Rock & Vine

ROCK&Vine *RRG OLIH LQ WKH 7H[DV +LOO &RXQWU\

Maestros

RI WKH )UHGHULFNVEXUJ )RRG :LQH )HVWLYDO

)($785( *URZLQJ JUDSHV LQ D ZDWHU VHQVLWLYH SDUW RI 7H[DV )$// )5('(5,&.6%85* 7(;$6

FOODIES AND OENOPHIILES REJOICE! If “food” is your middle name and wine is your game,

but also has the largest Texas wine list in the country

then the Cabernet Grill is your match made in heaven.

— with the knowledgeable waitstaff to go with it.

Chef Ross Burtwell, author of Texas Hill Country

Fresh ingredients sourced from local and regional

Cuisine; Flavors from the Cabernet Grill Texas Wine Country Restaurant, not only serves up some of the most spectacular cuisine,

growers. An elegant yet casual dining atmosphere.

A deep-rooted passion for food and wine flowing from the kitchen. Welcome home!

Take the taste home with Chef Ross Burtwell’s new book Texas Hill Country Cuisine.

830 990 5734 | cabernetgrill.com | Fredericksburg, Texas On Hwy 16, just 2.8 miles south of Main Street

Our RosĂŠ Colored Glasses

TASTE. TOUR.Belong!

fredericksburg

|

grapecreek.com

|

georgetown

ROCK

EDITOR’S NOTE

&Vine Good life in the Texas Hill Country Issue No. 6

5RFN 9LQH 0DJD]LQH IHDWXUHV WKH EHVW RI WKH 7H[DV +LOO &RXQWU\ ZLQH LQGXVWU\ DV ZHOO DV OLIH VW\OH DWWUDFWLRQV KLVWRU\ FKDUDFWHUV DQG PRUH

3KRWRJUDSKHU 6WHYH 5DZOV FKDWV ZLWK FKHIV /HR $JXLUUH DQG -HVVH )URVW DW RXU FRYHU SKRWR VKRRW ² 6WDII SKRWR

$ SURGXFW RI )UHGHULFNVEXUJ 3XEOLVKLQJ &RPSDQ\ ,QF

C

ulinary tourism pairs well with our local wine and shopping tourism industry and this year’s 2nd Annual 25th Anniversary of the Fredericksburg Food & Wine Festival is welcoming all tourists to town on Oct. 20-22. (Last year was a total wash out, hence “2nd Annual.�)

The culinary scene has taken off here, thanks in large part to the explosive growth of the wine industry and some talented, inventive chefs taking up residence. Our small town boasts roughly 80 restaurants to serve the 2 million visitors and the diversity of food offerings has grown well beyond schnitzel and sausage.

In this issue also looked into what the grape industry is doing to our water tables and how local school districts are educating students to work in the wine industry, which like all businesses needs workers.

As the Hill Country also is a huge wedding destination, we also asked some brides about their big day.

Thanks for reading, Ken Esten Cooke Editor & Publisher

5RFN 9LQH 0DJD]LQH : 0DLQ 6W 3 2 %R[ )UHGHULFNVEXUJ 7; 7R DGYHUWLVH FDOO RXU VWDII DW WKH QXPEHU EHORZ

3XEOLVKHU (GLWRU .HQ (VWHQ &RRNH &RQWULEXWLQJ :ULWHUV &KULVWLQH *UDQDGRV 0DWWKHZ (VWH <YRQQH +DUWPDQQ /RUHOHL +HOPNH $QQ 7D\ORU 6WHYH 7D\ORU 0F.HQ]LH :HGHO

$GYHUWLVLQJ ,QIRUPDWLRQ

$GYHUWLVLQJ 6DOHV &LQG\ &ODUN 6XEVFULSWLRQ ,QIRUPDWLRQ IRU RQH \HDU

&RQWULEXWLQJ 3KRWRJUDSKHU *UDSKLFV 6WHYH 5DZOV

About the cover: Chefs Ross Burtwell, Jesse Frost, Josh Raymer and Leo Aguirre gather in the kitchen of Cabernet Grill.

(Photo by Steve Rawls)

MERLOT

Â&#x2021;

ROSĂ&#x2030;

Â&#x2021;

Â&#x2021;

PORT

SWEET RED

Â&#x2021;

MUSCAT

Â&#x2021; SYRAH

Â&#x2021;

NOIR

Â&#x2021;

SAUVIGNON

MUSCAT CANELLI

Â&#x2021;

SANGIOVESE

Â&#x2021;

PETIT

Â&#x2021;

VERDOT

Â&#x2021;

SEMILLON

Â&#x2021;

PINOT

4

ORANGE

CABERNET

SWEET

Â&#x2021;

Â&#x2021;

Â&#x2021; GERWURZTRAMINER

ROCK&Vine

5266 %857:(//

-26+ 5$<0(5

Maestros /(2 $*8,55(

6

-(66( )5267

ROCK&Vine

Chefs conduct gastronomic melodies from local kitchens

By Christine Granados

L

ike maestros at the podium, four local chefs will orchestrate harmonious pairing of food and wine at the Second Annual 25th Anniversary of the Fredericksburg Food and Wine Fest, Saturday, Oct. 22 at Marktplatz.

The culinary acumen of Ross Burtwell, Josh Raymer, Jesse Frost and Leo Aguirre will be on display at the Grape Expectations Cooking School and a Twenty Five at Five cooking show events.

Audience members will have the opportunity to experience four distinct personalities.

Chef Ross Burtwell, who owns Cabernet Grill, might be considered the Pierre Boulez of the Hill Country culinary world.

He has a sophisticated air about him like the French conductor Boulez, and like the maestro, he helped blaze a radical new path in dining.

Cabernet Grill was the first restaurant in the state to offer a wine list comprised solely of Texas wines. Burtwell trained his staff to pair the wines with the Texas menu he created, according to Edible Austin magazine.

He saw a 28 percent increase in wine sales, Burtwell told Edible Austin. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The absolute best food and wine pairings are simple to find if you follow the rule: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;What grows together, goes together.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;?

Burtwell said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It does not matter if the wines are from France, Australia, California or where ever, when you pair them up with food that is grown and produced in the same area that the grapes are grown in, you are going to find a natural synergy of flavors that do not need to be manipulated. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Of course, the Cabernet Grill is known for serving â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;only Texasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; wines so we source as much food from Texas, as possible,â&#x20AC;? he said.

1' $118$/ 7+ $118$/ )5('(5,&.6%85* )22' :,1( )(67,9$/

ROCK&Vine

As a former chef turned baker Chef Josh Raymer, owner of Joju Bakery, is also a pitchman. He can be likened to Burhans because like the American conductor, who is a multi-instrumentalist, Raymer has his hands in all components of baking. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We get all of our milled flour from Waco Grist Mill, which is challenging and al-so super nutritious, super flavorful,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fresh stone milled flours go crazy. They have a lot of flavor, all the essential oils, all the germs, all the nutrition, but they also donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t behave themselves. When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re getting small lots of wheat, it changes from lot to lot.â&#x20AC;?

Raymerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to local ingredients had him scouting local vineyards as potential places to grow wheat. Doug Lewis, owner of Lewis Wines in Johnson City, agreed to plant wheat on 25 acres behind the winery for Raymerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bakery. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I pitch stuff like this like a used car salesman to anyone who will listen. Not only did (Lewis) like it but he came back and said weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll do it,â&#x20AC;? Raymer said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We got an old German guy who agreed we would do the combine. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the hardest part â&#x20AC;&#x201D; getting the wheat from the field. My real interest is in all the sustainable stuff.â&#x20AC;?

Raymer, who was a chef at Navajo Grill for 20 years, switched gears to own and operate Joju Bakery, where he now bakes artisan breads.

Jesse Frost, the executive chef at Navajo Grill, is part of a generation of new young chefs that are challenging traditional boundaries. Like Greensteinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s post-genre sensibility of mixing different styles and instruments, Frost isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afraid to infuse his food with different styles. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The restaurant is really suited to the food I like to cook,â&#x20AC;? Frost said about Navajo Grill. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I like southwestern flavors, a little bit of Creole, a little bit of Caribbean

7LFNHWV â&#x2013;ś *HQHUDO DGPLVVLRQ WLFNHWV IRU 6DWXUGD\ 2FW DUH SHU SHUVRQ Ä â&#x2013;ś &RRNLQJ 6FKRRO WLFNHWV DUH SHU SHUVRQ

stuff. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a great opportunity. I love cooking in that kitchen as they really give me a lot of freedom to do what I like.â&#x20AC;?

Navajo Grill is known for its ingredientdriven cuisine and a Southern cuisine that blends old and new Mexican influences with touches of New Orleans and the Caribbean â&#x20AC;&#x153;When pairing, I like to pull out the more background notes from the wine and build a dish around those flavors,â&#x20AC;? Frost said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For example, is the wine fruity or floral, does it have hints of leather, oak, pepper, etc. Once I pick up on those subtleties, then I can balance the dish better. These are the elements that become the inspiration when Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going through the creative process.â&#x20AC;?

Like Greensteinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music, Frostâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cooking is open to many different influences.

Eager, open and charismatic are words used to describe both the Venezuelan conductor Dudamel and Chef Leo Aguirre.

Both came from humble beginnings and both conduct their business with their vivacious personalities.

Aguirre, who works for Fischer & Wieser Gourmet Foods as a chef and retail manager, and is attending the Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, is grounded in family. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My palate wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t as evolved until getting married and then my wife introduced me to new and exciting authentic Mexican flavors. It was so different from all the TexMex that I had grown up on,â&#x20AC;? Aguirre said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;On one of our trips to Mexico, I remember waking up and my wifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s late aunt (Tia Rosi) gave me my first cooking lesson. I will never forget that experience and how her loving hands served me the best Chilaquiles that I have ever tasted. The ingredients were simple and so were the steps. That day I learned the most important lesson of cooking which was that cooking didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be complicated. It just had to be enjoyed.â&#x20AC;?

These four chefs will bring audiences much enjoyment at the second 25th anniversary of the food and wine festival. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s festival was rained out,â&#x20AC;? said Debbie Farquhar, event coordinator. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is why we are calling the event our second annual 25th anniversary.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x2013;ś 7ZHQW\ )LYH DW )LYH WLFNHWV DUH SHU SHUVRQ â&#x2013;ś QG $QQXDO WK $QQLYHUVDU\ 3DFNDJH WLFNHWV DUH SHU SHUVRQ 3ULFH LQFOXGHV HQWU\ WR 7KXUVGD\

2FW *R 7H[DQ HYHQW DW 0HVVLQD +RI )ULGD\ 2FW HQWU\ WR D FHOHEUDWLRQ DW :LOGVHHG )DUPV 6DWXUGD\ 2FW HQWULHV WR 3DWURQ 3DUW\ DQG DGPLVVLRQ WR IHVWLYDO DQG FRRNLQJ VFKRRO

7

Cooking School Schedule & recipes Saturday, Oct. 22 at Marktplatz â&#x2013;¶ S P ² /HR $JXLUUH UHWDLO PDQDJHU FKHI RI )LVFKHU :LHVHU 6SHFLDOW\ )RRGV LQ )UHGHULFNVEXUJ 6HDIRRG &KLOH 3DVLOOD 3DHOOD )LVFKHU :LHVHU¶V 6HDIRRG &KLOH 3DVLOOD 3DHOOD FXS ORQJ JUDLQ 6SDQLVK ULFH EHOO SHSSHU FKRSSHG RQLRQ FKRSSHG OE VHDIRRG PHGOH\ RFWRSXV VKULPS FDOD PDUL PXVVHOV

