We have taken many trips to Fredericksburg and absolutely love this Texas Hill Country wine region! Texas Hill Country is a wine lover’s paradise! Over 100 wineries dot Hwy 290 from Austin to Fredericksburg. There are so many beautiful vineyards, huge outdoor spaces, and unique attractions, and it is not crowded. 

Winemakers are proud to be Texan here, the vibes are relaxing, making each winery in the Texas Hill Country feel like a real escape.

Some of our favorite wineries in Fredericksburg:

• The Rhinory – Has rhino views while you sip your wine
• Augusta Vin – Gorgeous property with vineyard lining the entry and ample indoor, patio, and table seating in the vineyard
• Signor Vineyards – A beautiful garden-like property with mostly outdoor seating, often has live music and food and charcuterie options and shopping
• 290 Wine Castle – Castle architecture and theme inside with great pizza and frozes.
• Health Vineyards – The only sparkling winery with a gorgeous patio
• Fat Ass Winery – Donkey onsite, and unique flavors make it great for bachelorette parties
• Slate Theory – The only wine cave in Fredericksburg (we haven’t been yet, but want to!)

Other things to do in Fredericksburg include: Exploring the German downtown, hiking Enchanted Rock, eating peach cobbler and peach ice cream and joining the grape stomps during seasons.

Where to stay in Fredericksburg:

• Longneck Manor – 5-star boutique hotel with giraffe views
• City on a Hill at Spring Creek – Scenic cabin with a private hot tub on the balcony
• Stars Hot Tub Dome – Dome Glamping with a private hot tub
• The Gruene Haus – Huge beautiful home that sleeps 13 with hot tub and outdoor social space

Check out our Fredericksburg Viator Shop for experiences, tours, and transfers that we recommend.

If you love exploring wine regions like we do, also check out our wine tasting episodes on Napa Valley, California and Valle de Guadalupe in Baja California, Mexico

Find a great flight deal to Austin (just a 90-minute drive to Fredericksburg) by signing up for Thrifty Traveler Premium and watching the daily flight deals (points & cash) that are emailed directly to you! Use our promo code TS10 to get $10 off your first year subscription.

Fredericksburg Wine Tasting – Episode Transcript

0:41

Hey, Squad Eve.

Welcome to this week’s episode of the Travel Squad Podcast.

0:46

Today we’re taking a little tour through Texas Hill Country to sip and taste our way through the

Texas wine region.

0:53

Kim I’m so excited for this episode.

Jamal and I have never been, but since you’ve moved to Austin, I know you’ve been a ton of times and

0:59

I’ve heard really good things about the area.

It seems to be a bit more affordable than wine places like Napa, and I hear it’s picking up quite a

1:07

bit in popularity, like a good place to go for Bachelorette parties and girls trips.

And I definitely want to go, so I can’t wait to dive into this episode and be inspired to go visit

1:19

ourselves.

Well, I think we need to tell our squatties where we’re even talking about Kim.

1:23

You said Texas wine region.

Brittany acknowledged it but didn’t say where because we all know what we’re talking about.

1:29

But to our squatties who are unsure, we are talking about Fredericksburg, TX.

And I’m really excited about this because you know the time that we went out to go visit you since

1:38

your move, this was maybe even a plan for us to do, to go together to Fredericksburg.

We did not do that.

1:45

But I really want to get out there.

Anxious to hear about your experience there.

1:49

Nonetheless, beyond the wineries.

From my bit of research on it, I see that this town was settled by Germans.

1:55

It has a little bit of German influence to it too, and things of that nature.

So I’m interested to hear your perspective on if it really has that.

2:03

And it is almost like Sylvain here in California that has that Danish influence and the buildings

look like that or not.

2:11

You don’t need to answer that now, but we’ll get into that and all the wine tips and everything too.

So really excited to hear about Fredericksburg, TX.

2:19

I love that you all haven’t been and you’re coming in just as fresh as most squatties that are

listening on the other end right now.

2:25

Because there is a big misconception that Texas Hill Country, the wine region, is Fredericksburg.

And that’s true to an extent.

2:33

Fredericksburg is one of the main towns in the Texas Hill Country.

But the Texas Hill Country actually begins in Austin and spans a major region and it is called Hill

2:44

Country because it gets very hilly.

But the wine region actually begins, I would say, somewhere more around Johnson City, which is about

2:53

30 minutes West of Austin.

Fredericksburg hits about an hour and a half driving West of Austin on the 290 highway.

3:01

So it’s that period from Johnson City all the way to Fredericksburg.

That’s just tons of wineries, like back-to-back across the street from one another.

3:11

There are over 100 wineries scattered throughout this region.

The stretch of the highway, there’s 60 just in that Fredericksburg area.

3:20

But actually the town of Fredericksburg is not really where the wineries are.

There are tasting rooms there.

3:25

That there are wineries out in this big rural region along the highway of the 290.

I didn’t realize that myself when I first went either.

3:33

Yeah, I was going to say I didn’t realize that because I thought it was Fredericksburg.

But now that you’re saying that, that makes a lot of sense.

3:38

But throughout that vastness, that is wine country that you’re talking about.

Of course, there’s going to be vineyards, so a little bit more remote, But Fredericksburg probably

3:47

is the biggest city of wine region though, correct?

Or am I incorrect in that assumption?

3:53

You know, if you’re going for the wineries, you probably don’t even need to go into Fredericksburg.

It’s so good that we’re talking about it because that is a misconception that I had too.

4:02

I thought Fredericksburg is the destination to go to.

That’s where the wineries are.

4:06

But it’s really not the case.

The the town is really cute.

4:09

You’re right.

Very, very German.

4:11

It has restaurants.

It’s got really quaint shopping.

4:14

You can walk around with drinks and Fredericksburg town.

There are a lot of tasting rooms there, but the wineries with the vineyards are all along the

4:23

stretch of the 290 from Johnson Cities or Stonewall to Dripping Springs and into Fredericksburg

City.

4:29

But once you get to the town of Fredericksburg, you’re almost at the edge of wine country.

So it’s kind of that stretch getting into Fredericksburg.

