claire McCormack
Story posted following a Wine Traveler visit to Fredericksburg, OCT 30-NOV 3, 2016
Story posted following a Wine Traveler visit to Fredericksburg, OCT 30-NOV 3, 2016