OHPRQV VOLFHG LQ ULQJV FDQ VZHHW SHDV õ FXS (VSHFLDO 3DVLOOD &KLOH 6DXFH R] VDIIURQ 6DOW DQG SHSSHU WR WDVWH &LODQWUR IRU JDUQLVK 3UHSDUDWLRQ Ä&#x2020; )U\ ORQJ JUDLQ 6SDQLVK ULFH LQ RLO IRU PLQXWHV DGG FKRSSHG SHSSHU DQG RQLRQ ZKLOH IU\LQJ Ä&#x2020; $GG R] VDIIURQ WR FXS RI ZDWHU DQG OHW VLW IRU PLQXWHV Ä&#x2020; $GG ZDWHU DQG VDIIURQ WR ULFH DQG YHJJLHV DQG EULQJ WR D VLPPHU IRU PLQXWHV Ä&#x2020; $GG ZDWHU JUDGXDOO\ DV QHHGHG Ä&#x2020; 3RXU LQ õ FXS DERXW ó D ERWWOH RI (VSHFLDO 3DVLOOD &KLOH 6DXFH ZKLOH PL[WXUH LV VLPPHULQJ Ä&#x2020; $GG FDQ RI VZHHW SHDV SRXQG RI VHDIRRG DQG OHPRQ VOLFHV Ä&#x2020; &RYHU DQG OHW FRRN IRU PLQXWHV Ä&#x2020; *DUQLVK ZLWK FLODQWUR DQG DGG VDOW DQG SHSSHU WR WDVWH â&#x2013;¶ S P ² 5RVV %XUWZHOO FKHI LQ )UHGHULFNVEXUJ RZQHU RI &DEHUQHW *ULOO ZLOO SUHSDUH &LODQWUR /HPRQ 3HSSHU *ULOOHG 7H[DV :LOG &DXJKW 6KULPS ZLWK 7DEDVFR 0D\R DQG 5DGLVK 6ODZ &DEHUQHW *ULOO &LODQWUR /HPRQ 3HSSHU *ULOOHG 7H[DV :LOG &DXJKW 6KULPS ZLWK 7DEDVFR 0D\R DQG 5DGLVK 6ODZ 6HUYHV DSSHWL]HUV SRXQG ODUJH 7H[DV :LOG &DXJKW 6KULPS WHDVSRRQV OHPRQ SHSSHU VHDVRQLQJ JUHHQ RQLRQV JUHHQ SDUW RQO\ FXS ROLYH RLO EXQFK FLODQWUR PLQFHG ó WHDVSRRQ NRVKHU VDOW 3LQFK EODFN SHSSHU 3UHSDUDWLRQ Ä&#x2020; 3UHSDUH D FKDUEURLO JULOO DQG VHW WR PHGLXP KLJK KHDW Ä&#x2020; 3ODFH JUHHQ RQLRQ WRSV ROLYH RLO FLODQWUR

VDOW DQG SHSSHU LQ D EOHQGHU RU IRRG SURFHV VRU DQG EOHQG XQWLO IDLUO\ VPRRWK 'LYLGH WKH PL[WXUH LQWR KDOI DQG VHW RQH SDUW DVLGH Ä&#x2020; 3HHO DQG GHYHLQ WKH VKULPS OHDYLQJ WKH WDLO RQ DQG VHDVRQ RQ ERWK VLGHV ZLWK OHPRQ SHSSHU VHDVRQLQJ %UXVK WKH VKULPS ZLWK WKH FLODQWUR RLO Ä&#x2020; 5XE WKH JULOO VXUIDFH ZLWK D OLWWOH RLO WR SUH YHQW VWLFNLQJ DQG FRRN VKULPS IRU WKUHH PLQXWHV SHU VLGH XQWLO WKH\ VWDUW WR WXUQ SLQN DQG FXUO D OLWWOH 'R QRW RYHUFRRN RU WKH\ ZLOO EH WRXJK Ä&#x2020; 5HPRYH WKHP IURP WKH JULOO DQG GLYLGH WKHP LQWR IRXU HTXDO SRUWLRQV DQG VHUYH ZLWK WDEDVFR PD\R DQG D OLWWOH UDGLVK VODZ 7DEDVFR 0D\R FXS PD\RQQDLVH WHDVSRRQV WDEDVFR FORYH IUHVK JDUOLF SHHOHG DQG PLQFHG WHDVSRRQ OHPRQ SHSSHU VHDVRQLQJ Ä&#x2020; 3ODFH DOO LQJUHGLHQWV LQ D VPDOO ERZO DQG PL[ WRJHWKHU ZLWK D VPDOO ZKLVN Ä&#x2020; 5HIULJHUDWH XQWLO UHDG\ WR XVH 5DGLVK 6ODZ 0DNHV DERXW õ FXS ó FXS )UHQFK EUHDNIDVW UDGLVK RU RWKHU ORQJ UDGLVK YDULHW\ WULPPHG WHDVSRRQV FKDPSDJQH YLQHJDU 7DEOHVSRRQV VXJDU WHDVSRRQV FLODQWUR PLQFHG SLQFK OHPRQ ]HVW IUHVK JUDWHG .RVKHU VDOW DQG IUHVKO\ JURXQG EODFN SHSSHU 3UHSDUDWLRQ Ä&#x2020; *UDWH WKH UDGLVK DQG SODFH LQ D VPDOO ERZO Ä&#x2020; 0L[ DOO WKH UHPDLQLQJ LQJUHGLHQWV DQG VHD VRQ DFFRUGLQJO\ ZLWK VDOW DQG SHSSHU â&#x2013;¶ S P ² -HVVH )URVW H[HFXWLYH FKHI RI 1DYDMR *ULOO LQ )UHGHULFNVEXUJ ZLOO SUHSDUH *UHHQ &KLOH 3LH *UHHQ &KLOH 3LH WR KDWFK FKLOHV URDVWHG SHHOHG DQG VHHGHG HJJV ó FXS RI KDOI DQG KDOI R] VKUHGGHG 0RQWHUH\ -DFN FKHHVH DQ\ FKHHVH RI \RXU SUHIHUHQFH ZLOO GR

WVS VDOW DQG SHSSHU 3UHSDUDWLRQ Ä&#x2020; 2LO D LQFK SLH SDQ DQG OLQH LW ZLWK WKH URDVWHG FKLOHV Ä&#x2020; :KLVN WRJHWKHU WKH HJJV KDOI DQG KDOI VDOW DQG SHSSHU Ä&#x2020; 6SUHDG FKHHVH DFURVV WKH SHSSHUV DQG

SRXU HJJ PL[WXUH RYHU WKH FKHHVH Ä&#x2020; %DNH DW GHJUHHV IRU WR PLQXWHV RU XQWLO FHQWHU LV ILUP Ä&#x2020; /HW WKH SLH FRRO IRU DW OHDVW PLQXWHV EHIRUH VOLFLQJ â&#x2013;¶ S P ² /RLV 5RGULJXH] ZLOO SUHSDUH &UDQEHUU\ 3HFDQ &DUDPHO 7DUW DQG 3XPSNLQ *HODWR DW 0DUNWSODW] â&#x2013;¶ S P ² -RVK 5D\PHU EDNHU FKHI RZQHU -RMX %DNHU\ LQ )UHGHULFNVEXUJ ZLOO SUHSDUH D *ULOOHG :LQG\ %DU 5DQFK 6LUORLQ ZLWK 6DOVD 9HUGH 5RDVWHG 7RPDWR *ULWV DQG D )DOO 0DUNHW 6DODG ZLWK -RMX %DNHU\ KRXVH EUHDG 5RDVWHG WRPDWR JULWV 7RPDWR 6XJR VWHZHG

KHDG FHOHU\ ILQH GLFH ODUJH RQLRQ ILQH GLFH KHDG JDUOLF ODUJH ULSH WRPDWRHV FRUHG DQG FXW LQ KDOI 2OLYH RLO 6DOW DQG SHSSHU 3UHSDUDWLRQ Ä&#x2020; 6DXWp FHOHU\ DQG RQLRQ RYHU JHQWOH KHDW XQWLO VRIW Ä&#x2020; 3ODFH HYHU\WKLQJ LQ D ODUJH FDVVHUROH RU SDQ DQG URDVW LQ D GHJUHH RYHQ 6WLU HYHU\ PLQXWHV XQWLO WKH WRPDWRHV KDYH JLYHQ XS WKHLU MXLFH DQG FRQFHQWUDWHG D ELW Ä&#x2020; 6DOW WR WDVWH DQG VTXHH]H WKH QRZ URDVWHG JDUOLF LQWR WKH VDXFH *ULWV SROHQWD FXSV ZDWHU FXS VWRQH JURXQG JULWV RU SROHQWD 7DEOHVSRRQV XQVDOWHG EXWWHU 7DEOHVSRRQV IUHVKO\ JUDWHG SDUPHVDQ FKHHVH )UHVK JURXQG EODFN SHSSHU FXS WRPDWR VXJR 3UHSDUDWLRQ Ä&#x2020; %ULQJ ZDWHU WR D ERLO LQ D PHGLXP VL]HG VDXFHSDQ DQG VDOW WR WDVWH Ä&#x2020; 7XUQ KHDW WR ORZ ZKHQ ZKLVNLQJ LQ WKH JULWV Ä&#x2020; 6WLU WKH JULWV ZLWK D VSDWXOD RU ZRRGHQ VSRRQ XQWLO WHQGHU DGGLQJ ZDWHU DV QHFHVVDU\ Ä&#x2020; 6WLU LQ EXWWHU DQG FKHHVH Ä&#x2020; 7DVWH IRU VHDVRQLQJ Ä&#x2020; )ROG LQ VXJR RU VSRRQ LW RYHU WKH WRS

/RLV 0 5RGULJXH] RI $XVWLQ D PDLQVWD\ DQG IDYRULWH DW WKH )UHGHULFNVEXUJ )RRG DQG :LQH )HVWLYDO &RRNLQJ 6FKRRO ZLOO EH SDUW RI WKH FXOLQDU\ H[SHULHQFH LQ 2FWREHU 5RGULJXH] D 7H[DV IRFXVHG WUDYHO ZULWHU DQG HGLWRU VDLG VKH LV QRW D FKHI E\ WUDLQLQJ EXW DQ HYHU\GD\ JRXUPHW ZKR EHOLHYHV WKDW SDWLHQFH FUHDWLYLW\ DQG SDVVLRQ IRU FRRNLQJ EDNLQJ DUH WKH NH\ LQJUHGLHQWV IRU WXUQLQJ DQ\ GLVK LQWR D GHOLFLRXV PDVWHUSLHFH ² 6XEPLWWHG SKRWR

8

ROCK&Vine

5(68/76 0$77(5

: 0DLQ 6WUHHW )UHGHULFNVEXUJ 7; 5($/ (67$7(

ZZZ $EVROXWH&KDUP5HDO(VWDWH FRP

Water & Wine

([SHUWV VD\ JUDSH JURZLQJ ZRQ¶W LPSDFW WKH 7H[DV ZDWHU WDEOH

By Steve Taylor

L

ocal vineyards and wineries work the magic of turning water into wine. But if they proliferate as quickly as they have in recent years, could they pose a threat to local water supplies — particularly in drought years?

That might seem like a quite odd concern, with recent heavy rainfall replenishing groundwater tables, filling Hill Country lakes and ranch ponds and recently causing floods along Central Texas rivers and creeks.

Still thousands of miles to the west, scientists and meteorologists are keeping a wary eye on the El Niño/La Niña temperature fluctuations in the Pacific Ocean’s east-central equatorial area. A change apparently is underway, and an El Niño-created drought is quite possible in Texas as soon as later this year.

But if things dry up, grape vines can weather drought better than most vegetation. Acre for acre, they require less water than peach trees, noted Jim Kamas, Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension Service fruit specialist in Fredericksburg and author of “Growing Grapes in Texas: From the Commercial Vineyard to the Backyard Vine.”

“A lot more water will be used watering lawns and golf courses than grape vineyards,” Kamas said. “I don’t expect the wine business to impact the water table. Even if we add a couple

thousand acres of grapes, they’ll still be inconsequential.”

And the chances of that many acres of vineyards cropping up around Fredericksburg are small, at best. Cord Switzer, selfdescribed Gofer No. 1 as one of the owners of Fredericksburg Winery, predicts most new vineyards will be small and located along U.S. Highway 290, primarily to attract tourists to nearby wineries.

“Vineyard growth won’t be a significant factor here, in my opinion,” he said. “I wish I could say it will be, but it’s not going to be.” “(Highway) 290 is the best place to sell wine, not the best place to grow grapes,” Kamas said.

The Hill Country Underground Water Conservation District tracks groundwater availability in Gillespie and neighboring counties and issues permits for new wells. District General Manager Paul Tybor also isn’t worried about new vineyards someday leaving residents, businesses and other crops high and dry.

“I feel, right now, with these rains, we’re in really good shape,” Tybor said. As an example, he cited one local well that a year ago provided water 74-75 feet below the land surface. This past spring, that well provided water 65 feet down, indicating a 10-foot rise in the water table in just 12 months.

Continued

»

$ YLHZ RI 8 6 IURP $OO SKRWRV FRXUWHV\ RI 0LJXHO /HFXRQD RI +LOO &RXQWU\ /LJKW

10

ROCK&Vine Wi

d lif

l

i

f h T

Hill C

though many vineyards and wineries have sprouted up over that time.

Looking ahead 50 years, the latest regional water planning projections indicate that current groundwater levels generally should meet local needs — even with more vineyards, wineries and other expected growth (including population, with Gillespie County calculated to be home to 10,000 more residents within the next 20 years).

