Austin Daycations: Fredericksburg Wine Tour
TAT Lifestyle writer Katie Warner, Dana McKelvey, and Samantha "Blanche" Burdett with Jerry from Texas Wine Tours
If you are looking for a summer getaway that is both time- and budget-friendly, the town of Fredericksburg is just down 290, a little over an hour west of the Austin city limits. There are nine wineries and several tasting rooms in the area.
Don’t have a designated driver? There are a number of charter bus services available. We tried Texas Wine Tours and had a great tour guide named Jerry. The very reasonable price is per person and includes wine tasting fees, behind the scenes winery tour, complimentary bottled water, secure storage, and a Texas Winery Passport to stamp at each location. Visit as few as four wineries and receive a wine traveler’s reward.
Additionally, there are several hotels and bed and breakfasts in the Fredericksburg area. It is suggested to stay the night if you have been drinking.
On a recent daycation, some friends and I went to three wineries and visited one tasting room. Here’s the skinny on which wines knocked the socks off our grape-stomping feet.
Grape Creek Vineyards
By far this is the best of the wineries we tried out, with an inviting atmosphere, delicious wines, and fantastic customer service! The staff was by far the most personable of all the wineries. They were not flustered by the crowds, but, rather, they seemed to enjoy the chaos. Everyone was very patient and eager to answer our questions and educate us on their wine. Grape Creek also had the most attractive of all the sitting areas to enjoy the wine. This Spanish-style tasting room features a gorgeous back patio where you can enjoy your wine while listening to local musicians under the shade of several large trees.
Suggested Wines:
White – Cuvvee Blanc or Voignier
Red – Mosaic (the favorite of all the wines at any of the wineries), Cabernet Syrah, or Bellisimo
Torre Di Pietra Vineyards
This Italian-inspired winery has the feel of a dark cellar as you walk into it. There is a nice covered sitting area with a stage and a dance floor, so don’t forget your dancin’ boots. The wines overall were well liked. With clever names like “Dirty Girl,” “Red Flirt”, and “Rosa Flamenco,” how can you say no?
Suggested Wines:
White – Texas Dirty Girl or Texas Chenin Blanc
Red – Reserve Black Spanish, Malbec, or Primitivo
Pedernales Cellars
What impressed me the most about this winery was how environmentally conscious it is. The 4,000 square foot cellar is built of limestone and contained completely underground. This creates a natural insulation, keeping the cellar at an ideal temperature year round. The cellar is kept cool in the summer months by a state of the art geothermal cooling system which circulates water deep underground.
Suggested Wines:
White – Garnacha Rosé
Red – Family Reserve or Tempranillo
Oberhof Wine Cellar Tasting Room
Located at Fischer & Wieser’s Das Peach Haus, this tasting room has several interesting wines to try, especially if you prefer wines a little on the sweet side. One, the Mead, made of honey. Make sure to take a walk through and try the different jellies and salsas, don’t forget to pick up at least one bottle of the Original Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce®.
Suggested Wine:
Vino Rita Pina Colada
Cheers!
By Katie Warner2 Responses for “Austin Daycations: Fredericksburg Wine Tour”
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Gracias Katie for the reminder…, I’ll definitely make this a ‘mothers’ daycation’ retreat. How often I forget the cultural treasures we have in Austin’s own backyard.
In San Antonio, there are many apartments off Fredericksburg Road from which to choose, that are also, and conveniently, in close proximity to the Medical Center.