4:37

That is where all the wineries are back-to-back to back.

And it’s not really that rural either.

4:42

Right off of the 290 highway, it’s just entrance to one Rhino, entrance to another, entrance to

another.

4:48

Maybe you have to drive a little bit down one of the roads, but they are right there.

It’s not like via the Guadalupe, where it’s very rural and you have to go on dirt roads.

4:57

Yeah, I was kind of picturing by the Guadalupe, but more like Americanized because there’s so many

wineries down there.

5:03

But that’s why I’m really excited to dive into this episode.

So Kim, I know you have a lot of tips since you’ve been there a few Times Now.

5:10

So why don’t you tell all of our squatty some of the the tips about visiting Texas Wine country?

So a really great tip that I would recommend is to pick up a Sip and Savor map.

5:21

You can get one of these at a local winery or at one of those shops within any of these towns along

the Hill Country here.

5:27

It’s a fabulous map and when you see the map, you can really visualize how many wineries there are.

They are right next to each other.

5:35

They’re right across the street from each other.

They are back-to-back to back, so much so that you could walk to them.

5:41

Now, there’s no sidewalks on Hwy. 290, so you’re running that risk a little bit and it could get,

you know, muddy and what not in the winter time.

5:50

But they are close enough where you could walk from winery to winery.

If you’re going to be drinking a lot, maybe worth considering doing that walk versus driving, right?

0:00

If you want to go, check out another one, depending on how much you’re going to be drinking.

6:02

But good tip nevertheless.

I mean, that’s really cool that the whole region itself has a map of all the wineries in the area.

6:11

I think that’s actually really cool.

It is cool because it’s actually kind of hard to get information on this region.

6:16

I’ve been looking on TikTok videos, Instagram videos, Google, the Fredericksburg Tourism board

website, Johnson City Tourism board website, there’s pockets of information, but to see it all on

6:26

this map with all of the wineries and you can just start knocking them all off the map is amazing.

So definitely pick one of those up and they’ll be really helpful.

6:35

Everyone in this region is so friendly, so talkative, so helpful.

So if you have any questions, definitely ask someone that you come across.

6:43

Another tip I have is to split tastings with a partner.

The first time that we went out there, and we we’ve always drove from Austin.

6:51

It’s a really easy day trip.

We drive back.

6:55

We’ve never spent the night there, so we don’t want to have a bunch of tastings and then have to

drive back.

7:01

Well, we can’t drive back at that point, right?

So we started going as early as possible, splitting the tastings instead of each getting our own and

7:11

doing it that way so that we could see as many wineries as possible and still be able to make our

drive back home.

7:16

Another tip I have for you, because this is a route along the 290, map out your route so that you’re

hitting the farthest back winery 1st and then you’re making your way back to Austin.

7:28

Maybe not as important if you are planning to spend the night there, but I would still say kind of

plan your route strategically because they all are in a line.

7:36

You don’t want to be hitting one winery over here to the West and then another one to the east, the

most efficient line possible.

7:43

I appreciate that.

Yeah, I was going to say I think that’s a really good tip because even when we’re not wine tasting

7:50

or brewery hopping or whatever, just in our general travels, we go by that rule of thumb.

It makes the most sense.

7:57

Start your day the furthest away.

That way when you’re done with your day, you’re closest to where you want to be, whether that be

8:03

your hotel or in your case, your home, right?

So that’s a really good tip.

8:08

Of course it really depends on, you know, if things are open at that time, etcetera, when they

close.

8:14

But in generalities, solid tip.

Yeah, and you mentioned if they’re open at that time, that’s another good tip.

8:19

Check hours.

We’ve been going a lot on Sundays just because of work schedules, and Sundays do have reduced hours.

0:00

There is no alcohol served before 10:00 AM in Texas, anywhere in Texas, and you actually can’t serve

8:34

it before noon unless there’s food on your table first.

A lot of wineries don’t serve food, so a lot of wineries on Sundays don’t open until noon.

8:42

They close early, around 5:00 to 6:00, so if you’re planning to go on a Sunday, you will have

reduced hours, so just plan for that.

8:49

I think that’s so interesting.

And one of the things that I appreciate, I shouldn’t say appreciate, but I find I guess interesting

8:56

as I get older and go to other states is really just the different alcohol regulations.

You know, people say all the time like California is heavily regulated and it is, but I don’t want

9:06

to say booze out here is a free for all.

But when I really see how they do things in other states, sometimes I’m just like, wow, Like, I’m

9:12

really surprised how LAX California is.

Yeah, it’s there’s some weird alcohol laws out here, and that’s one of them.

9:19

So definitely keep that in mind.

Don’t plan to get up like you guys do to catch the sunrise and then hit a winery because they won’t

9:27

be open before noon on Sunday.

I can’t have my wine in hand for sunrise.

9:30

That is a shame.

Not from a winery, you’d have to BYOB.

9:36

Some wineries are also dog friendly.

Some are really proud to be dog friendly.

9:40

So if you’re looking to bring your pets along, just check the website.

You should be able to find out.

9:44

There are also some wineries that are strictly not dog friendly, so make sure to check those ones

out and don’t show up with your dog there.

9:52

Don’t leave your dog in the car.

Even if it’s a spring or fall day or winter day, it can be really hot, so keep that in mind.

10:00

And then the last tip I have for you that I learned pretty quickly is that a lot of the wineries out

here are member only.

10:07

There’s some that are member only to where truly you can’t enjoy the winery if you aren’t a member.

Some have conditions where you can’t sit on like the nice patio or sit inside at the tables if

10:18

you’re not a member, which is kind of off putting when you think about it.

I’ve joined many wineries and then canceled my membership later and also join while I was there just

10:28

to get in and get past that.

So that’s definitely an option, but just know that there are quite a few wineries out here that have

10:35

that stipulation.

If you said you kind of learned that the hard way.

10:38

I have to imagine the SIP and Saver map that you’re talking about does not denote if these places or

certain wineries are membership only, do they?

10:46

They do not.

They do not.

10:48

So do your research.

I mean, you’ll see it straight away in the reviews and I feel like if you go into it knowing that

10:54

you’re not going to be disappointed.