Tybor can OK a well that provides up to an acre foot of water per acre per year and expects to approve more for vineyards and wineries in the years ahead. But he noted that vineyards generally use “a very low amount,” usually half the amount allocated or less.

“The way they irrigate is, by most parts, pretty conservative, and that makes a big difference,” Tybor said. “I think they work hard to keep costs down as low as they can.”

Maureen Qualia, enology instructor for the winemaking certificate program at the Texas Tech University campus at Fredericksburg, knows from family experience that grapes use much less water than most crops. Her family’s Val Verde winery and vineyard near Del Rio dates back four generations and is the oldest winemaking operation in Texas.

Grape growers use ground-level and underground drip irrigation systems not only to minimize water use (and production costs), but also to ensure precise amounts of moisture are provided to the vines in the right locations to foster root growth, she said.

“You want to find that nice little balance where your grapes maintain constant flavor and sugars,” Qualia said.

Too much watering can fatten grapes and dilute what the taste winemakers seek, she said.

Bill Blackmon and Chris Brundrett, co-owners and operators of William Chris Vineyards in Hye, have more than 40 acres of vineyards in seven locations in the Hill Country and elsewhere in Texas. They use a “pinpointed, accurate” emitter system on local properties to drip irrigate the vines in a way that leads to years

of grape production, Brundrett said.

They also use a lot of mulch, which discourages weeds — another water user — and lessens evaporation, he said.

Brundrett also predicted William Chris will irrigate just once or twice through the summer due to rains this year so fully moisturizing vineyards’ soil.

Grapes need about 30 inches of water a year, which includes rainfall, Brundrett said, so “we’re in great shape. We’ve already had that already.”

Blackmon said, “We’re not going to be the culprits of using all the water up.”

New technology is helping wineries, too, Qualia said. For example, ultraviolet light can sanitize tanks and barrels, saving gallons of water. This practice already is being used in California, where long-term drought is driving wineries there to experiment — and where Texas wineries can find ideas when drought inevitably returns locally.

Like Kamas and Switzer, she predicts local wineries will increase in number, but vineyards will not expand too broadly because weather here isn’t ideal. High humidity and rain increases “disease pressure” and fosters fungus.

Also, more land and dryer growing conditions exist on Texas’ High Plains. Already, many local wineries get their grapes from there.

“They can have an operation on the High Plains with a couple hundred acres, but it’s much, much more difficult to do that here,” Qualia said.

“Grapes are the highest paying, legal cash crop in Texas,” Switzer said. “That’s why you have so many cotton growers on the High Plains going into vineyards now. They’re realizing that what you can get for an acre of cotton versus what you can get for an acre of vineyards is a whole lot different.”

And the difference between grapes and cotton when it comes to water usage? Nothing, really, he said.

On the High Plains, hundreds of acres can be cultivated on Continued

»

$ VXQVHW RYHU +\H (VWDWH 9LQH\DUGV

ROCK&Vine

11

:LQHPDNHUV :LOOLDP %ODFNPRQ DQG &KULV %UXQGUHWW SLFNLQJ XS JUDSHV DW *UDQLWH +LOO 9LQH\DUGV

level land in straight lines, making them easier to manage, Switzer noted. In comparison, vineyards around Fredericksburg are small in size on hilly land.

What about wineries where vineyard grapes are processed and bottled? They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t use that much water either, Switzer said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People ask, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;How much water do you use in wine?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Zero,â&#x20AC;? he noted. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wineries, like vineyards, are minor when it comes to water usage.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;The wine industry here really capitalized on visitor tours already taking place in the Hill Country, whereas in most regions, the wine industry stemmed from the vineyards,â&#x20AC;? Qualia said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So we grew really kind of backwards. There are not really many other wine industries in the world that have this model.â&#x20AC;?

But how many visitors want to travel to the High Plains to taste wine? Not as many who wish to travel to Fredericksburg, which Qualia notes has dozens of winetasting rooms in a 60-mile radius compared to maybe half a dozen in and around Lubbock.

Her Texas Tech students also are looking to open wineries in urban settings, such as downtown Houston, or near other tourist spots, such as the Davis Mountains.

Wherever they work their winemaking magic, it shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t require too much water.

6WHYH 7D\ORU LV D )UHGHULFNVEXUJ IUHHODQFH ZULWHU ZKR ZRUNV ZLWK 7D\ORUHG &RPPXQLFDWLRQV 0RUH LQIRUPDWLRQ LV DW DQQWD\ORUFRQWHQWPDVWHU FRP

DESIGN SIMPLIFIED Quality thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guaranteed.

BLINDS - SHADES - SHUTTERS - DRAPERY

Serving the Hill Country since 2001 Now Two New Locations to Serve You Better!

830-733-0041

-XQFWLRQ +Z\ Â&#x2021; .HUUYLOOH 7; 0DLQ 6W Â&#x2021; 0DUEOH )DOOV 7; www.kerrvillewindowfashions.com 12

ROCK&Vine

$ +$59(67

of young minds +LOO &RXQWU\ SXEOLF VFKRROV RIIHU VWXGHQWV YLWLFXOWXUH SURJUDPV

By Ann Taylor

T

exans have long been partial to Dr Pepper, sweet tea and beer. But cowboys and girls now have new favorite beverages to consider at their favorite eating establishments — Texas wines.

During the past decade, Texas vineyard operators have learned by trial and error what grape varieties thrive in Texas’ unique soil and climate. Consumers have begun to accept that “Texas wine is not California wine or French wine or Italian wine,” as reported recently in Texas AAA magazine.

Passing this unique knowledge to the next generation of vintners is one of the goals of Texas’ first high school viticulture program, begun in the Mason Independent School District (MISD) in 2015.

A similar program will be offered to Fredericksburg High School students in spring 2017.

Mason’s program started with a dinner conversation involving Dan and Jeanie McLaughlin, owners and operators of the Robert Clay Vineyards, and Melany Canfield, an MISD school counselor. The trio saw that the $1.83 billion Texas grape industry faces a growing need for younger workers, and rural areas that had suffered economic decline were in a good position to benefit from both the agriculture and tourism needs of the grape

14

industry.

The Texas Hill Country is the second-largest viticulture area in the U.S., covering 15,000 square miles and all or part of 22 counties.

The idea took root quickly as the McLaughlins and Canfield learned that an application to teach the course needed to be submitted to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) within two weeks.

With help from Justin Sheiner, a Texas A&M University professor who had written a viticulture program for Grayson College in Denison, an MISD curriculum and course outline was developed and submitted in time. The TEA approved the course, which is now available to any high school in the state.

The McLaughlins supplied trellis wire, end posts and gripples (hangers that hold up the vines), as well as 50 vines for the program. Mason High School provides the water and a plot of land for the student vineyard.

Mason County soil is some of the best in the state for growing grapes, as its sandy composition makes for good drainage. Low salinity in areas of Mason County also contributes to the success of viticulture in the region, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture soil studies.

During the fall of 2015, 18 Mason High students and their Continued

»

ROCK&Vine

0DVRQ ,QGHSHQGHQW 6FKRRO 'LVWULFW VWXGHQWV YLVLW LQJ 5REHUW &OD\ 9LQH\DUGV GXULQJ WKH IDOO VHPHVWHU ² 6XEPLWWHG SKRWR 'HYHORSHUV RI WKH $JULFXOWXUH 6FLHQFH FXUULFXOXP RIIHUHG DV SDUW RI WKH 0DVRQ ,QGHSHQGHQW 6FKRRO 'LVWULFW FDUHHU DQG WHFKQRORJ\ HGXFDWLRQ GHSDUWPHQW DUH IURP OHIW DUH /DQFH 5DVFK 0DVRQ +LJK 6FKRRO WHDFKHU 'DQ 0F/DXJKOLQ RZQHU RI 5REHUW &OD\ 9LQH\DUGV 0HODQ\ &DQILHOG 0,6' VFKRRO FRXQVHORU DQG -XVWLQ 6FKHLQHU D 7H[DV $ 0 8QLYHUVLW\ SURIHVVRU ² 6XEPLWWHG SKRWR

teacher, Lance Rasch, started learning learned something they could apply to the ins and outs of the viticulture indusother aspects of the agriculture industry, try. beyond viticulture,â&#x20AC;? Rasch said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m learning right along with the Students also heard from Linda Rojan, students,â&#x20AC;? Rasch said, as this was not a a wine initiative coordinator with the course he had taught before.

Texas Department of Agriculture, who â&#x20AC;&#x153;Introduction to Viticultureâ&#x20AC;? is an elecdiscussed viticulture and enology careers. tive class that is part of the Agriculture There are more than 11,000 full-time Science curriculum offered as part of jobs paying $417 million in wages in MISDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s career and technology education the Texas wine and wine grape industry, department. The program is designed to according to the Texas Wine and Grape teach students the concepts and practicGrowers Association. es of grape production (viticulture) and According to Dan McLaughlin, who enology. Viticulture is the science related left a career in high tech to start his to the management of grapevines and vineyard, the viticulture industry is ripe enology is the science of winemaking. with career possibilities, citing a need Rasch is quick to point out that makfor engineers to make better machinery; ing wine is not part of the curriculum. technologists to solve bird problems; Finding course materials that steer clear marketers to help increase sales and eduof high school students creating alcocate the public on Texas wine; and chemholic beverages has been a challenge, so ists to work in wine production.

Rasch has made use of lots of field trips Seeking to spark interest among his and guest speakers. students, Joel Bush will begin teaching Above, vineyards on the Mason High The studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; first experience soon the viticulture course at Fredericksburg after school started last year was to visit School campus.â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Photo by Ann Taylor High School starting in the spring semesthe McLaughlin vineyards and learn ter. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll utilize a more comprehensive about hand picking grapes and testing curriculum, which is in development at sugar levels.

Texas A&M. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The students sort of started their learning backwards, as fall â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been surprised at how many of my students have relais when we harvest grapes,â&#x20AC;? Jeanie McLaughlin said. tives who are part of the wine industry,â&#x20AC;? Bush said.

Another local vintner, Drew Tallent, supplies grapes for the With the change to block scheduling this fall at Fredericksburg Becker and Grape Creek wineries. He hosted the students to High, Bush is planning extended field trips so students can expeshow them how a larger operation uses a harvester to pick the rience hands-on learning. fruit. In addition, they learned how a hydrometer is used to meaâ&#x20AC;&#x153;My goal is to introduce viticulture concepts so my students sure pH (a chemistry scale that specifies the acidity or basicity of can go to college and major in horticulture with an intent to a liquid), acids and sugars in grapes. come back and manage a vineyard,â&#x20AC;? he said.

As part of the curriculum, students also study soils, plant structure, chemical usage, safety and careers in the viticulture industry, among other things. $QQ 7D\ORU LV D )UHGHULFNVEXUJ IUHHODQFH ZULWHU ZKR RSHUDWHV 7D\ORUHG &RPPXQLFDWLRQV 0RUH LQIRUPDWLRQ LV DW DQQWD\ORUFRQWHQWPDVWHU FRP â&#x20AC;&#x153;The number one positive I heard from the students was they

ROCK&Vine

15

Wine Q&A with

Jennifer Beckmann of

Kuhlman Cellars The Signature Tasting experience at Kuhlman Cellars extends beyond tasting to an educational experience.

Jennifer Beckmann, a sommelier and marketing manager at Kuhlmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, guided a sit down tasting with food pairings during a recent trip. Each wine was paired with a crafted gourmet bite

by Chef Chris Cook.

Jennifer explained the chemistry behind enjoying wines in easy-to-understand language.

She moved to the Hill Country after working as a sommelier for some of Chicagoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top chefs.

The blocks and rows of young vines planted on the property and the majesty of the Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site creates a beautiful backdrop vista for tasting.

After the tasting experience with a group of people, Jennifer poured another glass of wine and adjourned to the patio where she shared more of her wine knowledge: â&#x2013;ś R&V: Explain your tastings and why Kuhlman Cellars does them this way?

JB: We just wanted to create a more intimate experience; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so good to be out here and we wanted to get away from that â&#x20AC;&#x153;cattle carâ&#x20AC;? feel of tasting rooms where you really donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in your glass. We want to show people how the wine works with foods and their daily lives. Our tastings consist of a flight of five wines with a sommelier. We have two sommeliers on staff. If itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not with a sommelier, it is with someone with a lot of experience in wine, like our assistant wine maker. We try to make what we are doing very personal. A â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wine 101â&#x20AC;? so to speak â&#x20AC;&#x201D; with a wine class with every tasting. â&#x2013;ś R&V: What other responsibilities do you have at Kuhlman Cellars?

