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With every new visit to the Hill Country, the state’s wines get more impressive. Winemakers are serious and invested, crafting delicious wines with a sense of place. The tasting-room experiences strike a careful balance between informative and just plain fun. Texas wine has arrived — and it’s right here in our backyard.
With vaccination rates going up and that glimmer of light at the end of the pandemic tunnel becoming brighter, those looking for an adventure close to home this summer should consider the Hill Country. The wine region is large, but the 55-mile stretch of U.S. 290 between Dripping Springs and Fredericksburg is where the action is at.
Fredericksburg is often considered the anchor of the Hill Country. Its Main Street is lined with tasting rooms and souvenir shops — it’s touristy, it’s bustling, it’s good fun. But don’t sleep on other towns, especially Johnson City, which has added a new coffee shop and a wine bar. It also offers plenty of antiques and gallery-hopping opportunities, as well as the kid-friendly Science Mill museum. To the west, Hye is more rural and has a high concentration of wineries. Stonewall’s Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park — where you can visit the president’s boyhood home, the Texas White House and his final resting place — provides a nice break from wine tasting.
Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many wineries are stricter about reservations, which were always recommended anyway during peak times. Make sure to look up the winery’s policy before your visit, as some are still not accepting walk-ins.
Ab Astris Winery opened in August 2018 in Stonewall. The team sources French, Italian and Spanish varieties from the Texas High Plains.
(Laura Squire Photography / Laura Squire | Houston Chronicle)
Ab Astris Winery
Ab Astris Winery is one of the newest tasting rooms on the scene. The family started making wine in 2015 but didn’t open to the public until August 2018, clearing a small patch for the property in the middle of expansive land that looks untouched for miles. Ab Astris’ idyllic ambiance and striking tasting room make it somewhat of an influencer’s playground, yet the wines also happen to be very good.
The 12-acre vineyard was recently planted and won’t produce fruit for another couple years, with the exception of the Clairette that goes into an estate white and sparkling wine. In the meantime, Ab Astris sources grapes from the High Plains, allying French, Italian and Spanish varieties. The whites and rosé are bright and refreshing, the reds robust and fruit-forward.
A flight of five wines is $20, and the tasting fee is waived with the purchase of three bottles. Wines by the glass are $13 for whites and rosés, and $15 for reds. Walk-ins are welcome; reservations are recommended on Saturdays and required for groups of six or more. 320 Klein, Stonewall, 830-644-8369; abastriswinery.com
Becker Vineyards' expansive grounds allow for wine tasting with a view or taking a walk among the 50 acres of vines.
(Emma Balter | Houston Chronicle)
Becker Vineyards
Richard and the late Bunny Becker made strides to further the quality of Texas wines before the region was a big tourist destination.
The winery, founded in 1992, still has its charm, located on 300 acres near Stonewall; the large property allows for leisurely walks among the 50 acres of vines. Ample outside seating to soak up the view is also a draw. Tastings progress at a nice pace and servers are ready with anecdotes about each wine. Becker has a couple of spaces on-site for private tastings and a library of wines that go back 20 years, as well as a tasting room on Main Street in Fredericksburg.
At the winery, reservations are required for tastings, which cost $30. There’s a choice between a white wine flight, red wine flight, or mixed flight. Otherwise, wines are $15 by the glass, walk-ins accepted. 464 Becker Farms Road, Fredericksburg (estate winery), 830-644-2681; beckervineyards.com
The Lewis Wines team has been making wine since 2010 but added a new tasting room and pavilion in 2018.
(Emma Balter | Houston Chronicle)
Lewis Wines
Lewis Wines added a new tasting room and pavilion to its property in 2018, bringing a hospitality component to its winemaking operation, which was founded in 2010 by Doug Lewis and Duncan McNabb.
Lewis has 8 acres planted at its Johnson City vineyard and uses fruit from the Hill Country and the High Plains. The wines are elegant and terroir-driven, and delight in various ways. A recent flight included two different rosés to compare side by side, an older vintage blending Spanish and Portuguese varieties, and a Mourvèdre — typically a burly red — made in a light, refreshing Beaujolais style.
Tastings are by reservation only and cost $25 for four wines, plus a bonus wine of whatever the staff may have open (the tasting is free with the purchase of two bottles). You can also choose to reserve a picnic table for $10, sans tasting, and order by the glass or by the bottle — outside food welcome. Lewis offers simple snacks alongside the wine tastings: potato chips ($2), sourdough bread from JoJu Bakery ($6-$10) and a side of Texas olive oil ($3). 3209 U.S. 290, 512-987-0660; lewiswines.com
Lost Draw Cellars makes vibrant wines from varieties like Albariño, Roussanne, Zinfandel and Syrah.
