Where: Driftwood, Texas
When: June 4, 2015
With: Dave, Patricia and Lazar
Did you know Texas has a wine region? Ok, because neither did I. At least I'm not alone, thanks.
About an hour west of Austin sits the Texas Hill Country. It is known for two things: wine and wildflowers. Two things I didn't know existed in Texas. So during our trip to Austin, we decided to take a day trip for some wine tasting and exploration of this region.
While the drive definitely has its parts that are desert-like (how you would picture Texas), there were a ton of a wildflowers. This is thanks to Lyndon B. Johnson's wife, Lady Bird. She had a passion for wildflowers and since this is where they lived post-Presidency, the area is covered in them. We were not there when they are in-season, so no great photos, but still, a really pretty area.
Back to the wine. The main city in the Texas Hill Country is Fredericksburg, which is about 70 miles west of Austin. To head out there would be a very long day trip, but the road from Austin to Fredericksburg, Highway 290, is called the Fredericksburg Wine Road due to all the wineries along the way. So while we didn't make it all the way to the heart of Hill Country, we definitely drove the most important road in it.
Our first stop was at the Fall Creek Vineyards. It had beautiful gardens, a nice cool porch, and a great tasting room.
When: June 4, 2015
With: Dave, Patricia and Lazar
Did you know Texas has a wine region? Ok, because neither did I. At least I'm not alone, thanks.
About an hour west of Austin sits the Texas Hill Country. It is known for two things: wine and wildflowers. Two things I didn't know existed in Texas. So during our trip to Austin, we decided to take a day trip for some wine tasting and exploration of this region.
While the drive definitely has its parts that are desert-like (how you would picture Texas), there were a ton of a wildflowers. This is thanks to Lyndon B. Johnson's wife, Lady Bird. She had a passion for wildflowers and since this is where they lived post-Presidency, the area is covered in them. We were not there when they are in-season, so no great photos, but still, a really pretty area.
Back to the wine. The main city in the Texas Hill Country is Fredericksburg, which is about 70 miles west of Austin. To head out there would be a very long day trip, but the road from Austin to Fredericksburg, Highway 290, is called the Fredericksburg Wine Road due to all the wineries along the way. So while we didn't make it all the way to the heart of Hill Country, we definitely drove the most important road in it.
Our first stop was at the Fall Creek Vineyards. It had beautiful gardens, a nice cool porch, and a great tasting room.
The main reason for stopping at Fall Creek was to be sure we were close the vineyard/BBQ across the road, The Salt Lick, by noon. This is a world-renowned barbecue joint in Texas and a must-do for the region. It gets wildly busy, so we had to be there right at lunchtime.
Even with our prompt arrival, we still had a 40 minute wait. Luckily they have a tasting room to pass the time. So we tried a few glasses, then bought a bottle meant to go well with our lunch, and had a glass while listening to some live music.
When we finally got our table and headed inside, the first thing to greet us was this monstrous smoker filled with a lot of meat. I was shocked. Definitely not veggie-friendly here. While they do offer an all-you-can-eat family style option on the menu, we restrained ourselves and just ordered individual plates of their brisket and pork. Delicious.
After lunch, we went to a few more vineyards. I'll admit that I don't remember the names of them all, but one stood out simply for its ground and its views. It was called the Driftwood Estate Winery. This is our obligatory group shot at the entrance.
The winery had a giant lawn filled with chairs that looked out on the rolling green hills of the Hill Country. It was stunning. We could have stayed there all day.
While our day in the Hill Country was short, it was definitely wine-filled and made us appreciate the beauty of this region of Texas. I guess we just need to go back to explore more. Oh well.
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