JB: Typically, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m only in the tasting room on Saturdays. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not here all week. I work on all our marketing, event planning, wine club management, offsite sales and brand management. â&#x2013;ś R&V: What changes have you seen in the eight years youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been in the Texas wine business?

JB: A great example is when I joined the Texas wine community. I worked for Perissos Vineyards in Burnet, which is such an amazing family. We joined the Hill Country Wine Trail and at that time we were only number 24. Seven years later when Kuhlman Cellars joined the same organization, that list had doubled. In that time, there has been a shift to top quality wine production. There are younger people in our community sharing ideas, sharing education. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an exciting time to be here.

16

-HQQLIHU %HFNPDQQ LV WKH PDUNHWLQJ PDQDJHU DQG VRPPHOLHU DW .XKOPDQ &HOODUV 8 6 (DVW 6WRQHZDOO ² 3KRWR E\ 0DWWKHZ (VWH

â&#x2013;ś R&V: What is the future of Texas wines?

JB: Realistically, I think we still have a long road ahead of us to figure out what we are, what we want to be and how we are getting there. I think right now we are nestled in a cozy place, but in order to grow, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inevitable that Texas is recognized internationally. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a matter of getting outside state lines, but the awareness has started and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s definitely growing. â&#x2013;ś R&V: What do you see next for Kuhlman Cellars?

JB: Right now we are struggling just to keep up at this point.

We are constantly working on improving quality. One of the biggest challenges is to keep up with the demand. We just canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do as many outlets as weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to. â&#x2013;ś R&V: What changes would you like to see for the industry?

JB: I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know that there are changes I want to see as much as there are changes that are necessarily happening. I think that we have a core group of people who are really invested in increasing the amount of Texas wines; not just making sure that there are more grapes, but more quality fruit on the market. As we are moving forward, I just love to see that progression. There are a lot of pioneers out there who are changing the way things are being done here. â&#x2013;ś R&V: What sorts of things have you learned working here?

JB: I love, love to see the response from people when you see how much their attitudes change. One lady came in and outright told me, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I hate red winesâ&#x20AC;? and was brave enough to do the whole pairing. She tried the first red wine, and she liked it. The Continued

Âť

ROCK&Vine

second red wine she tasted was a bit more tannic, and she said that she didn’t like it. Fair enough I said, “Try it with the food.” She did and she liked it. I love to see how people react. ▶ R&V: What do you want people to know about Kuhlman Cellars?

JB: One of the things I want to get across is that we are not preaching; it’s not talking down to people. We want people to walk out with relatable knowledge. There are mounds and mounds of books that I’ve read that I don’t want people to feel that the information is pretentious or over their head because it is all relatable somehow.

Breeding a TEXAS LEGEND

0DWWKHZ (VWH LV WKH %HHU :LQH 0DQDJHU IRU +(% LQ )UHGHULFNVEXUJ ZLWK D /HYHO FHUWLILFDWLRQ IURP WKH :LQH 6SLULWV (GXFDWLRQ 7UXVW

LIDDELL PROPERTIES Fredericksburg Texas Hill Country Guest Houses Ranch Guest Houses Available: City Guest Houses Available: H Enchanted Porch H Sam Houston’s Retreat H Grandmother’s Porch H Aunt Pam’s H Come view and feed the longhorns during your stay!

For Reservations Call 866-427-8374 or 830-997-5612

Or Visit Our Website www.gplonghornranch.com/ Guest-Houses

Chill Open Serve

Drink Preserve Transport

NECESSARY WINE ACCESSORIES Der Küchen Laden

258 East Main Street Fredericksburg, Texas 78624 830.997.4937 www.littlechef.com info@littlechef.com

ROCK&Vin

17

ON YOUR JOURNEY OF FINE LIVING, VISIT US AT THE GALLERY. WE ARE UNEXPECTED AND UNEQUALED IN THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY!

Pasta Bella Restaurant “Lots of Pastabilities!”

APPETIZERS/ANTIPASTO

$UWLFKRNH %HOOD f &DSUHVH 6DODG f 3HVWR %UHDG f )ULHG &DODPDUL f )ULHG (JJSODQW f &KHHVH 6WL[ f *DUOLF %UHDG f 3L]]D %UHDG f +RPHPDGH $OIUHGR f %UXHVFKHWWD f 6RXS RI the Day

SALADS

*UHHQ 6DODG f &DHVDU 6DODG f 6SLQDFK 6DODG f 3HVWR 3DVWD 6DODG f &UDQEHUU\ 6DODG

PASTA BELLA CLASSICS

/DVDJQD f 5DYLROL f 0DQLFRWWL WU\ LW ZLWK RXU JDUOLF PXVKURRP DOIUHGR VDXFH

RAVIOLI ORIGINALS

5DYLROL 5XVWLFD f 6XQIORZHU 5DYLROL 6XQEXUQW 5DYLROL 6HDIRRG 5DYLROL 5DYLROL |3DVWD %HOOD 6W\OH}

PASTA BELLA CREATIONS %UHDGOHVV 3L]]D f 6WXIIHG %HOO 3HSSHU )ULHG 5DYLROL (JJSODQW 3DUPLJLDQD |3DVWD %HOOD 6W\OH}&KLFNHQ RU %HHI 3DUPLJLDQD &KLFNHQ RU %HHI 3LFFDWD &KLFNHQ RU %HHI %XUJXQG\

Hours of Operation Monday-Friday f Saturday f 6RXWK /ODQR f )UHGHULFNVEXUJ 7;

Call Us for Catering! Or Get it To Go!

'DLO\ /XQFK 6SHFLDOV $OO 6SHFLDOV 6HUYHG ZLWK RXU )UHVK %UHDG 6DODG DQG ,FHG 7HD

021'$< Spaghetti w/Meatballs 78(6'$< Chicken Parmigiana :('1(6'$< Lasagna 7+856'$< )ULHG &DWÀVK )5,'$< Fettucini Alfredo 6$785'$< Fried Ravioli 681'$< CLOSED

209 SOUTH LLANO & 1 1/2 BLOCKS OFF MAIN 830.997.0073 LARRYJACKSONANTIQUES.COM 18

ROCK&Vine

t/>><KDD E͊ Welcome to THE site for Fredericksburg, Texas ƌĞĂůͲĞƐƚĂƚĞ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽƉĞƌƟĞƐ for sale. Nestled in the ďĞĂƵƟĨƵů dĞdžĂƐ ,ŝůů ŽƵŶƚƌLJ͕ Fredericksburg’s smalltown atmosphere, relaxed ůŝĨĞƐƚLJůĞ͕ ĂŶĚ ƋƵĂůŝƚLJ ŽĨ ůŝĨĞ ĚƌĂǁƐ ĨĂŵŝůŝĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƌĞƟƌĞĞƐ from all over.

“ONE OF THE FIRST AND ONE OF THE BEST”

WE USE ALL TEXAS GRAPES. ALL TEXAS, ALL THE TIME!

Home of

tŚĞƚŚĞƌ LJŽƵ ĂƌĞ ďƵLJŝŶŐ Žƌ ƐĞůůŝŶŐ͕ Žƌ ũƵƐƚ ĐŽŶƐŝĚĞƌŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ƉĞƌĨĞĐƚ ƉůĂĐĞ ĨŽƌ LJŽƵƌ ƌĞƟƌĞŵĞŶƚ LJĞĂƌƐ͕ / would love to ƐĞƌǀĞ LJŽƵ Ͳ EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.

Carole Reed 830-992-9446 carole@carolereed.com www.carolereed.com Broker J.R. Russell Lic #601430

Find us on

Facebook Face

www.TexasHillsVineyard.com 878 Ranch Road 2766 Johnson City, Texas 830.868.2321

{ PURSUE A CAREER IN THE WINE INDUSTRY } With state-of-the-art facilities, wine labs and teaching vineyard, we offer students outstanding hands-on learning experiences through three education options.

TEXAS VITICULTURE CERTIFICATE. Two-year program for wine industry entrepreneurs and prospective vineyard managers.

TEXAS WINEMAKING CERTIFICATE. Two-year program for winemakers, cellar workers, and prospective winery employees.

VITICULTURE & ENOLOGY SPECIALIZATION. The only four-year undergraduate program in Texas focused on the science and technology of grape and wine production. Major in Plant & Soil Science with a specialization in Viticulture & Enology.

ROCK&Vine

19

6WRPSLQ¶ *URXQGV E\ /RUHOHL +HOPNH

Santamaria Cellars wines blend old world training with new world ways Santamaria Cellars winery stands out in the Hill Country because the winemaker and owner, Martin Santamaria sources the vast majority of his juice from the Hill Country.

Most wineries in the area obtain juice from the High Plains for their wines. Not Martin. He believes the soils in this region have the potential to produce world class wines and he works tirelessly to bring out the character of Hill Country varieties.

The winery sits on Texas 16 between Kerrville and Fredericksburg. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a small winery that only produces 1,000-1,500 cases in any given year, usually no more than 200 cases of any variety.

Since 2005, Martin Santamaria has focused on the concept of quality, not the

concept of quantity. He believes in finding the true expression of the grape and the true expression of the region.

Martin, the oldest of five children, was born in Argentina. After three years of competitive rugby for the Mendoza Province Selection Cuyo Region in 1991-1994, he returned to school to earn a degree in agricultural engineering from the University Nacional of Cuyo.

He then completed his formal wine training in Bologna, Italy, earning a master of viticulture and oenology in 1999.

The wines Martin produces show his passion for the region and his love for each grape. He combines the old world training with the new world ways.

6DQWD 0DULD &HOODUV 6DXYLJQRQ %ODQF

7KLV GHOLJKWIXO OLJKW FULVS ZKLWH ZLQH RIIHUV D EDODQFHG DSSURDFK WR WKH VWLQJ LQJ VDXYLJQRQ EODQFV RQ WKH PDUNHW WRGD\ 0DUWLQ DGGV MXVW D WRXFK RI PRVFDWR WR EULQJ WKH IUXLW IRUZDUG $URPDV RI RUDQJH SHHO EOHQG ZLWK IODYRUV RI 0H\HU OHPRQ WR FUHDWH DQ HQMR\DEOH VDXYLJQRQ EODQF 7KH ZLQH NHHSV WKH DFLGLWLHV DQG WKHUH LV D VOLJKW WRXFK RI VPRNH RQ WKH EDFN HQG 7KLV ZLQH LV D JUHDW FKRLFH IRU VSLF\ 7H[DV EDUEHFXH

E E E E 6DQWD 0DULD &HOODUV 5RVDWR 19 0DUWLQ FUHDWHG WKLV GU\ OLJKW IUXLW\ URVH E\ FRPELQLQJ SLQRW QRLU DQG SLQRW JULJLR ,W KDV D VSHFWDFXODU PRXWKIHHO 2QH ZKLII EURXJKW EDFN PHPRULHV RI SLFN LQJ VWUDZEHUULHV DV D FKLOG ,W LV UHIUHVKLQJ GU\ DQG RIIHUV VWUDZEHUU\ DURPDV DQG PRXWKZDWHULQJ ZDWHUPHORQ IODYRUV 7KLV ZLQH LV JUHDW DOO E\ LWVHOI RU PDNHV D ZRQGHUIXO DFFRPSDQLPHQW WR D VXPPHU VDODG

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

E E E E 6DQWD 0DULD &HOODUV 0DOEHF 7KH ILUVW WKLQJ , QRWLFHG DERXW WKLV ZLQH ZDV WKH EHDXWLIXO UXE\ FRORU 7R WKH QRVH LW RIIHUV EUDPEO\ GDUN EHUULHV DQG D GDUN SOXPP\ FKDUDFWHU 7KHUH LV D WRXFK RI WREDFFR DQG KLQWV RI VSLFH ,W KDV DQ HOHJDQW WH[WXUH DERXW LW 7KH OHQJWK\ ILQLVK PDNH WKLV D 7H[DV 0DOEHF VWDQGRXW ,W LV D SHUIHFW SDUWQHU IRU WKH WUDGLWLRQDO $UJHQWLQH $VDGR

E E E E 6DQWD 0DULD &HOODUV 0HUORW 'DUN UHG UDVSEHUULHV JUHHW WKH QRVH RI FODVVLF IUXLW ZLQH 7KLV ZLQH LV IXOO RI EHUU\ IODYRUV 7KHUH RI QRWHV RI KD]HOQXWV DQG WRIIHH WR PDNH LW TXLWH LQWHUHVWLQJ ,W KDV D PHGLXP KHDY\ ERG\ DQG D VPRRWK ILQLVK 7KLV ZLQH ZRXOG FHUWDLQO\ FRPSOLPHQW D VWHZ RU FKLOL DV ZHOO DV JULOOHG ZLOG JDPH