A lot of the people in the reviews that are complaining about that, they didn’t know you had to

11:00

become a member.

They were upset that you had to be a member and it kind of disrupted their experience because of

11:06

that.

So just again, do your research, look at the hours, look at the membership I was going.

11:10

To say it kind of reminds me of people who fly Spirit Airlines and they show up to the plane and

realize they have to pay $100 to bring their carry on bag on the plane.

11:17

You know, kind of same concepts.

Exactly, exactly.

11:21

The cool thing is though, the ones that are membership only, they are really beautiful properties

with beautiful vineyards and indoor and outdoor spaces.

11:29

So it pays to become a member.

And hey, usually with your membership you get a free tasting or free glass of wine for you and a

11:36

partner.

So you know what we like to say?

11:39

Get in while you can, and then cancel your membership after.

I love it.

11:44

That’s a really good idea.

Sounds like there’s a lot of wineries.

11:49

I know you said that you could possibly walk to the wineries, they’re so close to each other, but

what’s the best way to really get around this area so?

11:57

You have a couple options.

Anytime you’re wine tasting, you always have the DD route.

12:01

Someone’s the designated driver.

Sorry, Jamal.

12:04

I know that’s all that’s always usually me.

But you know what?

12:07

It’s OK.

If you don’t have a Jamal in your group, there are plenty of tours that do wine tasting out here.

12:15

There’s one that I’ve been dying to do, but I can’t do it with Louis.

I need like a girl strip for it.

12:20

It’s called the Brooks bubble bust and it’s an all pink.

They have a few different vehicles, like most of them are stretch limos of some sort or like stretch

12:29

SUV limos, all pink.

Everything’s pink inside.

12:32

There’s champagne, the driver’s the female, she’s dressed all in pink and it’s just a really good

time.

12:37

But I think it’d be really fun to do with your girls for like Bachelorette party, girl’s birthday

party, something like that.

12:44

There’s plenty of those kinds of tours.

A quick Google search, buy it or search.

12:48

You will definitely find one.

There even are some that come from Austin.

12:52

I haven’t done one from Austin yet.

That will definitely be something that I explore going forward now that we’ve been a few times.

12:59

But look into those.

Those are always great.

13:01

There’s one really cool thing too that we haven’t tried yet, but we’ve been seeing around and it’s

called the 290 wine shuttle.

13:09

You pay 40 bucks for your day pass, and there are pickups every 15 minutes at every winery on

Saturdays only from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

13:19

So if you’re planning to go out for a Saturday, you pay 40 bucks.

You can get on and off this shuttle and go around to every winery that your heart desires.

13:27

I love that that makes it so easy to get around.

Yeah.

13:30

And then if you plan your route in a really small area, you can walk.

So, you know, if you’re not wanting to do the shuttle, you’re not wanting to do a bunch of driving,

13:40

just plan to hit up three or four wineries all in that very close vicinity.

I have a real quick question for you, Kim.

13:46

So as you were talking about the options of ways to kind of go around sucks to have ADD and then you

laid it on me that that’s usually, you know, me.

13:55

It made me think like because of course down here for us in San Diego, we’re real close to Mexico’s

wine region.

14:01

Viatec Guadalupe, we’ve had an episode on it.

You’ve been, but they have Airbnb experiences where they’ll actually pick you up and take you around

14:09

to a few of them.

So as you were just talking about that, I was like, oh, let me just check and see if they have any

14:14

in that area.

And the only thing that actually came up for Airbnb experience was Brooks bubble bust.

14:20

So I’m curious, did you find them through Airbnb experience or did you hear about them another way?

I’ve been seeing their videos on TikTok and these videos will make you want to take a tour with

14:31

them.

They’re so fun.

14:32

Everything’s pink.

They have champagne in there.

14:35

Like it looks like a really good time.

I would love to go on that.

14:38

But yeah, TikTok is where I found that.

And you could find a lot of stuff on TikTok for the Texas Hill Country.

14:43

Well, beyond TikTok and other stuff, I am seeing it on Airbnb experience.

So if any of you squaddies are listening, intrigued by that, check it out on Airbnb experience too.

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17:10

So I have been to the Texas Hill Country, I want to say four Times Now, three or four times.

And each time we have a list of wineries that we’re trying to hit.

17:23

And each time we either don’t make it to some and we make it to others that were not on our list

because as you’re driving 1 catches your eye or you get a recommendation and or one’s closed and it

17:34

wasn’t supposed to be.

So I’ve gone to quite a few.

17:37

We usually try to hit three or four every time we go and there’s some really good ones out there.

I haven’t even cracked the surface of the 100 plus that are out there, but I have been to a good

17:47

handful and I have some good recommendations for y’all.

Well, I can’t wait to hear it because I’m really getting excited for when we come out there and I’m

17:55

definitely not going out there during Texas summertime, but you know, fall and things like that, I’m

definitely game for some wineries out in Texas wine region.

18:04

Yeah, well, good point because I did go in summer.

I’ve been in winter, spring and summer, and the AC is pumping in summer.

18:13

You’re really not going to be hanging out outside on the patios.

Everyone’s inside and they prepared for it.

18:19

Winter I went and it was a little rainy.

We did a little tour.

18:23

It was kind of icy and cold.

So maybe winter is not the best.

18:26

Also, the trees are barren.

They don’t have their leaves and their grapes, so it’s not as pretty.

18:31

Spring was really nice.

I went when trees were refilling and they were growing and they were beautiful and it was green.

18:38

It was still a little bit warm in the spring, but the flies were kind of crazy in the spring.

That was like my one critique about the spring.

18:45

So I feel like summer is actually not a bad option.

You know, when you said the ACS pumping, it made me think, well, of course it’s Texas, but when I

18:53

think wineries, I think kind of like the outdoor patio vibes sitting in the vineyard.

But you’re saying a lot of the wineries here, of course know where they are and that it’s hot.

19:03

So a lot of stuff is situated on the inside for comfort with AC.

Totally.

19:07

And I went to quite a few wineries that have floor to ceiling glass walls.