(Lost Draw Cellars | Houston Chronicle)
Lost Draw Cellars
Lost Draw Cellars’ tasting room is located just off the main drag in downtown Fredericksburg. It opened in 2014, but the team has been making wine in Texas since 2005 and now manages a total of 300 acres of vineyards. Owner Andy Timmons lives in the High Plains, where Lost Draw’s grapes are from, and the winemaking is done at the Fredericksburg facility.
The tasting room has a medium-size patio that’s just as much of a hangout for local regulars as it is for tourists. Servers are armed with useful information for each wine, with plenty more in reserve when asked extra questions. Lost Draw’s wines are bold, aromatic and spicy — and a good mix, from Albariño and Roussanne to Zinfandel and Syrah.
Tastings are $20 via reservation only (or $25 to be seated) and include five wines, with some offbeat bonus pours, like a fun Counoise rosé or Pinot Meunier sparkling rosé. A wine and cheese tasting costs $35. There are some food items on the menu, such as a generous charcuterie board for $30. A small adjoining shop sells wine bottles, gourmet foods and merchandise. 113 E. Park St., Fredericksburg, 830-992-3251; lostdrawcellars.com
Southold Farm + Cellar has unparalleled views of Texas Hill Country for its hilltop patio.
(Southold Farm + Cellar | Houston Chronicle)
Southold Farm + Cellar
Southold Farm + Cellar, on a hill 18 miles east of Fredericksburg, has undeniably the best panoramic view of any winery in the Hill Country. The stunning landscape — and the porch swings to admire it from — are just a cherry on top of Southold’s fantastic wines.
Owners Regan and Carey Meador started the winery on New York’s Long Island but moved it to Texas in 2017. While they wait on their young estate plantings, they source grapes mostly from Robert Clay’s vineyard in the Hill Country, making bright, juicy wines from more than a dozen different varieties.
Reservations are required at the winery. A tasting with four wines is $25; $40 with a snack spread. The new on-site restaurant, The Kitchen, is open Fridays and Saturdays by reservation only. 30 Minor Threat Lane, Fredericksburg, 512-829-1650; southoldfarmandcellar.com
Westcave Cellars initially opened in 2011 near Hamilton Pool Preserve, but relocated to their Johnson City tasting room in December 2019.
(Westcave Cellars Winery | Houston Chronicle)
Westcave Cellars Winery & Brewery
Hidden away on a road off U.S. 290, Westcave Cellars has a quiet, serene atmosphere. There’s ample outside space nestled between the trees, with patio tables and a requisite swing.
Owners Allan and Margaret Fetty started Westcave in 2011 but later sold their 9-acre vineyard in Dripping Springs. They opened the current location in Johnson City in December 2019. The white wines, such as Viognier and Chenin Blanc, and the Cabernet Franc-based rosé are particularly successful. Westcave also makes beer on-site from Cascade hops grown by Patrick Vandewilt at his nearby Adelsverein Brewing’s hop farm in Sisterdale.
Walk-ins are accepted at Westcave and visitors can choose between three tasting options: $20 for a red and white variety tasting, $25 for reds only (six wines each), and a four-beer tasting for $20. 683 Ranch Road 1320, Johnson City, 512-431-1403; westcavecellars.com
William Chris Vineyards has been pushing the quality of Texas wines forward since it was founded in 2008. In the summer of 2019, the team unveiled its new tasting room in Hye.
(William Chris Vineyards | Houston Chronicle)
William Chris Vineyards
William Chris Vineyards was founded in 2008 by Chris Brundrett and Bill Blackmon, a pioneer of Texas wine who’s been growing grapes in the state since the 1970s. Perhaps the most vocal proponents of Texas wine produced with 100 percent Texas grapes, the duo has pushed quality forward and crafted their own unique style, with wines that are vibrant and elegant, structured yet crushable at the same time.
Brundrett and Blackmon bought and renovated an old 1900s farmhouse as the original Hye tasting room and have since expanded, with a large pavilion, a striking member-only tasting room and a five-bedroom guesthouse, Hye-way Haus ($500 a night).
Reservations are required for tastings ($20), food and wine pairings ($40), library wine experiences ($75) and picnic lunches ($20). Walk-ins are accepted for consumption by the glass and by the bottle, for seating in the pavilion or on the grass, surrounded by the estate vines. 10352 U.S. 290, Hye, 830-998-7654; williamchriswines.com
As well as refined Southern food, Emma + Ollie in Fredericksburg offers the pastries of Rebecca Rather, a chef with Houston pedigree.