E E E

20

6DQWD 0DULD &HOODUV &DEHUQHW 6DXYLQJRQ 6\UDK 7KLV LV D VWUXFWXUHG ELJ DQG EROG ZLQH ZLWK JUHDW ERG\ ,W RIIHUV D FRPSOH[ QDWXUH $URPDV RI EODFN SOXP DQG IUHVK SLFNHG EODFNEHUULHV ULVH IURP WKH JODVV 7KH IODYRUV DUH OXVK DQG URXQGHG RXW E\ EDNLQJ VSLFH QRWHV 7KH QDWXUH RI WKLV ZLQH LV FRPSOH[ 7KLV ZRXOG EH D IDEXORXV ZLQH WR KDYH ZLWK DQ\ W\SH RI EOXH FKHHVH RU SHUKDSV D IODW LURQ VWHDN

E E E E E 6DQWD 0DULD &HOODUV &DEHUQHW 6DXYLJQRQ 7KLV ZLQH KDV DQ HQYHORSLQJ FLJDU VPRNH RQ WKH WRS $V \RX JR GHHSHU DUR PDV RI EODFNEHUULHV FDVVLV DQG OLFRULFH EHJLQ WR WDNH KROG $ FRXSOH RI \HDUV LQ WKH ERWWOH KDYH DOORZHG WKLV FDEHUQHW VDXYLJQRQ WR GHYHORS DQ ROG ZRUOG FKDUDF WHU WKDW RIIHUV D OLQJHULQJ GU\ ILQLVK ,W OHDYHV \RX ZLWK D WRXFK RI ZKLWH SHSSHU 7KLV ZRXOG EH D JUHDW ZLQH WR KDYH ZLWK VDXVDJH MDPEDOD\D RU EHHI WHQGHUORLQ

E E E E 6DQWD 0DULD &HOODUV 0XVFDW &DQHOOL 7KH FODVVLF ZKLWH SHDFK DURPDV FRPELQH ZLWK WDQJHULQH WR FUHDWH D PRVW HQMR\DEOH VZHHW ZKLWH ZLQH 7KLV LV D EDODQFHG PXVFDW ZLWK D QLFH FULVS FRP SRQHQW KHUH /LQJHULQJ IODYRUV DQG D UHIUHVKLQJ ILQLVK PDNH WKLV D IDYRULWH IRU WKRVH ZKR HQMR\ WKH VZHHWHU VW\OH ,W LV SHUIHFW DOO E\ LWVHOI EXW ZRXOG EH JUHDW ZLWK VSLF\ 7KDL RU VXVKL

E E E E 6DQWD 0DULD &HOODUV 5HG 0RVFDWR 19 0DUWLQ EOHQGHG PXVFDW ZLWK SLQRW QRLU WR PDNH WKLV WDVW\ GDUN ZLQH 7KHUH DUH ORDGV RI VZHHW FKHUU\ IODYRUV DQG GHOLJKWIXO KLQWV RI VSLFH KHUH 7KLV LV D SHUIHFW ZLQH WR VKDUH ZLWK IULHQGV RYHU JRRG FRQYHUVDWLRQ

E E E E

5$7,1*6

E E E E E

E E E E

E E E ² 6XSHULRU TXDOLW\ PDVWHUIXOO\ SURGXFHG E E ² ([FHSWLRQDO ZLQH E ² $ EHWWHU ZLQH TXLWH TXDIIDEOH DQG HQMR\DEOH

² $ JRRG ZLQH ZHOO PDGH ² $ GULQNDEOH ZLQH WKDW KDV PLQRU IODZV

ROCK&Vine

2 Fredericksburg Locations: 147A East Main Street 6260 US Hwy 290 East While on Main Street be sure to check out Savy E’s Boutique, located in the back.

Stay on Main or take a short drive out 290 East– at Rocky Hill complex.

Live music every Saturday and Sunday.

Phone: 830-997-4466 6 Tastings for $12 and a complimentary Fiesta Wine Glass.

With a 3 bottle purchase your tasting is FREE!

Hours: Open 7 days a Week. Call for times. Ǥϐ Ǥ

ROCK&Vine

21

CENTRAL TEXAS VINEY

The Hill Country wine region has over 70 wineries. The 600 acres of viney the region north of Fredericksburg to San Saba, and west of Mena 20 Blu on 2241

71

Llano

261

Buchanan Dam

1431

27 & 53

Burnet 29

48 P4

2342

Oatmeal

Lake LBJ Granite Shoals

2323 Sunri Beach Sunrise

1174

25 Marble Falls

1431

16 6

783

Horseshoe Bay

71

648

70 45

13

54

73

41

Luckenbach

37

UPPER ALBERT RD

1623

10

281

201 Henly

473 Spring Branch

MILL DA

HERMA

NN

Center L Point INDNER

11

306

56

M RD

SONS

Comfort

55

311

87

Bulverde

10

101

12

290

52 1826 CR 170

19 17 72 150

LON MTN EMAN . RD .

23

3237

Canyon City

S M

2673

3159

39

2722

15 306

Smithson Gruene Valley HERBELIN 18 3009

150

12

Eâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S AN CR ILL M

46

Boerne Bandera

281

224 71

58

10

Canyon Lake

1376

62

3238

Dripping Springs

Wimberley

Sisterdale

Jonesto Lago Vista

Bee Cave

9

32 473

22

3232

26

Lakeway

A PO MIL OL TO RD N .

12

Kerrville

46

69 H

1376

87

173

33

165

Blanco

59

60

962

Hye

1623

27

Cypress Mill

Johnson 40 Fredericksburg 50 See inset on next page 1320 City 2766 61 Stonewall 4

21

16

1323

JENSCHKE LN

USNER RD

2093

1 32

Travis Peak

42CR 302

CR 301

29 290

24 31

Round Mtn.

Willow City

8

SHOVEL

962

18

1431

Spicewood Lake CR 409 Travis

MTN.

87 965

A Bertram

63

Inks Lake

Kingsland

Castell

1174

690 2341

29

13

49

281

1431

San Saba

29 Mason

2340

SIN GLE TON BEN D

68

Central Texas Vineyards and Wineries

Lake Buchanan

Tow

BELL SPRINGS

Locator Map of

RD

46

62

35 New Braunfels

YARDS AND WINERIES Listing numbers correspond with numbers on map. Locations are approximate due to scale of map.

yards span rd.

38

65 Florence

16

Andice

Rogers

35 67

Georgetown 30

83 1431

Round Rock

own

20 LOOP 1

44

Aus n

35

an Marcos

2

21

183

1. 290 Vinery 300 W. Main (Hwy. 290) Johnson City, TX 78636 2. Alexander Vineyards 6360 Goehmann Lane Fredericksburg, TX 78624 3. Andreucci Wines 2 Locations 8898 US Hwy. 290 308 E. Main St. Fredericksburg, TX 78624 4. Arc de Texas 4555 Hwy. 281 Johnson City, TX 78636 5. Armadillo’s Leap Winery 6266 E. US Hwy. 290 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 6. Baron’s Creek Vineyard 5865 E. US Highway 290 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 7. Becker Vineyards 464 Becker Farms Road Stonewall, TX 78671 8. Bell Mountain Vineyards 463 Bell Mountain Road Fredericksburg, TX 78624 9. Bell Springs Winery 3700 Bell Springs Road Dripping Springs, TX 78620 10. The 10. Bella Vista Ranch 3101 Mount Sharp Rd. Wimberly, TX 78676 11. Bending Branch Winery 142 Lindner Branch Trail Comfort, TX 78013 12. Calais Winery 8115 W. US Hwy. 290 Hye, TX 78635 13. Chisholm Trail Winery 2367 Usener Rd. Fredericksburg, TX 78624 14. Compass Rose Cellars Inc. 1197 Hye Albert Rd. Hye, TX 78635 15. Copper Star Cellars 256 W. Mill Street New Braunfels, TX 78130 16. Dancing Bee Winery-Off Map 8060 W. US Hwy. 190 Rogers, TX 76569 17. Driftwood Estate Winery 4001 Elder Hill Rd. Driftwood, TX 78619 18. Dry Comal Creek Vineyards 1741 Herbelin Rd. New Braunfels, TX 78132 19. Dutchman Family Winery 13308 FM 150 W. Driftwood, TX 78619 20. Fall Creek Vineyards 1820 County Road 222 Tow, TX 78672 21. Fat Ass Winery Tasting Room 153 E. Main St. Fredericksburg, TX 78624 22. Fat Ass Ranch Winery 51 Elgin Behrends Rd. Fredericksburg, TX 78624 23. Fawncrest Vineyard & Winery 1370 Westside Circle Canyon Lake, TX 78133 24. Fiesta Winery 2 Locations 147A East Main Street 6260 US Hwy. 290 Fredericksburg, TX 78624

25. Flat Creek Enoteca 112 US Hwy. 281 Marble Falls, TX 78654 26. Flat Creek Estate 24912 Singleton Bend East Rd. Marble Falls, TX 78654 27. Fly Gap Winery-Off Map 2851 Hickory Grove Rd. Mason, TX 76856 28. Four Point Cellars 10354 E. US Highway 290 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 29. Fredericksburg Winery 247 W. Main St. Fredericksburg, TX 78624 30. Georgetown Winery 715 Main St. Georgetown, TX 78626 31. Grape Creek Vineyards 2 Locations 97 Vineyard Lane 223 East Main St. Fredericksburg, TX 78624 32. Hahne Estates Winery 104 E. Pecan Ave. Johnson City, TX 78636 33. Hawk’s Shadow Estate Vineyard 7500 McGregor Lane Dripping Springs, TX 78620 34. Hilmy Cellars 12346 E. US Hwy. 290 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 35. Hye Meadow Winery 10257 US Highway 290 W., Hye, TX 78635 36. Inwood Estates WineryThe Vineyard at Florence 10303 Hwy. 290 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 37. Kerrville Hills Winery 3600 Fredericksburg Road Kerrville, Texas 78028 38. Kuhlman Cellars 18421 E. US Hwy. 290 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 39. La Cruz de Comal Wines 7405 FM 2722 Startzville, TX 78133 40. Lewis Wines 3209 W. Highway 290 (Mail to PO Box 372) Johnson City, TX 78636 41. Lost Draw Cellars 113 E. Park St. Fredericksburg, TX 78624 42. McReynolds Winery 706 Shovel Mountain Rd. Cypress Mill, TX 78663 43. Mendelbaum Winery/Cellars 10207 E. US Hwy. 290 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 44. Messina Hof Winery Hill Country 9996 E. US Highway 290 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 45. Narrow Path Winery 111 E. Main St. Fredericksburg, TX 78624 46. Pedernales Cellars 2916 Upper Albert Road Stonewall, TX 78671 47. Pelota Wines, Inc. 3209 US Hwy. 290 Hye, TX 78635 48. Perissos Vineyards 7214 Park Road 4 West Burnet, TX 78611 49. Pilot Knob Vineyard 3125 CR 212 Bertram, TX 78605

50. Pontotoc Vineyard 320 E. Main St. Fredericksburg, TX 78624 51. Rancho Ponte Vineyard 315 Ranch Road 1376 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 52. Salt Lick Cellars 1800-C FM 1826 Driftwood, TX 78619 53. Sandstone Cellars Winery-Off Map 211 San Antonio Street Mason, TX 76856 54. Santa Maria Cellars 12044 Hwy. 16 S. Fredericksburg, TX 78624 55. Singing Water Vineyards 316 Mill Dam Rd. Comfort, TX 78013 56. Sister Creek Vineyards 1142 Sisterdale Rd. Boerne, TX 78006 57. Six Shooters Cellars 6264 US Hwy. 290 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 58. Solaro Estate Winery 13111 Silver Creek Rd. Dripping Springs, TX 78620 59. Spicewood Vineyards 1419 CR 409 Spicewood, TX 78669 60. Stone House Vineyard 24350 Haynie Flat Road Spicewood, TX 78669 61. Texas Hills Vineyard 878 RR 2766, PO Box 1480 Johnson City, TX 78636 62. Three Dude’s Winery 125 Old Martindale Road San Marcos, TX 78628 63. Torr de Lochs 7055 W. State Hwy. 29 Burnet, TX 78611 64. Torre di Pietra Vineyards 10915 E. US Hwy. 290 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 65. The Vineyard at Florence 8711 W. FM 487 Florence, TX 76527 66. The Vintage Cellar 6258 E. US Hwy. 290 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 67. Thirsty Mule Winery & Vineyard 101 CR 257 Liberty Hill, TX 78642 68. Wedding Oak Winery-Off Map 2 Locations 316 E. Wallace San Saba, TX 76877 100 Legacy Rd., Fredericksburg (Located inside Wildseed Farm) 69. Westcave Cellars Winery 25711 Hamilton Pool Rd. Round Mountain, TX 78663 70. Western Edge Cellars 228 W. Main St. Fredericksburg, TX 78624 71. William Chris Vineyards 10352 Highway 290 Hye, TX 78635 72. Wimberly Valley Winery 2825 County Road 183 Driftwood, TX 78619 73. Winotus 115 E. Main St. Fredericksburg, TX 78624 74. Woodrose Winery 662 Woodrose Lane Stonewall, TX 78671

23

HWY. 290 TEXAS VINEYARDS AND WINERIES

Cain City

31

64

7

REAGAN RD.