So you still get to see the vineyards and feel like you’re outside, but you don’t have to be

19:15

outside.

But there’s a ton of outside stuff too.

19:18

So let me get into a little bit of it as we go through the highlights of places that I’ve been so

far.

19:24

So the first one I want to mention, it’s not the coolest, best vineyard ever, but it is important

because it’s really the gateway to the Texas Hill Country.

19:33

When you look at that sip and Saver map, it’s the first one on this route called Texas Hills

Vineyard and I went in here because they were doing a free grape stomp in August where they had the

19:46

barrels out, the grapes were there, you could stomp around, take pictures, have fun.

Some of the other wineries that did it were charging and also you get AT shirt and I wasn’t

19:54

interested in AT shirt with my wine feet on it.

So we went here and it was actually really nice, almost no people there.

20:02

The servers were extremely friendly, extremely talkative.

The tasting was very inexpensive, $20.00 for six wines, which was amazing.

20:12

Oh, that’s a great deal.

Yeah, really, really good.

20:14

We were only planning to stay for like an hour, do the grape stomp and then head back out.

This is Johnson City, so go further into the Hill Country and then make our way back.

20:23

And we ended up staying like 3 hours just talking to the person there because it was really good

company.

20:31

I would recommend this when they do have a really big outside property with picnic tables.

Smaller, inside, but really, really good stop on your way into Texas Hill Country.

20:40

Well, that free Grape Stomp that you were talking about here sounds really awesome.

Is that something that they do, like seldomly or on certain days?

20:48

Or do they always have the free grape stomp?

No, they don’t always have it.

20:51

It’s a event that comes in August when grapes are being harvested and several wineries around the

region will do it.

21:00

They make a big event out of it with live music and T-shirts and all sorts of other things that go

along with it.

21:06

Like sometimes your ticket comes with that T-shirt and a tasting or a tour of the winery.

So they try to make it a big deal, but usually it’s just around harvest season.

21:16

Makes sense?

So next one, getting further in to the 290, is the rhinery.

21:23

Not winery Rhino.

Re Jamal, you would love this place.

21:27

Tell me why?

I’m already intrigued by the name.

21:31

It has a rhino on the property I love.

Rhino.

21:35

All right.

You’ve already have me sold.

21:37

Say no more, Kim.

Say no more.

21:39

I know and I remember when I was there, I told you I I sent you a text and said a single tear fell

from my eye.

21:46

When I saw the rhino beyond my glass of wine, I.

Remember getting that?

21:52

You know what’s so funny is I didn’t even make the connection that this was actually the place as

you’re talking about it now.

21:58

But that makes total sense.

You know, our friends Jeff and Melissa, we met them on our trip to Uganda while we were in Africa

22:06

and they were telling me about this winery and we didn’t see any rhinos on our trip into Uganda.

But they were talking about like, well, they could always go to Fredericksburg because they live in

22:17

San Antonio and go see a rhino there.

So I did know about this one and I would definitely want to visit.

22:26

I really like this winery.

It was a really, really good time.

22:31

We didn’t do a tasting here.

We just got a glass and then we went outside where they have tons of picnic tables.

22:37

No matter where you’re sitting, you’re going to have a view of the rhino.

He’s just prancing around loving life.

22:43

You can pay upwards of around $100 for a tour that comes with the tasting, and they take you beyond

this other fence where you can actually take pictures right next to it and touch it.

22:54

We didn’t do that because we thought we got a good enough view of it as we were pulling up and as we

were sitting there having our wine.

23:01

But it’s a really, really good one that people are really nice.

They’re the wine also tasted really, really good and they gave us free tastings too before we picked

23:09

our glass of wine.

So that was pretty cool and I would definitely come back here.

23:14

I know they’re also trying to adopt a second rhino.

I don’t know how close they are to getting it, but they are trying to get another one.

23:20

It is a rescue for rhinos and a rehabilitation center, so that would be cool if they get a couple

more.

23:28

Oh, that it won’t be lonely.

You don’t have a friend or mate.

23:31

I know, I know, he needs a friend.

This one’s also really easy to get into the fact we weren’t planning to go here actually on our

23:36

first trip to Fredericksburg.

But we saw the sign on the side of the road and we just pulled in like it’s that easy to just go

23:43

there.

Not hard at all.

23:45

The next one is called Heath Sparkling and this one’s actually very very close to the reinery you

could walk from one to the next.

23:55

And the reason I love this one.

And made a point to come and actually became a member is because it is a sparkling wine winery, one

24:05

of the only ones in Fredericksburg.

There’s a couple others I think, but this is purely sparkling champagne esque sparkling wine.

24:14

The tastings are absolutely gorgeous.

They come out on this champagne tree, they bring it over.

24:20

It’s so cute.

They do have a patio seating area where you can sit right next to the vineyards and it’s really

24:28

pretty.

You do have to be a member to sit in this area.

24:32

This is one of those things I was saying members get certain privileges, so if you want to sit on

the patio area, do you have to be a member?

24:40

But as members, you also get a free tasting.

So every time I’ve come here, I have not paid for a tasting and I’ve been here I think three Times

24:46

Now.

And how much is the membership at Heath Sparkling?

24:50

So it’s the membership is free, but the wines that they mail you do cost.

I think it’s about 100 bucks when they ship it out and you get three of them, but they don’t ship it

25:00

like every month.

It’s only during the seat, like during the summer.

25:05

They were not charging, they were not shipping, they did not have any wine to ship, but I think it

starts back up again around September and then every two months ships out.

25:14

OK, so free membership and then they will send you stuff in the mail and of course that charges.

Now, just out of general curiosity, are you able to tell them no on shipping you those or just with

25:26

your membership that’s free?

They take a credit card and automatically charge you for these shippings?

25:31

You know, I’m not sure actually the shippings are included with the membership.

I don’t know if you can skip a month, but what’s cool is they’re connected to Grape Creek Vineyards,

25:42

which is another really big winery right next to this one, and your membership will apply there too.

So if you wanted to go there and get a free tasting, you’re a member.

25:51

Very nice.

That’s like A2 Fer can’t go wrong with that.

25:55

Yeah.

