Wining & dining in the Lone Star State

While the popular image of Texan cuisine may conjure up thoughts of steak, Mexican fare and even more steak, a trip to the state reveals a different side to local gastronomy which comfortably coexists alongside those more traditional favourites.

Day four began with an exploration of the community of Fredericksburg, located an hour north of San Antonio in the Hill Country of Texas, a lush green region where deer are just as frequently spotted as the cattle along the roadsides. The quaint town of 12,000 is complete with a downtown area lined with boutique shops and restaurants, many showcasing the German heritage of the original settlers who founded the community around the same time as San Antonio’s King William District.

But with 29 wineries, this small town is entering the big leagues with a listing in Wine Enthusiast’s Top 10 Wine Destinations, rubbing shoulders with powerhouses like Napa Valley.

According to Amanda Koone, communications manager for the Fredericksburg Convention & Visitors Bureau, a growing accommodations sector has emerged alongside the wine scene, with more than 400 bed and breakfasts and similar establishments in the surrounding area such as The All Seasons Collection, a group of properties throughout the community including the luxury cabins of Wine Country Estates located right in the downtown, where myself and other team members stayed (the remaining members stayed at All Seasons’ Victorian Mansion property located a few blocks away). Ernie Loeffler, president/CEO of the CVB told PAX that the community is in its fifth straight week of complete bookings for the 1,200 rooms available in its various accommodations.

Following an exploration of the downtown core, we began our culinary journey through the Hill Country with lunch at the Fredericksburg Brewery, where assistant brewmaster Alton Huebner showcased six of the 22 varieties of beer available, from a light blonde to dark porter. Brewing craft batches including some with local ingredients such as chili peppers and peaches, the brewery is just about to expand its products from beyond the restaurant to store shelves, Huebner told PAX.

A short trip into the countryside brought us to Grape Creek Vineyards, where guide Debra Strickland provided samples of the reds and whites produced at the property and explained the winemaking process from harvest to aging and all points in between. Established in 1984 by a retired oilman, the vineyard ships 40,000 cases of wine made from 250,000 tons of fruit each year, Strickland said, with the peak season for visiting oenophiles taking place in spring and fall.

Just across the street on the north side of the Wine Route (as Highway 290 is called in the Hill Country) is Four Point O Cellars, where the team tried raw milk cheeses paired with a variety of wines from the three local vineyards which provide the stock for the business. Carl Hudson, Four Point O’s wine educator, explained that while foodie items like wine and cheese may seem out of place in the Lone Star State, he takes a different view.

“We’ve always been an agricultural state and what we do with grapes is in keeping with that tradition,” Hudson said. “Also, Texas was known for its beef – but when you think about it, cheese is just another product from that beef market.”

Hudson told PAX that the growing wine scene in the Hill Country is centred around Fredericksburg, where many of the approximately five million visitors to the region each year stay on their vacations.

But tradition in Texas is never far away. A short stop in the small town of Luckenbach was up next, where the local Luckenbach Saloon hosts live music and informal jam sessions every night of the week, sometimes drawing a big name to the fabled concerts; earlier this month, actor Hugh Laurie of House fame turned up filming a music documentary, putting his guitar skills on display for an appreciative audience.

Wrapping up the day and trip was a visit to the famed Hill Top Café, a converted gas station outside of Fredericksburg where visitors now fuel themselves with live music and traditional Texan fare like chicken-fried steak. The restaurant has been owned since 1981 by musician Johnny Nicholas, who’s accomplishments with country band Asleep At The Wheel include several Grammy Awards. Nicholas took to the keyboards for a performance that night while our team enjoyed their last dinner of the week.

It may not have been wine and cheese, but there couldn’t have been a more fitting way to end a journey deep into the heart of Texas.

PHOTO: Of the Fredericksburg CVB: Karyn Mayo, tourism sales manager; Ernie Loeffler, president/CEO; and Amanda Koone, communications manager