KLEIN RD.

MIRACLE MILE

1

290

Hye

Stonewall

34

43

38

12 47 71

74

LOWER ALBERT RD.

LUCKENBACH RD.

CITY RD. CAIN

3 JENSCHKE-KU NZ RD. WOODLAND DR.

COM RD. FORT

RD.

OLD

28

36

1

River 22

Blumenthal

CITY N BACH-CAIN .

KE RD

C LU

44 24

57

1623

ALBER T

T AN

6 51 1376

2

68

5

PER UP

SAN

IO

66

na Peder les

LBJ National LBJ State Historic Historical Park-Ranch Park

GELLERMANN

JUNG LN.

Rocky Hill

GOEHMANN LN.

290

ON

MEUSEBACH CREEK RD .

1623

POST OAKS WILDERNESS DR. LAKES

LANE

OLD

87

LANE

Hwy. 290 Wine Corridor

RD HAHN RD.

GOEHMANN

2721

Locator Map of

Fredericksburg 1631

JENSCHKE LANE

16

35 14 206

1623

46

Albert

Luckenbach

For inclusion in our ROCK&Vine map, contact Cindy at 830-997-2155 for information.

FLINT RIVER REALTY

Fred Hild, Broker/Owner

Fred Hild, BROKER Flint River Realty 150 E Main St #217, Fredericksburg 830-456-3510 www.FredEHild.com fredhild@hctc.net We offer complete personal, professional and conďŹ dential service for your real estate needs in the Hill Country. Selling the Texas Hill Country for the last 12 years. If you are looking for a home in the Hill Country, a ranch, or just some acreage to stretch your legs, I will be glad to help you ďŹ nd just that right spot.

24

BECKER VINEYARDS

T E X A S H I L L C O U N T RY HOURS: Monday-Thursday 10-5, Friday-Saturday 10-6, Sunday Noon-6 from Fredericksburg, Hwy. 290 East, one mile south on Jenschke Lane

Â&#x2021; ZZZ EHFNHUYLQH\DUGV FRP

kuckucksnest

Authentic Dirndl and Trachten Wear from Austria and Germany 7XHV )UL f 6DW RU FDOO IRU DSSRLQWPHQW 1 6WDWH +Z\ /ODQR +Z\

)UHGHULFNVEXUJ 7; + f RU &

ZZZ NXFNXFNV QHVW FRP SDXODODX[NDJHU#\PDLO FRP

ROCK&Vine

3(75Â? & 9,7,6

The Hill Country

F

redericksburg, Texas is home to 11 Guinness World Records. All were established in this millennium. The first was the largest jute bag which measured 30 feet high by 16.5 feet wide and was created by Timothy Koock of Fredericksburg on July 8, 2013 and Tristen Geren of Fredericksburg holds 10 Guinness World Records in gaming. Âś There are over 210 species of ants in Texas. Several are considered common lawn pests, but only one is considered a serious nuisance to humans â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the Imported Red Fire Ant. Red Fire Ants introduced in the 1930â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s build mounds that can reach 18 inches in height, depending on the soil. Each mound may contain millions of ants.

These ants feed on flea larvae, chinch bugs, cockroach eggs, chiggers, ticks and other pests. Âś The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest convenience store can be found in the Texas Hill Country. Buc-eeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s at 2760 IH 35 N. in New Braunfels is longer than a football field and boasts 60 gas pumps, 84 toilets and 80 soda dispensers. Owner,

Arch â&#x20AC;&#x153;Beaverâ&#x20AC;? Aplin opened the store in 2012 and stocks it with the addictive â&#x20AC;&#x153;Beaver Nuggets.â&#x20AC;? Âś Two Fredericksburg business partners, patented a more humane fly trap in the early part of the 20th Century, when DDT was the main ingredient in fly sprays.

Emil John Schandua and Harry Reichenau, owners of Schandua & Reichenau Sheet Metal and Radiator Shop, patented a blowfly trap on June 10, 1930. The patent reads: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The primary object of the present invention is to provide a fly trap of improved construction which will be strong and durable, efficient, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.â&#x20AC;? They sold it at their store after it was patented. Âś The United States has the United Kingdom to thank for the idea of the bed and breakfast. After World War II, local people in Britain opened their homes to foreigners who needed a place to stay. They started serving breakfast to those overnight guests. The bed and breakfast model of lodging dates back to ancient China but the Brits gave us the term.

6RXUFHV DQG SKRWRV IRU 3HWUDH 9LWLV *XLQQHVV :RUOG 5HFRUG ZHEVLWH ZZZ JXLQQHVVZRUOGUHFRUGV FRP 7H[DV 3DUNV :LOGOLIH 'HSDUWPHQW KWWS WSZG WH[DV JRY HGXFDWLRQ UHVRXUFHV WH[DV MXQLRU QDWXUDOLVWV EH QDWXUH VDIH LQVHFWV 5RDGVLGH $PHULFD ZHEVLWH ZZZ URDGVLGHDPHULFD FRP VWRU\ 8QLWHG 6WDWHV 3DWHQW 2IILFHV ZHEVLWH ZZZ JRRJOH FRP SDWHQWV 86 %HG DQG %UHDNIDVW :RUOG ZHEVLWH ZZZ EHG EUHDNIDVW ZRUOG FRP

ROCK&Vine

25

GILLESPIE COUNTY FARM BUREAU EVENT CENTER The Best Value in Fredericksburg Located outside of Fredericksburg city limits, minutes from the historic district and 290 Wine Trail

6000 Sq. Ft. Heated/Air Conditioned Event Center 400 maximum capacity * Tables & Chairs Provided Use of Kitchen & additional 500 Sq. Ft. room included for catering/storage .Catering to the unexpected.

8VH RI /DUJH &RYHUHG %%4 SLW DUHD LQFOXGHG f $PSOH 3DYHG 3DUNLQJ 1R FDWHULQJ UHVWULFWLRQV Discount for Gillespie County Farm Bureau Members &DOO RU FRPH E\ WR FKHFN DYDLODELOLW\ & see the facility 8am-5pm Monday-Friday (TXHVWULDQ 'ULYH )UHGHULFNVEXUJ 7H[DV (830) 997-4396

D el i g h t i ng t he palate of the H i l l C ountr y 830 257 7171 cartewheelscatering.com

Celebrating 30 Years of Hospitality

Our goal is to make your vacation an enjoyable experience from the moment you begin planning your trip to the moment you return home. :H DUH FRQĂ&#x20AC;GHQW \RX¡OO EH EDFN WR HQMR\ RXU ORGJLQJ RSWLRQV LQ )UHGHULFNVEXUJ DQG WKH VXUURXQGLQJ +LOO &RXQWU\

Gästehaus Schmidt Visit our Gallery Homes Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17D;ÂŁĂ&#x160;7°Ă&#x160; >Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160; Ă&#x20AC;i`iĂ&#x20AC;Â&#x2C6;VÂ&#x17D;Ă&#x192;LĂ&#x2022;Ă&#x20AC;}]Ă&#x160;/8Ă&#x160;Ă&#x2021;nĂ&#x2C6;Ă&#x201C;{ ­nĂ&#x17D;äŽĂ&#x160;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2122;Ă&#x2021;Â&#x2021;xĂ&#x2C6;ÂŁĂ&#x201C; ­nĂ&#x2C6;Ă&#x2C6;ÂŽĂ&#x160;{Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2021;Â&#x2021;nĂ&#x17D;Ă&#x2021;{Ă&#x160;/Â&#x153;Â?Â?Ă&#x160; Ă&#x20AC;ii Ă&#x153;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x153;°vL}Â?Â&#x153;`}Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}°VÂ&#x153;Â&#x201C;

26

&KRRVH IURP D ZLGH VHOHFWLRQ RI TXDOLW\ KRPHV ERWK LQ WRZQ DQG LQ WKH FRXQWU\ 7HOO XV \RXU QHHGV DQG ZH ZLOO GR RXU EHVW WR PDWFK you to the perfect property! Â&#x2021;5XVWLF *HWDZD\V Â&#x2021;&KLOGUHQ DQG 3HW )ULHQGO\ Â&#x2021;/X[XULRXV 5RPDQWLF 5HWUHDWV 3URSHUWLHV Â&#x2021;)DPLO\ RU )ULHQG 5HXQLRQV Â&#x2021;:DONLQJ GLVWDQFH WR 0DLQ 6WUHHW

ROCK&Vine

.LPEHUO\ DQG &KULVWRSKHU 6ZDQQHU ² 3KRWR E\ 6QDS &KLF 3KRWRJUDSKHU

Happily ever after Whether it is a special proposal, the perfect venue, heirlooms from loved ones or a certain song, couples create special memories of their engagement and wedding by adding their own personal touches.

Three couples who married in 2015 share their memories of their marriage proposal, what made their wedding special, their favorite memory, how they selected the date and venue and if they have any advice for couples planning a wedding.

They also share some of their favorite wedding day â&#x20AC;&#x153;bloopers.â&#x20AC;?

Answering from their hearts were the following couples: r"TIMFZ #FISFOET BOE /BUIBO 5POOF XFSF NBSSJFE PO 'FC 28, 2015, in St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Catholic Church. r,JNCFSMZ #JFSTDIXBMF BOE $ISJTUPQIFS 4XBOOFS XFSF NBSried on Oct. 17, 2015, in St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Catholic Church. r.FMBOJF .PPSF BOE )PMEFO -JHIU XFSF NBSSJFE PO .BZ JO #FUIBOZ -VUIFSBO $IVSDI Q. How did your husband propose to you?

Ashley: * XBT MJWJOH JO 4BO "OUPOJP BU UIF UJNF BOE /BUIBO lived in Junction. It was just a Tuesday and I was having a bad EBZ BU XPSL * KPLJOHMZ UPME /BUIBO IF TIPVME NBLF UIF IPVS and a half drive to have dinner with me. To my surprise, he TBJE 0, )F ESPWF UP 'SFEFSJDLTCVSH PO UIF XBZ UP BTL NZ QBSFOUT

ROCK&Vine

and asked me to marry him when he got to my house in San Antonio.

I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know he had bought a ring, but he had had it almost two months. My parents were going on a two-week vacation that Thursday, and he said he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to wait until they got back. So, my randomly asking him to come to dinner on a Tuesday really worked out. *U XBT QMBJO IBIB /P PWFS UIF UPQ GSJMMT CVU UIBU T LJOE PG our personalities.

Kimberly: My husband and I met in Arizona and had dated GPS TJY NPOUIT XIFO * CSPVHIU IJN IPNF UP 'SFEFSJDLTCVSH for the first time. After spending a busy weekend camping with friends and family, I had had little time to show him a beautiful spot on the family ranch, which I had talked to Chris about as a spot to build our home someday. So, on a Monday morning with only hours left before our flight back to Arizona, we finally had time to go to that spot. As we were daydreaming about what we could build there together, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a ring and proposed. )F IBE CFFO XBJUJOH BMM XFFLFOE GPS VT UP HP UIFSF TP IF could propose where we would live and raise our family someContinued

Âť 27

day. However, it was the last thing I was expecting on a Monday morning!

We rushed back to my parents’ house to finish packing and were able to make the rounds to personally announce our engagement to family in Fredericksburg before racing to the airport to catch our flight.

Melanie: It all happened on what seemed to be a completely normal weekend.

Since Holden and I had not seen each other in a few weeks, we decided we would meet at my parents’ house in Meyersville. We figured we get to see each other, spend the weekend with my parents, and all watch the Super Bowl together.

Like always on the weekends at the Moore house (and for my dad every single day), we all settled down for “nap time.” After Dad woke up from his nap, he and Holden went to feed the cattle at all the places.

They claimed I was snoring so loud and was sound asleep. Holden didn’t even wake me up, even though he knew that I had wanted to ride along. (Little did I know, this was all part of his plan.)