It’s a good well, like giving it to them.

25:57

Good.

That’s a real FM hard moment right there.

25:59

The two.

Fer.

26:01

Yeah, this one’s pretty too.

When you drive up, it’s really, really pretty.

26:05

Same with this next one, Augusta Vin.

It’s a gorgeous property, and it’s actually one when you pull off of the 290.

26:12

You do have quite a bit of drive up through their driveway, but it’s vineyards on both sides as far

as you can see.

26:18

It’s really, really pretty when you go during the season where they’re full.

So I would highly recommend this one.

26:24

They have a gorgeous inside huge area.

They have a gorgeous patio area with like big couches.

26:32

And they have tables all over the grass where there’s vineyards on both sides of you.

And all of those tables have umbrellas too.

26:39

And so when we went out to Augusta Vin, it was actually in, gosh, I want to say June, June or July.

So it was very hot.

26:47

But the couches in the patio are covered, right?

So you’re in the shade.

26:50

Wasn’t that bad to sit out there?

No one was sitting actually on the tables with the umbrellas with the vineyard on both sides because

26:57

it was too hot.

But in the best weather that would be just a gorgeous place to have lunch.

27:03

I also got to give a shout out to their spread here because one of my biggest pet peeves with this

area is that not all the wineries do have food, which is annoying because you’re drinking wine all

27:13

day like you need food.

So this place does have small bites and they were good.

27:19

I fell in love with this warm Bree dip that had a sweet pepper jam on top of it.

It was so good.

27:29

I love the pepper jams.

I’m just thinking about it right now and when I saw that was written in our show notes, I was like,

27:37

I need this.

I need this right now.

27:38

Sounds so good.

Yeah, In fact, I bought that jam and I did make it at home, and it was good.

27:46

Another one that I went to that’s very different.

This one’s called Grape Town Vineyard, one of the first wineries I went to in Fredericksburg.

27:52

But it’s actually odd because it’s not a winery in the sense that they don’t have vineyards.

They just planted their Grapevine.

28:01

So they’re not actually harvesting yet.

They, I think they said they still had a couple years to go until they are, but they do.

28:06

A lot of wineries over here get their grapes from Lubbock, TX, which is a little more to the north,

and they grow a lot of grapes up there.

28:15

So they produce the grapes there, ship them down, then make the wine at the wineries here in in this

area.

28:21

And so that’s what they do.

But what makes this place interesting really is that it’s a safari wine farm tour and there is

28:29

another safari vineyard here in Fredericksburg if you can believe that there.

This place loves exotic animals, apparently.

28:37

I was going to say, you know what, this place right here, the Grape Town vineyard, as well as the

rhinery need to kind of merge a little bit because, you know, I can’t imagine they have a rhino

28:49

also.

And now we need a full-fledged, like, African safari out here if we combine.

28:54

Yeah, and then the Safari Winery too.

They have more animals, so they need to come together for Texas sized safari.

29:01

Well, So what type of animals do they have at Grape Town Vineyard?

Let me just back up to to describe how you can get on this excursion.

29:09

So you meet at a bar off of the road of the 290.

It’s very Texas.

29:17

And the best way I can describe this is like wood saloon doors, just like old school, like old

western kind of bar feel.

29:26

And when we showed up at like 9:30 in the morning for the 10:00 AM tour, we’re like, where the hell

are we?

29:32

Like, are we going to get killed out here?

And so it’s a bar.

29:38

You get your drink there in the morning.

Actually, don’t know how they got around the 10 AM rule.

29:43

So we get our drink.

We’re waiting.

29:45

The guy comes with the big safari tram.

It has multiple carts in it and multiple people start showing up.

29:53

You can bring your drink on the tram.

So you know Texas has these weird rules, right?

29:58

You can bring your drink in the car and you get on it’s open air.

This was in December, so this was the day.

30:04

It was like a little rainy and cold.

So not the best day for an open air tram, but it takes you up through up.

30:10

You get into their property and then you start seeing animals on the side.

So you see donkeys, goats, Longhorns, zebras.

30:19

And then finally you get to the giraffe and they have a a major giraffe that they rescued.

I think I saw on Instagram that they rescued another one from a border town, Texas and Mexico

30:29

recently.

Now they have two giraffes.

30:31

Yeah.

So the whole time it’s fun.

30:34

You’re looking at the animals.

Their animals are funny and weird, and they’re, like following you along as the tram is going to.

30:40

And then once that part of the tour is over, you get up to where the winery is and this is where

they have all their baby goats and you’re able to go into the pen.

30:49

Yes.

It’s so cute.

30:51

You’re chilling with them.

You’re trying to catch them.

30:53

The guys, like, helping you catch them.

They’re running around.

30:56

There’s like 30 baby goats around here and finally I got to hold one, take pictures.

Really, really cute.

31:04

I mean, I don’t know what is more Texas than wrangling animals on a wine barp.

Let alone entering into like an old school bar saloon with swing doors.

31:15

I mean, this thing has the whole ambiance here at Great Town Vineyard.

Like, I’m really surprised, but not surprised.

31:22

It sounds like a really good time, real interesting place to have some wine.

I was also thinking, you know, you could go to the rhinery and then go to this place to do the farm

31:32

tour and then go to the other safari place and you just have like a whole safari day, wine safari

day.

31:36

It’s kind of how it went, yeah.

So finally you go into the to the winery and you do your wine tasting and or they have wines from

31:45

not just their own but all over Texas wineries because they’re not not necessarily producing their

own wine at the moment.

31:52

So that’s all fun.

They give you a little bit of time.

31:56

They actually had grapes in the grape stomp for you to go into as well but it was just more like 1

bundle of grapes in a big barrel.

32:02

So wasn’t like your legit experience just for the picture really but it was a cool place, cool

experience and then they take you on the tram back to the bar and drop you off.

32:13

You can also get to Grape Town Vineyard by yourself if you drive straight there.

We just didn’t.

32:19

They had this tour set up to pick you up at the bar for some reason.

So next one is a really unique one and it’s called 290 Wine Castle.