(Bob Owen/Staff Photographer San Antonio Express-News | Houston Chronicle)
Emma + Ollie
Emma + Ollie brings Southern hospitality and locally sourced food to a charming old bungalow in Fredericksburg. Customers entering the restaurant and bakery are greeted by a pastry case filled with treats from Rebecca Rather, former head pastry chef at Houston staples Tony’s, Grotto and La Griglia. Sit outside on the back patio or small front porch, or inside the small dining room. The burger with pimento cheese melted onto a 44 Farms patty, candied bacon, and sweet and spicy pickles is a decadent must-order. You can buy the pimento and other goodies from the small shop by the entrance. 607 S. Washington St., Fredericksburg, 830-383-1013; emmaolliefbg.com
Hye Market is connected to the Hye Post Office where former President Lyndon B. Johnson is said to have said to have sent his first letter when he was four years old and where he later announced his presidency in 1964.
(Josie Norris/Staff Photographer | Houston Chronicle)
Hye Market
Located on one side of an old-timey but still functioning post office, the sandwiches are the draw at this deli — specifically the “whatever” sandwich, which stuffs soft focaccia bread with sopressata, mortadella, Dutchman’s ham, asiago cheese, sundried tomato aioli and Vogel Orchard’s peach butter chipotle sauce (which you can and should buy a bottle of to-go). Hye Market was originally established in 1886 as a general store and post office, and despite the flashy new tasting rooms popping up in the area, it’s a piece of history that has endured. 10261 U.S. 290 W., Hye, 830-868-2300; hyemarket.com
Opened in May 2020, Johnson City Coffee Co. is the perfect place to grab coffee and a bite before a day of wine tasting.
(Johnson City Coffee Co. | Houston Chronicle)
Johnson City Coffee Co.
A great cup of coffee to start your morning or between wine tastings is now in reach in the Hill Country. Johnson City Coffee Co. opened its industrial barnlike space in May 2020; for now, the team is operating on the patio, to-go and via drive-thru only because of the pandemic. The coffee shop makes its brews from Austin’s Greater Good beans and also sells a variety of sweet and savory pastries, such as a fiery jalapeño-ham-cheddar roll, and other food items, including sandwiches and quiche. 108 W. Main, Johnson City, 830-256-8360; johnsoncitycoffeeco.com
Through food, drink and atmosphere, Otto's pays homage to the Texas Hill Country's German roots.
(Otto's | Houston Chronicle)
Otto’s
Otto’s in Fredericksburg is a wonderful dining room meshing refined German cuisine and a merry wine-country atmosphere. The duck schnitzel with spaetzle and the flammkuchen, a thin-crust pie with crème fraîche, gravlax, braised onions and horseradish, are must-try dishes celebrating the Hill Country’s Germanic roots. The wine list leads with local Texas producers and also features a solid selection of German, Austrian and Alsatian wines. 316 E. Austin St., Fredericksburg, 830-307-3336; ottosfbg.com
The Parlour in Johnson City is a wine bar opened by Southold Farm + Cellar in 2019 that servers the winery's offerings and other guest pours, plus snacks.
(Southold Farm + Cellar | Houston Chronicle)
The Parlour
Southold Farm + Cellar opened The Parlour in an old barbershop in October 2019. The tiny Johnson City wine bar is another outpost for the winery to pour its juice, serving a rotating selection of six different Southold current releases and three guest wines from other regions, from California to France. The team also offers an impressive array of food options, considering how little space they have. The cheese and charcuterie plate includes three cheeses (like goat from the local Pure Luck), two cured meats, dried fruit and nuts. The chicken liver paté is a highlight, served with JoJu Bakery sourdough bread, which is also used to spread the burrata with black pepper honey and sumac pecans. 109 N. Nugent Ave., Johnson City; theparlourjctx.com
Where to stay
Hoffman Haus
Hoffman Haus is so cozy and charming, between-tasting naps will seem even more appealing than they already are. The 5-acre Fredericksburg property has nine rooms, eight suites and four guesthouses that sleep two to seven people. The vibe straddles elegance with country chic — some rooms have delicate features and pastel colors, while others boast heavy wood and distressed leather upholstery. Hoffman Haus feels luxurious and relaxing while only a block away from Main Street. 608 E. Creek St., Fredericksburg, 830-997-6739; hoffmanhaus.com
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Emma Baltergrew up in Paris, France, where she got an early taste for good food and wine. She studied English Literature at Newcastle University in the U.K. and got her start in journalism as the lifestyle editor of the student newspaper. She moved to the U.S. in 2012, and spent six years on staff at Wine Spectator magazine, first as a tasting coordinator, then as an editor. She has also contributed to Condé Nast Traveler, Food & Wine, Eater, PureWow, Chowhound and VinePair, among others. Balter joined the Houston Chronicle in March 2020 as a reporter for Preview, where she covers entertainment, food and drink. She lives in Montrose with her cat, Chenin. She can be reached by email at Emma.Balter@chron.com or by Twitter: @EmmaBalter
Design by Julie Takahashi. She is the features digital manager at the Houston Chronicle. She can be reached by email at julie.takahashi@chron.com or by Twitter: @Julie_Takahashi
April 30, 2021 at 02:00PM
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