So far, seems like a normal day right?

I woke up from my nap feeling nice and refreshed, and I waited for Dad and Holden to get back to the house.

Holden then started insisting that we go look at some of my cows. I didn’t understand why we had to go down there again since he and Dad were just there. However, I wanted to see my new baby calves that were on the ground, so I agreed to go.

As I was standing in the middle of the herd, right beside one of my old show heifers Red (she’s one of my favorite cows that I have left), Holden came up behind me and put his arms around me.

We started talking about how much we loved coming out here. So quiet, so calm, so peaceful.

Holden said, “I have something for you. Open my hand.”

I did and there was the most beautiful ring I had ever seen. I started to tear up from pure bliss. I was speechless.

Then he asked me to marry him, and I said yes!

It may not have been the most elaborate proposal, and we may not have been dressed up for it either. But it was perfect in every little way possible.

Doing what I love to do … at a place where I love to be … with the man I love with all my heart.

That day was no longer just normal …

28

Ashley and Nathan Tonne — Photo by Dos Kiwis Studio

it was ordinarily extraordinary. What more could I ask for?

Q. As you were planning your wedding, was there one particular aspect of the ceremony or reception that was the most important to you and why?

Ashley: We probably would’ve preferred a smaller wedding, but both growing up in small towns and having a lot of college friends, that just was not an option. So our main focus was to have FUN and make sure all of our

guests had fun!

We focused on good food and drinks and a live band. The dance floor was full all night.

Kimberly: For me, tradition was very important. I wanted our wedding to be timeless and incorporate pieces of both of us.

We had the San Antonio Liederkrantz Men’s Choir sing traditional and German wedding music, we said tradiContinued

»

ROCK&Vine

tional wedding vows and read a prayer my parents had prayed at their wedding 40 years ago.

With the help of our photographer, we were able to recreate some photos that my parents had taken on their wedding day.

My dad put a penny in my shoe, I incorporated something from all of our grandmothers into my wedding bouquet, and wore a ring and watch from Chrisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; great-grandmother.

We started the dancing at the reception with the traditional Grand March and even had rice bags for people to shower us with as we left the reception.

We really enjoyed those traditional details that made the day feel so special and complete.

Melanie: Holden and I decided to have an â&#x20AC;&#x153;unpluggedâ&#x20AC;? wedding ceremony.

We mentioned it on our wedding website, and we also had our pastor who was officiating the ceremony, ask our guests to turn their phones, cameras and electronics completely off.

We really felt like that turned the focus of the ceremony to what was truly important, becoming husband and wife before God while our family and friends were fully in the moment with us, also free from distractions.

Q. How did you go about selecting your wedding date and venue?

Ashley: Having a Catholic Mass at St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s was very important to us, so we knew we wanted the wedding to be there.

Due to the size of the guest list, the Gillespie County Fair

Grounds was really the best option for our reception.

February 28 was the only Saturday both were available, so we took it.

Kimberly: Although we live in Arizona and my husband is from North Carolina, I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t imagine not getting married in my hometown.

We decided to have our wedding ceremony at St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Catholic Church because that is where I attended church growing up and five generations of my motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side of the family have gotten married there.

I had also always dreamed of a beautiful outdoor wedding reception on my parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ranch. My parents were amazing as they spent our entire engagement period turning the pasture into a park to create a gorgeous reception on the ranch!

We got engaged in April and decided that in order to have an outdoor wedding reception in Texas where you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t freeze or melt, we needed a fall wedding. Between opening day of hunting season, Oktoberfest and church availability, we had little choice but mid-October.

Because the church was booked solid, they generously allowed us to have a morning wedding ceremony, which wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have been our first choice at the time, but it turned out to be perfect.

Our ceremony was at 11 a.m., we served our guests lunch, and then we were able to dance the afternoon away.

Melanie: The wedding date was a battle that I ended up losContinued

Âť

Great for rehearsal dinners up to 50 people!

Private room available at no charge!

Party menus available. : 0DLQ 6W Â&#x2021; Fredericksburg, Texas

Reservations now being taken for 2017 Bridal Parties!

Daily Lunch Specials 11am-3pm every day $8.49

ROCK&Vine

29

ing. I wanted a spring wedding in March/April, and Holden wanted more of a summer wedding in May. Based off of the calendars of our family and friends, and the way holidays fell, May 30, 2015, just seemed to fit.

Plus, our venue of choice was open for us to book that weekend.

We chose The Lodge at Country Inn Cottages in Fredericksburg as the venue for the wedding reception. It was a no brainer for us, really. Once we went there to visit, Holden and I knew immediately that The Lodge was the place … hands down probably the easiest decision of all our wedding planning.

The church was also an easy decision. Holden is a member at Bethany Lutheran Church, and we really both connected with Pastor Casey and loved having him as our officiant for our wedding.

Q. What is your most treasured memory of your wedding?

Ashley: I really treasured having a full Catholic Mass for our ceremony and having a lot of our family and friends there to witness our marriage.

We both had a great time all day which was our priority.

We wanted to have a fun day and create memories with our family and friends that would last a lifetime, and we definitely achieved that.

We both climbed into the limo at the end of the night with aching feet from not leaving the dance floor with our friends. We spent the whole ride to San Antonio talking about how much fun we had.

Kimberly: All those moments you dream of as a little girl, your dad walking you down the aisle, your first kiss, being introduced as Mr. and Mrs., your first dance, the father-daughter dance, all those moments were more special than I could ever have dreamed of.

But, the very best part was at the end of the day knowing that I had married my best friend and the man who will stand beside me for the rest of my life.

That was amazing.

Melanie: Well, if you ask me, it was the look on Holden’s face as soon as I saw him while walking down the aisle.

The look of pure joy and happiness and the love he has for me was showing all over his face.

All the stress and craziness of planning a wedding was all worth it just to

30

Melanie and Holden Light see that, and I am blessed that I get to remember that and relive it for the next 100-plus years as his wife.

Q. Did you have a wedding day “blooper?”

Ashley: Well there was the 20-degree day that had most roads closed for half the day.

My hair and makeup girl couldn’t get to Fredericksburg as planned the morning of our wedding, so we got someone local to come start on the bridesmaids and I waited for her.

A lot of our guests couldn’t make the wedding as planned due to snow and ice and had to cancel last minute.

Other than that, I think everything went as planned.

Kimberly: I definitely went into the day with the mindset that the only thing

that mattered was that we said “I do” and that the people we love were there.

But, one of the funny memories we like to tell happened at the church.

The bridesmaids wore pale pink fulllength dresses. Our first attendants to walk down the aisle were Chris’ uncle and sister. When the priest saw them at the end of the aisle, he mistook them for my dad and I and had everyone in church stand for the bride. All our wedding party got to walk in to a standing congregation.

Melanie: Haha … yes we did. While we were doing The Grand March, the song cut off for some reason and the next song started playing. Holden and I always joke that we did “The Half March” at our wedding since ours was cut short.

Continued

»

ROCK&Vine

DARIN W. HOLMES, D.D.S.

Let KAIROS host your special event - wedding, reception, anniversary, dinner meeting, or luncheon.

Our unique venue and helpful staff will make your event EXTRAORDINARY!

General Dentistry

KAIROS

Cosmetic

Whitening

THE CELEBRATION BARN 1213 Kott Rd. ~ 830-990-9515

Where extraordinary things happen.

830-997-9505 707 South Adams Fredericksburg

Weddings | Special Events | Full Service Event Planning

GIRLFRIDAY &CO.EVENTS

ROCK&Vine

830.377.5943 adrienne@girlfridaycompany.com www.girlfridaycompany.com

31

Q. Knowing what you know now, do you have any advice to give to brides as they plan their wedding?

Ashley: We stayed very laid back throughout wedding planning process and the wedding day. I would advise others to try and do the same.

I tried to stay focused on our main priority which was to have a great time with our family and friends.

The weather that day and guests not being able to make it wasn’t ideal, but it was out of my control.

Rather than worrying and being upset all day, we just appreciated those that were able to make it and had a great time.

Kimberly: Make sure you have an awesome photographer, because having those gorgeous pictures that capture all the little moments is priceless.

Have fun planning your wedding. It was definitely easy to get overwhelmed by the magnitude of all the planning, so try to have fun doing it.

And try not to focus on the latest fads and trends for weddings or feel like you have to have it all.

Focus on what’s important to you and your groom, because that is what you will remember and appreciate.

Melanie: Don’t be afraid to let others help you. I had such a great group of family and friends that went above and beyond to help us out with SO many different aspects of our wedding.

Also, get a wedding planner/coordinator. They are worth every penny. Adrienne Lopez with Girl Friday & Co. Events is amazing. She helped me out so much, and she is fantastic to work with!

Q. As the groom, was there a particular aspect of the ceremony or reception that was important to you and why?

that there are a lot of people who care about your marriage.

Chris: The first dance was important to me because it was going to be my last first dance.

Holden: I truly can’t pick just one thing. Everything about our wedding was important to me and absolutely perfect.

Q. Did you have a wedding day “blooper?”

Nathan: Just the weather.

Chris: When starting our vows, Father Enda, the presider, started by saying “Kimberly,” intending for me to start my vows by saying “Kimberly.”

I thought he was addressing Kimberly and was standing there waiting for her to respond. Kimberly had to clue me in that they were waiting for the response from me.

With a grin and chuckle, I started our vows with “Hey you, Kimberly.”

Holden: “The Half March.”

Q. Knowing what you know now, do you have any advice to give to grooms as they get ready for their wedding?

Nathan: I would tell the grooms to prepare themselves to really pay attention to the ceremony and what it stands for ... and then go have a great time at the reception.

As our wedding planner said, “If you will just hold off until after the ceremony, I don’t care if your hair hurts on Sunday!”

Chris: Have fun with it and don’t take it too seriously. And try to take it in and remember your wedding as much as you can.

Some other advice that was both given to me and learned includes make sure your ring bearer can get down the aisle, aim the cork for the champagne up and away from people, don’t drop anything, especially the bride when dancing, and show up on time.

Nathan: I placed a lot of emphasis on the entire ceremony portion of our wedding.

Marriage is a pact between two people and God, and I think that the vows, scriptures and exchange of rings during the ceremony need to be remembered forever.

As far as the reception, just being able to visit with friends and Holden: If anything is not ready or done, don’t worry about it. family and celebrate was important, as well. It is nice to know No one will know as long as you have beer and food.

Sheila White Photography www.sheilawhitephotography.com

32

ROCK&Vine

Class

ARentals & Sales, Inc.

Party & Wedding Rentals DELIVERY AVAILABLE ALL OVER THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY

2 LOCATIONS:

FREDERICKSBURG 1381 HWY 87 S 830-990-4333

LLANO, TX 1202 BESSEMER 325-247-1362

4%.43 s 4!",%3 !,, 3):%3 s #(!)23 -!.9 349,%3 s 342).' ,)'(43 s #(!.$%,)%23 #%),).' $2!0%3 s $!.#% &,//23 s 34!'%3 s 4!",% #,/4(3 /6%2 349,%3 s ',!33%3 s 0,!4%3 s &,!47!2% s #/&&%% 3%26)#% s 7%$$).' $%#/2 s +)$ "/5.#%3 s -!2'!2)4! -!#().%3 s #(!&).' $)3(%3 s "!#+$2/03 s -5#( -/2%

www.classarentals.com

! n o o S g Comin

ROCK&Vine

33

0DUULDJH OLFHQVHV ÂľD PXVWÂś LQ 7H[DV Before the trip to the altar and the exchange of rings and â&#x20AC;&#x153;I doâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sâ&#x20AC;?, couples planning their weddings are reminded that they must also obtain a marriage license.