32:30

Every time we go to Fredericksburg, we see this massive structure, this castle on the top of the

hill, and there’s a lot of old buildings out here in Texas and Austin that are made out of like Gray

32:41

brick.

And that’s exactly what this looks like.

32:43

It’s this old huge Gray brick castle, and we’ve always seen it.

We always wondered what that was.

32:50

And finally we got a recommendation to go there and we’ve realized it was a winery.

So we’re like, oh, hell yeah, we’re going to the 290 wine castle.

32:57

So you pull up.

It’s this great building, right?

32:59

Tons of parking.

Oh, by the way, there’s parking everywhere.

33:03

You do not have to worry about parking at any of these places.

So 290 Wine castle you walk in.

33:08

Their decor is like, kind of cute, but also kind of weird.

They have like weird statues, like a weird ghostly guy holding a tray at the front door and they

33:18

really like feed into the castle kind of vibes.

But it was cool.

33:23

It’s a huge place and when we went there was almost nobody there and there’s tons of rooms that you

could sit in there.

33:29

It’s a two-story building.

They had a whole outdoor second story balcony with tons of seating areas.

33:36

Nobody was out there.

Like you truly have these place to yourself and it really makes me think, like Napa, this place

33:42

would be so busy by the Guadalupe probably would be busy too.

But out here in Fredericksburg, it’s not busy at all and the wine was really good.

33:53

In fact, this is the first tasting that I didn’t just sit at the counter of the bar getting

tastings.

34:00

I had a tasting.

I went and walked around.

34:03

We ordered a pizza, came back for my second tasting of the set.

We went outside and sat on the balcony for a while, came back, got my third tasting like she even

34:12

came up to the room that we were sitting in with our pizza in the bottle for to pour me up on my

next.

34:17

Tasting.

Oh, I love that.

34:19

So yeah, it was really cool.

So when you said 290 wine castle, I had to say to myself, well, what does this castle look like?

34:27

So I’m Googling it right now as you’re talking about it, and I could see what you’re saying.

Well, first of all, I just want to let everybody know it looks like a castle.

34:35

I mean, it’s really in the name.

I don’t want to call this a drawbridge, but it does have some sort of bridge that you cross to get

34:41

into the entrance, right?

But it looks like the main area is just as big open inside.

34:48

And I can see what you’re saying where it’s kind of like, I don’t want to say weirdly designed, but

definitely a little bit unique for a winery, right?

34:55

But then I’m also seeing photos, what looks like it’s down in the cellar where people are able to

have kind of these weird lightings of a night sky and really kind of like black light stuff.

35:08

Did you get to experience that and go below?

Because I’m seeing this here at 290 Wine Cellar.

35:13

No, I didn’t see that.

All the more reason to go back then because I think these photos are from there and this looks like

35:18

it’s in the basement and it looks like it’s a starred sky with some nice colors that they put onto

it.

35:25

Real cool vibes down below.

I think in the in the dungeon I should say since it’s a castle.

35:32

Yeah, and they definitely, like, play into the dungeon castle kind of vibes with decor too, but they

were really, really nice there.

35:39

You know, wineries always make you feel just, like, chilling.

You’re not in a rush, you’re leisurely.

35:45

This place definitely gave those vibes, but it’s kind of like you have to balance that because

you’re trying to hit three to four wineries, but you’re also being leisurely because it’s such chill

35:55

vibes and there’s no rush and there’s no crowd.

So kind of have to balance those two, but it definitely is one of those ones.

36:01

You can stay and hang out for a while and they have good pizza.

I could see that based off of the photos and it sounds very intriguing to me.

36:08

Next one here is one of those ones that we kind of just saw on a Sunday.

It stays open till 6:00 PM when a lot of them close at 5 S untamed wines is another one right off

36:19

the 290.

Really easy to get into.

36:21

I love this place because it has those glass floor to ceiling walls and so you can see the vineyards

and it’s gorgeous, but you’re inside and you don’t have to be out in there.

36:33

They do have outside seating too if you want to sit out there, but I love the inside of this place.

They also brought out your tasting on this really cute tree thing and then when they set it down, it

36:43

like unhooks all of the wines at the same time.

It was kind of cool.

36:47

And they have sparkling wine here actually, so it’s really good.

It’s more of a dry wine kind of a place.

36:53

But what really makes a place sometimes is the people, you know, a lot of wineries have this maybe

myth that they’re hoity tweety or a little stuffy.

37:04

I know we hear that a lot about Napa, even though we haven’t been yet.

Not this place.

37:08

Untamed wines.

The staff is so funny.

37:11

We had this server who was just hilarious.

Like, we’ve been in a dry spell with rain out here.

37:17

There was no signs of rain on this day that we were here.

And she kept saying, like, I think it’s going to rain.

37:22

I think it’s going to rain.

And we’re like, this lady’s crazy.

37:25

And all of a sudden it starts to get windy and a storm literally blows in.

And we’re just like, celebrating.

37:32

She’s like, I’m going to go dance in the rain.

She hugged us goodbye like she was so friendly.

37:41

That’s funny.

So you know, you’ve named a lot of winery so far, and I know you still have another one to go, but

37:47

what’s the average cost for a tasting?

I think you’re looking at in the Twenties, $20.00 for tasting is kind of low, but a lot of them are

37:56

around 20 bucks.

The highest I think is around 35 that I’ve seen, but a lot of those in the 35 range come with a tiny

38:04

little bite with each of your tastings.

Oh, OK, that kind of makes it worth it.

38:08

So when you’re saying in the $20 range for tasting, what constitutes A tasting?

Are we talking like 4-5?

38:15

How big are the pores in terms of like ounces to full glass?

Like what are we looking at here?

38:21

Four to six tastings for each in the 20 to probably $26 range and they’re your typical one ounce

pores.

38:29

But I’ve definitely had bigger than one ounce pores and you could always use my favorite hack squad.

Tip ask can I revisit the cab?

38:38

Can I revisit the Chardonnay?

That line can I revisit?

38:42

Will always get you a second tasting for free.

Love that.

38:46

I mean, I don’t need anything to say that, but makes so much sense.

It’s the best phrasing to use.

