![]() |
Fredericksburg Wine Country Dawn breaks over a dew-crystallized vineyard. Nearby,
the vintner arrives for an early start to the day. In the distance,
pickup trucks meander down the ranch-to-market road, greeted by
the calls of onlooking cattle and goats. Its another day in Texas wine country. Much of the Lone Star States fast-growing wine
industry is centered in the Hill Country near Fredericksburg, founded
by German settlers who planted the Vitis vinifera grapes that thrived
in the Mediterranean climate of their new home. It would be a century
before production would begin on a serious scale but the roots of
the Texas wine industry had been planted. This community remembers its Old World heritage with
German-style buildings, shops and restaurants. Those roots are also
evident at the downtown Fredericksburg Winery (247 West Main
Street, 830-990-8747, www.fbgwinery.com),
where signature labels like the Texas Chardonnay Adelsverein
(named for the Society of Noblemen formed by German princes to help
emigrants to the newly-formed Republic of Texas) feature artwork
and a little history. Like many local wineries, this is a family-run operation,
headed by no-nonsense Cord Switzer (look for the man in the gimme
cap), along with his wife Sandy, brothers Jene and Burt, and mother
Oma, charged with labeling each bottle by hand. Fourteen miles north of Fredericksburg, youll
find Bell Mountain Vineyards (463 Bell Mountain Road, 830-685-3297,
www.bellmountainwine.com),
located in Texass first designated winegrowing area, or head
east where bouquet describes not only wine but wildflowers.
Further east stands Stonewall, home to Lyndon Baines
Johnsons Texas White House, and also home to Grape
Creek Vineyards (4 miles west of Stonewall on US 290, 830-644-2710,
www.grapecreek.com), where
acres of climbing vines yield the prize-winning Cabernet Trois.
Nearby, Becker Vineyards (10 miles east of Fredericksburg off US 290, 830-644-2681, www.beckervineyards.com), with 46 acres of French Vinifera vines, boasts Texass largest underground wine cellar. Its filled with specialties such as the 2002 Viognier, an elegant wine with a hint of violets and peach, served at a dinner for Australias Prime Minister at President Bushs Prairie Chapel Ranch, and the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, poured at a White House dinner. Return to Fredericksburg Travel Guide
|
||||||
TexasTripper.com Texas Travel Guide on Facebook
What's Happening Now... |
||||||
| Advertising | Privacy | Disclosure | Disclaimer |
TexasTripper.com is a division
of LT Media Group LLC
All rights reserved
No text or photos from this site may be used without written permission of LT
Media Group LLC