By Lisa Waterman Gray Freelance Food and Travel Writer
Combine a walkable downtown with delicious food and wine and you have the tasty essence of a weekend stay.
If you love dark, decadent chocolate, you’ll adore the liquid-center confections that burst open and flood your mouth with deliciousness, from Quintessential Chocolate/Chocolat. Crafted using a centuries-old technique, they’re infused with non-alcoholic fillings, more than 20 liquors/liqueurs, luscious port, and other wine. In the mood for a cool treat? While touring, sample ultra-fresh Italian ice perhaps with a pour of Prosecco at bright and bold Piccolina.
Another mainstay in the heart of town is Becker Vineyards Main Street tasting room. This is a must-do for wine enthusiasts. It occupies a vintage, former Buick dealership with plenty of original neon. Winemaking thrives in this climate reminiscent of the Mediterranean, and Becker grows more than a dozen grape varieties. They work with other Texas growers and were the state’s first maker of Malbec and Viognier wines.
Grape Creek Vineyards has a Main Street tasting room too. Check out the estate vineyard and winery, where guided tastings reflect your personal taste preferences. Less than 10 minutes from downtown, Signor Vineyards offers tasty varietals amid gorgeous natural and man-made beauty.
Also nearby, family-run Pedernales Cellars features a grassy hillside turned underground wine cellar. Concerned about their environmental impact, Pedernales Cellars uses a geothermal system that cools their cellar and case storage facility.
Be sure to check out Kalasi Cellars too, the passion project of spouses, Greg and Nikhila Narra Davis. Kalasi Cellars reflects Nikhila’s broad winemaking education and experience, along with the couple’s enthusiastic wine tastings. Taste their grapes from the 140-acre family vineyard in Sangiovese Rosé, Malbecs, fresh-tasting white Albariño and others.
There’s also a great trio of locally owned eateries in downtown Fredericksburg. Inside a historic building, Sunday Supply offers fresh coffee and pastries to wine and curated picnic fare. Savor your choices on the patio alongside a cocktail from the renovated VW Das Bar Bus. Or enjoy fine dining at the adjacent Hill and Vine, a huge restaurant with a somewhat rustic vibe. This is the place where meal-sized salads meet gargantuan surf and turf plates, and hearty tenderloin sandwiches.
More tasty local restaurants include cozy basement bistro, Vaudeville, offering organic salads, charcuterie boards, and gourmet sandwiches. Or order dinner on the intimate Alla Campagne patio, from handcrafted pizzas to massive pasta plates, and decadent tiramisu.
Inside its Main Street shop, Fischer & Wieser offers more than 150 sauces, jams, and jellies. However, for your best ‘taste’ of F&W, visit the original Farmstead store. Mouthwatering products line the walls inside Das Peach Haus®, once a roadside market where Wieser sold fresh peaches and his mother’s jellies. Customer favorite flavors include multi-award-winning The Original Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce, and Amaretto Peach Pecan Preserves.
Co-founded by Mark Wieser and Case Fischer, the company’s offerings have expanded enormously with the help of Fischer’s family . Our group enjoyed a delicious evening meal inside Fischer & Wieser’s Cooking School. Selections included ultra-fresh Grilled Peach Rice and Arugula Salad with Peach Habanero Vinaigrette, and Tomato Galette.
There was also succulent Plum Garlic Pork Tenderloin and Chocolate Pot de Crème. Wines crafted by Fischer’s son and Napa-trained winemaker, Simon, accompanied the delicious meal.
Nightcaps at Dietz Distillery followed. After his European distilling education, a second son, Dietz, runs the business with his sister, Elle. Think cocktails such as Bee’s Knees, with house-made Five Judges Gin, lemon juice and honey syrup, to Berry Lemon Drop, with Himberre vodka, lemon juice, simple syrup, and a sugar rim. Natural wood, bright lights and comfortable seating fill the tasting room.
You can even spend the night here! Book a five-bedroom, 1910 Farmhouse, an 1894 Private Palace Pullman Car for two, a cozy ‘tiny home’ or a lovingly-revamped 30-foot Airstream trailer.
Near Becker Vineyards tasting room, Hill Country Herb Garden Restaurant and Spa nestles amid beautiful mature trees and edible or spa-friendly plants. Antique stone buildings house the spa, some cozy lodging, and the restaurant, known for its emphasis on fresh, natural ingredients. My lunch began with a tall, refreshing glass of Green Goddess, which incorporated kale, celery, spinach, apple, and peach juices, plus aloe, spirulina, and vitamins. Then I savored a pair of shrimp spring rolls with two dipping sauces.
If you enjoy homemade ice cream or big breakfasts, and a vintage vibe, be sure to check out the 1940s-inspired Airport Diner. This is also a place where there are aircraft views of the nearby Gillespie County Airport. It’s part of Hangar Hotel & Conference Center whose pilot owner wanted to create a hotel that resembles a WWII military hangar. His goal was to honor the city’s long history as a war training destination and home to the National Museum of the Pacific War. Reserve a booth for dinner at the enormous retro Officers’ Club, and a cocktail at the Tiki bar, operating inside the low-lit Pacific Showroom.
For a delicious taste of Texas wines and local foods, plan a trip to Fredericksburg soon.