The following are important reminders about applying for and using a marriage license: Where to go? r (JMMFTQJF $PVOUZ $MFSL T 0GGJDF JT JO 3PPN PG UIF (JMMFTQJF $PVOUZ $PVSUIPVTF .BSZ -ZOO 3VTDIF JT UIF DPVOUZ DMFSL BOE QFSTPOOFM UIFSF are ready to assist applicants with the QBQFSXPSL r 0GGJDF IPVST GSPN B N UP Q N .POEBZ UISPVHI 'SJEBZ r 5P DPOUBDU UIF DPVOUZ DMFSL T PGGJDF DBMM What to bring? r $PVQMFT BQQMZJOH GPS B NBSSJBHF license must both be present when the license is issued.

r &BDI TIPVME CSJOH BU MFBTU POF GPSN of photo identification (such as a driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s license or passport) or two other forms PG OPO QIPUP JEFOUJGJDBUJPO TVDI BT certified birth certificate, Social Security card, current utility bill or school SFQPSU DBSE FUD " .FYJDBO .BUSJDVMB $POTVMBS DBSE XJMM OPU CF SFDPHOJ[FE BT BQQSPQSJBUF JEFOUJGJDBUJPO CVU B .FYJDBO WPUFS DBSE DBO CF VTFE BT B OPO QIPUP r #F QSFQBSFE UP QBZ UIF DPTU PG the marriage license. Payment can be NBEF POMZ CZ DIFDLT PS DBTI r " SFEVDFE NBSSJBHF MJDFOTF GFF PG JT BWBJMBCMF UP DPVQMFT XIP DPN QMFUF UIF GSFF FJHIU IPVS i5PHFUIFS JO Texasâ&#x20AC;? course and bring in a certificate of completion at the time of applying for their marriage license. *O 'SFEFSJDLTCVSH UIF DPVSTF JT OPU SFMJHJPO CBTFE BOE JT PGGFSFE UISPVHI 7JDUPSZ 'FMMPXTIJQ $IVSDI &BTU $PMMFHF 4USFFU 5IFJS UFMFQIPOF OVNCFS JT The course is also available through

4U .BSZ T $BUIPMJD $IVSDI XIFSF JU T collated with counseling. A couple will SFDFJWF UXP TFQBSBUF DFSUJGJDBUFT 0OF SFDPHOJ[FE CZ UIF $BUIPMJD $IVSDI says theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve completed the program.

The other certificate for the county DMFSL TIPXT UIBU UIFZ WF DPNQMFUFE UIF â&#x20AC;&#x153;Together in Texasâ&#x20AC;? program.

4U .BSZ T JT BU 8FTU 4BO "OUPOJP 4USFFU BOE UIF UFMFQIPOF OVNCFS JT

r "QQMJDBOUT XIP BSF PS ZFBST of age must bring with them their legal guardian at the time of applying for the license and the guardian is also required to show photo identification. r 5IF NJOJNVN BHF SFRVJSFE UP BQQMZ GPS B NBSSJBHF MJDFOTF JT ZFBST Anyone younger should bring with them a court order to obtain a license.

Common law marriages r $PVQMFT DMBJNJOH UP CF NBSSJFE CZ DPNNPO MBX TIPVME LFFQ JO NJOE UIBU if they have a baby, the father must

Biergarten and Restaurant

: 0DLQ q )UHGHULFNVEXUJ 997-7865

34

Add some zing with our highly acclaimed SANGRIA. Available by the gallon $21.95 Please order in advance.

Q

Bridal Party?

Rent Our

ROCK&Vine

undergo an affidavit process to claim paternity unless the couple comes to the county clerkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office some time before the baby is born and declares that they have been married and living together since a certain date. That â&#x20AC;&#x153;informal marriageâ&#x20AC;? fee is $36.

Someone claiming an informal marriage cannot claim a date that places them at less than 18 years of age.

Other things to know â&#x20AC;Ś r %JWPSDFE QFSTPOT BQQMZJOH GPS B MJDFOTF UP XFE BHBJO must be divorced for 30 days or longer, unless there is a XBJWFS PG UIBU XBJU JO UIFJS EJWPSDF EFDSFF r 4BNF TFY NBSSJBHF JT BDDFQUFE BOE IBT UIF TBNF QSP DFTT BT PQQPTJUF TFY NBSSJBHF r "GUFS B NBSSJBHF MJDFOTF JT JTTVFE UIF DPVQMF JT HJWFO UIF EPDVNFOU UP UBLF UP UIF QFSTPO XIP XJMM CF PGGJDJBU JOH BU UIF NBSSJBHF DFSFNPOZ "GUFS UIF XFEEJOH UIBU PGGJDJBOU XJMM GJMM PVU UIF SFNBJOEFS PG UIF MJDFOTF BOE SFUVSO JU UP UIF DPVOUZ DMFSL T PGGJDF XIFSF JU XJMM CF SFDPSEFE BOE UIF PSJHJOBM MJDFOTF XJMM CF NBJMFE CBDL UP UIF OFXMZXFET r $PVQMFT BSF SFNJOEFE UIBU B NBSSJBHF MJDFOTF NVTU CF VTFE XJUIJO EBZT PG JUT JTTVBODF PS JU XJMM CFDPNF void. r $PVQMFT PCUBJOJOH B MJDFOTF NVTU LFFQ JO NJOE UIBU UIFSF JT B XBJUJOH QFSJPE PG IPVST BGUFS UIF MJDFOTF IBT CFFO JTTVFE CFGPSF UIF XFEEJOH DBO UBLF QMBDF r 5IF XBJUJOH QFSJPE UP VTF B MJDFOTF NBZ CF XBJWFE by a district judge or if one of the applicants is on active EVUZ XJUI UIF 6OJUFE 4UBUFT NJMJUBSZ BOE DBO TIPX QSPQFS NJMJUBSZ JEFOUJGJDBUJPO $PNQMFUJOH UIF i5PHFUIFS JO 5FYBTu DPVSTF XJMM BMTP XBJWF UIF IPVS XBJUJOH QFSJPE

Historic

St. Josephâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Halle

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Celebrating the Past - Envisioning the futureâ&#x20AC;? serving Fredericksburg since 1899 q )XOO NLWFKHQ IDFLOLWLHV q $LU FRQGLWLRQHG q $FFRPPRGDWLRQV IRU XS WR SHRSOH q 2XU PLVVLRQ ,QFXOFDWH LQ LWV PHPEHUV ORYH DQG HVWHHP IRU WKH *HUPDQ WRQJXH FXVWRPV DQG PRGH RI OLIH

Information and reservations 830-456-1999 rental@stjosephssociety.org For Available Dates Visit: http://www.stjosephssociety.org/Calendar/calendar.htm

Photography by Vanessa

ROCK&Vine

35

Creating PDJLFDO PRPHQWV %\ 0F.HQ]LH :HGHO

Maggie Gillespie sees the natural beauty of wildflowers and she has turned that love into her inspiration for wedding planning. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I grew up on a ranch and every morning before school, I rode around looking at flowers,â&#x20AC;? Gillespie said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I draw my inspiration from the natural world and want to create something like that.â&#x20AC;?

She soon came to realize that she wanted others to enjoy the same beauty she saw in nature.

Twenty years later, Gillespie has planned over 600 weddings and events for people all over Texas. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I make the experience very unique for people,â&#x20AC;? said Gillespie. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I see it as a big art project as well as something that is representative of them.â&#x20AC;?

Her planning services range from finding venues, caterers, bands and dee-jays to selecting her favorite, the flowers. She also takes into consideration, the lighting of the venue. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I help find a place, vendors and more, and take the pieces of the puzzle and then come up with an overall design,â&#x20AC;?

Gillespie said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Each wedding is different, each one is special.â&#x20AC;?

She sees the design process similar to that of an interior designer. She creates canvas boards with colors and textures to match what the bride is looking for in terms of design and budget. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I take a minimalist, modern approach,â&#x20AC;? Gillespie said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to create a ranch-style Texas look that is distinct and elegant.â&#x20AC;?

She pays special attention to the floral design. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People always asked me if I would do their flowers for their wedding, knowing that I had a background in studio art and color theory,â&#x20AC;? Gillespie said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The flower designs mean a lot to me,â&#x20AC;? she adds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is nothing like them, maybe

36

0DJJLH *LOOHVSLH KDV SODQQHG RYHU ZHG GLQJV LQ WKH SDVW \HDUV 6KH ZRUNV ZLWK EULGHV WR FRRUGLQDWH HYHU\WKLQJ IURP SKRWRJ UDSKHUV WR FDWHUHUV WR XQLTXH FHQWHUSLHFHV ² 5XVWLH 6DOD]DU 3KRWRJUDSK\

)ORUDO GHVLJQ LV 0DJJLH *LOOHVSLHÂśV SDV VLRQ 6KH ZRUNV ZLWK EULGHV FUHDWLQJ FDQYDV ERDUGV ZLWK GLIIHUHQW WH[WXUHV DQG FRORUV WR KHOS FUHDWH D IORUDO PDVWHUSLHFH ² -HQQLIHU /LQGEHUJ 3KRWRJUDSK\ :HGGLQJ SODQ QHU DQG GHVLJQ HU 0DJJLH *LOOHVSLH KDV D SDVVLRQ IRU IOR UDO GHVLJQ DQG ILQGV KHU LQVSL UDWLRQ LQ 7H[DV ODQGVFDSHV Ä&#x192;3DP +XOWV 3KRWRJUDSK\

because they are associated with people and with life. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Simpleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; makes you feel good.â&#x20AC;?

Throughout the planning process, her goal is to focus on the client and how to best make their day special. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have them bring in what they love so I can better understand what they love,â&#x20AC;?

Gillespie said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Maybe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something that reminds them of a specific time or place, but I want the look to be very natural.â&#x20AC;?

She almost always gets her inspiration for designs through the natural beauty of the outdoors. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wanted it took look very natural and simple, rather than embellishing it,â&#x20AC;? she said.

Her favorite part of the wedding process is seeing everything come together.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I love seeing the transformation takes place,â&#x20AC;? said Gillespie. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a magical celebration; nothing really compares to a wedding, party or anniversary. There is a certain adrenaline rush. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kind of like comfort food; it makes you feel good and it tastes good, too,â&#x20AC;? she adds.

At the end of the day, Gillespie spends about 100 hours per wedding in the span of six months to a year.

Gillespieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work has been featured in Rock & Vine, The Knot and she is a member of the Little Black Book. )RU PRUH YLVLW ZZZ PDJJLHJLOOHVSLHGHVLJQV FRP

ROCK&Vine

Let the experienced designers at

BLUMENHANDLER FLORIST

From asking “Will you?” to saying “I do!” or for that special getaway weekend!

Call (830) 997-7373 for an appointment.

209 East San Antonio Street ROCK&Vine

37

'RQ W IRUJHW WR VKDUH WKH QHZV YLD WKH ORFDO SDSHU It seems like there are a million things to take care of when planning a wedding and here is just one more detail to keep in mind â&#x20AC;&#x201D; sharing the news with readers of your local newspaper.

In Fredericksburg, the Standard-Radio Post will run wedding and engagement announcements and photographs as well as follow-ups on pre-nuptial parties and showers.

To help couples share their news in the paper, the paper has several options available for submitting the information.

There is no charge for having engagement and wedding announcements and shower stories published in the newspaper.

And while there is no deadline prior to or after the wedding, couples are still urged to submit the information and photographs in a timely manner.

Weddings which have taken place after a reasonable length of time will be shortened to include only the highlights of the day (with photograph). Information on weddings that are current take precedence in where they are placed on the Life pages over those which took place several weeks or months before.

The deadline for submitting articles and photographs for the Life section of each weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s paper is noon on Monday.

Black and white photographs or color photographs can be

Wedding Bells Are Ringing!

We have a huge gift selection for the Wedding Couple.

Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t decide what to get?

Give them a Gift Certificate from

Conveniently located in downtown Fredericksburg

830-997-3458 dooley5-10@austin.rr.com

used, providing the picture is in good focus and is of good quality.

Photographs can be submitted in a variety of formats. Some couples may choose to submit an original photo with their information while others may choose to submit the photograph on a CD or flash drive.

Also, e-mailed photographs will be accepted, provided that they are submitted in a jpg format at a minimum of 300 dpi resolution.

In an effort to aid couples in submitting information to the Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post, engagement and wedding forms are available at the newspaper office at 712 West Main Street.

Forms are also available by telephone at 997-2155, by writing to P.O. Box 1639, Fredericksburg, TX 78624 or by e-mailed requests to yvonne@fredericksburgstandard.com.

In addition, couples can visit www.fredericksburgstandard. com for engagement and wedding forms.

Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post ZZZ IUHGHULFNVEXUJVWDQGDUG FRP

Party Space For Rent

Are you looking for the perfect place to hold your next family reunion, bridal shower, baby shower or birthday party?

Well, look no further.

The Golden Hub Community Center is the place to go.

We have a great space at a great price.

Call Denise at 997-7131 for prices and availability.

We also have space available during business hours for meetings and luncheons.

WEDDING & PARTY PLANNING | DECORATIONS | PARTY RENTALS | TUXEDO RENTALS

SSpecial Sp pec ecia cia ial Ap A pppooiin ntm tmeen nts ts are are r Appointments Al A lw waayyss W elco el com mee Always Welcome

Donna Solbrig, PBC

The Party Affair

Association of Bridal Consultants t #SFINFS -O 4UF t 4UPSF )PVST 5VF 'SJ 4BU /PPO t XXX QBSUZBĂŹBJS DPN 38

ROCK&Vine