38:52

Can I revisit the cab?

Oh yeah, you’re you’re talking wine language.

38:55

They know what you mean.

I.

38:59

Love it.

Now last and final one that I’ve been to is Dos Peach House coming in with that German.

39:05

This is not your typical winery though it’s actually not a winery at all.

They do make wines but they don’t have vineyards here.

39:11

It’s it’s not that kind of a winery.

It’s more of a stop that I would highly recommend you you take it and it is at the Far East end of

39:21

the wine region.

It’s this shop, it’s a huge property actually.

39:26

You can stay there.

They have culinary classes there.

39:29

They have all the jams that hot pepper jam.

This is what makes it Dos Peach House.

39:34

It’s actually a different name of the official company, but they sell it here.

They have the coolest thing though for your wine tasting, I think it was 6 wines and it’s

39:44

self-serve.

So you get your six cups and you go up to the little wall of wine and then you choose which one you

39:51

want.

You scan your card, you push the button.

39:54

It fills up your tasting so you don’t have to get them all at once.

Or you could get them all at once and self-serve baby.

40:01

That actually reminds me of the place that we went to during the night of my Bachelorette, where we

went to.

40:07

Yes.

That wine place and you went up to the wall, you selected the one you wanted, put your card in and

40:13

then it would pour for you.

So was it similar to that?

40:16

Like same content?

Yeah, exactly like that.

40:18

They had a sweet Peach wine and a sweet Peach sparkling wine here.

So good.

40:23

Like Fredericksburg is known for Peaches in this region, so they were killing it with the Peach game

here.

40:29

I do love Peach wine, Peach beer, all thing Peach flavored, so I would love this.

You would love it.

40:36

And what really draws me to this place, and I would come back for it, is they have this really cute

big pond there and they have these adorable chairs, like wood lounge chairs all around the pond,

40:48

little tables.

So you can just have your tastings next to the pond lounging on these chairs and it looks like

40:55

you’re in a little forest.

It’s really cute and really good vibes there.

40:59

Again, not busy at all, so you will not have a hard time finding a spot to sit.

There are so many wineries out there though.

41:05

Like I really dream of going back like every weekend.

I obviously can’t go all of that much.

41:11

So have a lot of time to knock off all of them, but there’s a few that are definitely on my list.

Senor Vineyards right across from the the Rhinery right across from Heath Vineyards in that same

41:23

vicinity.

It’s this gorgeous property.

41:27

Again with the huge vineyards, the huge property, the huge winery itself has a huge outdoor bar.

It’s very outdoor friendly, so I want to time it when the weather’s good to be outdoors.

41:37

It looks absolutely gorgeous and I really want to go there.

So if that’s like your hoity toity kind, on the other end of that spectrum is Fat Ass winery.

41:46

It’s donkey themed and they have like they really play into it.

They welcome Bachelorette parties.

41:51

If you come there on your Bachelorette, you actually get a free drink.

They have funny signs to take pictures with they.

41:57

That really plays into the fat ass kind of theme of everything.

I want to go there and check that one out.

42:03

I want to go there and check it out and I don’t even know what it looks like just by the name ’cause

if they’re going to come at you with the name like that, I feel like there this has to be a good

42:10

little vibe or situation going on, right?

I mean, they’re putting it in the fat ass and I love how it’s on, you know, donkeys, ’cause I wasn’t

42:19

even thinking of that at 1st till you said it.

I thought they were just, you know, calling fat ass, but it makes pull a lot of sense now.

42:25

It’s donkey thing.

Do they have a donkey on property I need to know?

42:29

I don’t know, but I do think they’re dog friendly.

One of the, you know, funner wineries that will allow dogs, but if they don’t have an ass on the

42:38

property, they really need to fix that.

Yeah, I.

42:40

Was going to say they need to change that ASAP.

The other one that I have on my list that I really wanted to hit up last time, but we just ran out

42:48

of time.

It’s called Slate Theory Winery and it’s a wine cave and they do their tastings at tables in The

42:55

Cave and that seems really cool seen.

Anything quite like that.

42:59

I would be intrigued to go there just for that aspect of there on a hot summer day.

Go into The Cave, The Cave is naturally cool anyway.

43:06

Just the whole on beyond Send vibe.

That is really something, and I’m really intrigued to try Slate Theory winery when we make our way

43:14

out there.

Yeah, the closest I’ve been to.

43:16

A wine cave is like a cave bar.

We went to one.

43:21

I want to say it was it Croatia We did go to in Croatia.

But it wasn’t really a winery.

43:26

It was a bar.

Yeah, but.

43:28

It did exit out to ocean views, so it was really nice place to go for sunset.

So I just imagined something like that.

43:36

How cool that would be, but obviously not over the water with Sunset.

Yeah, you guys haven’t been on to Via to.

43:41

Guadalupe, recently you were on the kick, but I have a cave winery recommendation for you out there.

Next time.

43:48

Well, let us know it right now.

If you know what it is because talking about this, of course we need to get out there and come to

43:54

Texas wine country.

But I am really craving via to Guadalupe hard right now.

44:00

So the winery out in.

Guadalupe that is a cave is called vena cava and they do take you in their small cave and do

44:08

tastings in there.

OK, I have heard of that.

44:11

I.

Didn’t know that there was a cave there, but makes sense with the name, so we will definitely add

44:16

that on our list.

Thanks for that recommendation, Kim.

44:18

Really excited to try that one out.

So I know the.

44:22

Highlight of Texas wine country is obviously the wine, but you did mention that there is a downtown

area in Fredericksburg.

44:29

What is that like?

Have you strolled the town at all?

44:32

We did go into Fredericksburg.

Yes, on one of our trips in there and immediately was very apparent that it’s a Germantown.

44:41

It’s this historic, quaint little town.

Like I said, you can have your drinks in your hand when you’re walking around the town.

44:47

Part of it and their shops, they’re like the things that you would typically imagine, antiques,

little gifts, like things that middle-aged women and grandmas would like.

44:57

Cute little stuff.

Crystal shops.

44:59

They had a really cool crystal shop there that I wanted to buy everything that I could not afford,

but it was a really beautiful shop, so it’s really cool.

