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| A Country Outhouse in Fredricksburg |
Deep in the heart of Texas lies a little town with a big personality!
Fredricksburg, a magnificent
town with German roots, just to the West of Austin. (Listen carefully and you might hear some Texasdeutsch.) It is not common knowledge that Texas has a growing number of vineyards and this town in particular plays a big role in the Texas vineyard scene.
Having lived in the Hill Country so close to the Vineyards it is surprising that I did not take the time to visit them while it was convenient. However, the opportunity arose after moving back to Houston, when that ever present travel itch began to grow increasingly frustrating. Without enough time to leave the country, we decided it was time to hit the open road and go for a long drive.
Hearts set on the Hill Country but not knowing where we would stop we made our way down
US Highway 290 admiring the various vineyards. Many looked appealing but one in particular caught our eye. Atop a hill sat an inviting Italianate villa surrounded by fields of vines. This was the one! Pulling in through the gates onto the gravel drive, with vines on either side of us, it felt as though we had just driven out of Texas and arrived in Italy.
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| Welcome to Grape Greek Vineyard |
Grape Creek Vineyards is a family run establishment that offers wine tasting as well as tours for people stopping by. On the tour you are first taken to the crush pad where the magic happens and the grapes are crushed into juice. Here you learn about the process of production and take a sneak peak at the machines used. Leaving the crush pad, you enter the tank room where massive tanks sit fermenting the grapes into the perfect wines. The stainless steel barrels filling the room are a stunning display of industrial art and are fascinating to see before entering the "barrel room" which is such a stark contrast. Here wooden barrels line the walls creating a romantic room where the wine can relax into its full self. Here you taste a couple wines out of two different oak barrels. It is fascinating to taste the wine straight from the barrels because even though the grapes are the same, have been prepared the same way, and are on the same timeline, the barrels they are in make them taste completely different.
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| In the Heart of the Machinery |
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| The Tank Room |
We were educated to taste the subtle differences of the wine in the barrels, it whets your appetite to taste more. Back at the main shop we enjoyed a tasting, our choice of six fabulous Grape Creek wines. Each bottle offering a divine liquid with the perfect combination of flavor and weight to tantalize the pallet in its own appropriate manner. (I thoroughly enjoyed the
Cabernet Blanc and my date was enraptured by their special blend,
Bellissimo.)
Grape Creek Vineyard was the perfect date location. We left feeling like we had received a fun education somewhere far far away. However, Fredricksburg is more than just vineyards, so we made our way into the town to explore.
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| The Barrel Room |
The town is host to a plethora of eclectic shops where you can buy unique goods from the South. Walk down main street and everything from jewelry and home goods to
breweries and wine tasting rooms jump out at you. Meandering down the road with the sound of live bands coming from various locations, it is hard to believe you are in such a small town as you get lost in the rich culture of Fredricksburg.
We had an unforgettable time in this quaint Texas town and will definitely be going back soon! The next time you find yourself itching to go on a road trip through Texas, make sure to make a stop in Fredricksburg!
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| Texas Hill Country Vineyard... Fredricksburg, Texas |
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