45:06

We also ate at Fredericksburg Brewing Co, good spot for lunch.

They had a lot of German stuff on the menu, so if you’re feeling like German food, that’s a good

45:14

place to go.

I’ve also heard of Eker’s BBQ.

45:19

The food looks amazing there and I was so pissed because they were.

They’re closed on Sundays and of course we’ve been going to Fredericksburg on Sundays so we haven’t

45:27

been able to hit it up.

But I have a friend who went and said it’s absolutely amazing BBQ.

45:32

I do love a good BBQ.

And you know now that I have had Kansas City BBQ, Texas BBQ, Carolina BBQ, any other BBQ we’ve had

45:42

Memphis style.

Barbecue or Tennessee style when you were Nashville.

45:46

Other stuff.

Texas is my.

45:48

Favorite BBQ?

Kansas City Beat out Kansas City, huh?

45:53

It did beat out Kansas City.

I will say this though, the ribs in.

45:56

Kansas City were pretty bombed, but Brittany and I are brisket people and nobody does BBQ brisket

like Texas.

46:02

It’s not the same on there.

So you know based off of that we’re going to have to go with Texas BBQ.

46:08

But I will say this, Kansas City coming in hot with the sauce though their sauce, their sauce is

really good.

46:13

I’m a sauce person, so.

I love to hear that.

46:16

But yeah, Texas baby Ekers.

So when you guys come out and we do a little wine tasting, we’ll hit up Ekers.

46:22

Well, apparently we’re going to have to go on a Saturday.

Not a Sunday, so 100% and we’ll do the.

46:27

We’ll do a tour or something so you don’t have to be the DD Jamal.

Yeah, that sounds like a good plan.

46:32

You.

Know, maybe if we’re all there together, then Louis won’t feel too bad riding alone with you on that

46:38

little pink bus.

And then we’ll just kind of make a little event of it.

46:42

Oh my gosh, yes.

But you guys have to.

46:43

Wear wigs to fit in.

Are you cool with that?

46:47

Oh, I I I might be.

Stepping back from that tour, then you would look great at the.

46:53

Blonde Last place I’ll say is.

That if you’re going to Fredericksburg.

46:59

If you’re going to be in this 290 wine region, then hit up Lydell’s or any of the Peach cobbler

Peach sign spots that you’ll see on the side of the road.

47:08

You definitely need Peach cobbler.

You definitely need Peach ice cream.

47:13

You might or might not be able to get it in Fredericksburg town, but you will see signs along this

290 highway for Peaches.

47:20

Just pull off at any one of those and they’ll have it.

It’s so good it’s a must have.

47:25

And then also if you’re planning on coming, try to hit up one of the many events that they have this

whole stretch from Johnson City into Fredericksburg.

47:32

They will make a festival out of anything.

They have the Fredericksburg Peach Festival in July, Fredericksburg Hot Air Balloon Festival in

47:40

November, The Fredericksburg Grape Stomps in August that are at several different wineries

throughout it.

47:47

Johnson City too.

Coming in hot.

47:49

This tiny little town has one of the biggest Christmas light displays in America.

Actually was on the New York Times best of list recently.

48:01

Their lights are so crazy you can see them from space.

So Christmas could be a good time to come out to the wineries too.

48:08

That sounds really cool.

I mean, I’d I’d love when little places or even not so little if we’re going to take the wine region

48:15

as a whole.

But I love when they do certain things that are unique.

48:19

And I would not expect somewhere in the middle of Texas wine region that the city called Johnson

City is going to have Christmas lights that are so big that you can see from space like it’s

48:28

Griswold from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation or something that is for.

Johnson Hey, Yeah, they got to do something out there, I guess.

48:36

So they take it seriously.

So I’m very excited to share that it is time for questions of the week.

48:51

Your favorite time of the.

Episode and I’m really excited.

48:55

Shout out.

Erica Explorers because she sent us in a question on our Instagram, she said.

49:01

I’d love to know about the best way to get around and best area to stay for also doing tastings.

She’d actually been here, wasn’t quite sure, and I understand because there isn’t a ton of great

49:13

information out there on this region.

It’s not massively popular like Napa or VA, which has been up and coming for a while.

49:21

It’s kind of a hidden gem and I feel like a lot of places in Texas are, so we need to air out the

information here.

49:27

I already said a lot about best ways to get around.

There are a lot of good options out there, so I think we’re covered there.

49:33

As far as the best area to stay, I think anywhere along that 290 route you will have options and all

of these tours will pick you up from your hotel or you can hop on the shuttle like they do.

49:46

So I don’t know if it necessarily matters where to stay.

As long as you’re anywhere between Johnson City and Fredericksburg, you’re in the wine route and you

49:53

will be very close to wineries.

The 290 wine castle has a resort property on there, so I think that would be a good one to stay at.

50:01

It looks really cool.

It’s new.

50:03

It’s like old school motel style.

They have a cool pool and if you really want to go crazy, there’s one I’ve been really looking at

50:10

called Stay Onera.

There are these gorgeous glamping like treehouse properties.

50:16

They’re all these like odd geometric shaped buildings with hot tubs and balconies in the trees.

It’s not dog friendly though, which is kind of the one thing that’s held me back from booking.

50:29

But it’s a gorgeous stay.

If you want to splurge a little bit and enjoy your stay there.

50:35

Really good advice on that and.

Actually, a really good question because one of the things I was thinking about too is like where do

50:41

you stay out here?

I mean, is the hotels really only going to be in Fredericksburg and Johnson City or is there stuff

50:47

along the 290 route?

And I think you kind of like answered that.

50:51

So that’s really cool.

And I think really awesome how all the wineries in the region are kind of, I don’t want to say,

50:56

joining together, but you at least have that shuttle that will pick you up and bounce you around, so

you don’t really need to drive.

51:02

Yeah, absolutely.

I encourage.

51:04

Everyone to come out here.

It’s a really, really cool region.

51:07

It’s not too expensive, it’s not crowded.

You can really stay a while, enjoy yourself and let me know if you’re coming because I’ll meet up with you nice.