Rock & Vine

ROCK&Vine Fredericksburg’s wine and lifestyle magazine

Honest Advisor The outspoken wine industry watchdog

August E’s Old World ways keep Thai tradition alive

William Chris Winery: Friendship spells success MARCH 2015 FREDERICKSBURG, TEXAS

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

EDITOR’S NOTE

ROCK

A Boon for Texas In Texas, the wine industry contributed $1.9 billion to the Texas economy, according to statistics published by the Texas wine Marketing Research Institute and Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association (TWGGA). Much of the popularity of Texas wine has to do with the fact that Texas vintners follow the French philosophy of wine making, in which each winery experiments with their own wine to match regional specialties. My wife and I recently enjoyed a rich Tempranillo from Inwood Winery (“Cornelious”), which demonstrated the small-batch quality one can find here.

However, Cord Switzer reminded us that part of the reason for the popularity of Texas wine are Texans.

We consume almost 95 percent of our own wine made here. Like a lot of other Texan products, we’re proud of our spirits.

Due in large part to our population growth, Texas is the nation’s fourth largest wine-consuming state.

And because of this, the Texas Wine Industry accounts for only 7 percent of the total sales in the nation. As Switzer said, “Seven percent is still 7 percent, whether that is a 100 cases or 100,000 cases. We can increase production but we can’t keep up with the demand.

We’ll never catch up,” he said. Read more about what this outspoken figure in the wine industry has to say on page 4.

In this issue, you’ll also find out about the William and Chris Vineyards and how their vineyard came into being. We’ve also taken a look at a musician who performs at wineries, a local B&B booking service Gästehaus Schmidt and featured food from Thailand at August’s E’s, a favorite local hangout.

A new feature which is a Q&A with local wine industry people. This issue it’s Bending Branch.

Thank you for reading, and save me a sip.

&Vine

Fredericksburg’s wine and lifestyle magazine Issue No. 3

Rock & Vine Magazine features the best of the Texas Hill Country wine industry, as well as lifestyle, attractions, history, characters and thinkers.

A product of Fredericksburg Publishing Company, Inc.

Publisher/Editor Ken Esten Cooke Managing Editor Christine Granados

Rock & Vine Magazine 712 W. Main St. P.O. Box 1639 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 To advertise, call our staff at the number below.

Contributing Writers Matt Esté Lorelei Helmke Phil Houseal Joe Kammlah Valerie Menard Megan Willome Contributing Photographer/Graphics Alana Lively Leo Aguirre Jr. Marc Land

Advertising Information 830-997-2155 Advertising Sales Kim Jung, Director Ann Duecker Subscription Information $15 for one year 830-997-2155

Ken Esten Cooke Editor & Publisher ken@fredericksburgstandard.com

About the cover: Fredericksburg Winery’s collection of medals, by Leo Aguirre Jr.

ROSÉ

PORT

SWEET RED

ORANGE

MUSCAT

LFNVEXUJ :LQ HU \

PERSONAL L CHECKS, MASTERCARD AND VISA A ACCEPTED

NOIR

Mon. - Thurs. 10-5:15; Fri. & Sat. 10-7:15; Sun. 12-5:15 Mo HPDLO ZLQH#IEJZLQHU\ FRP ZZZ IEJZLQHU\ FRP

Phone: (830) 990-8747

SAUVIGNON

SYRAH

First release May 1996

Thee Switzerr Family

MUSCAT CANELLI

SWEET

MERLOT

CABERNET

U HGH U )

GERWURZTRAMINER

SANGIOVESE

PETIT

VERDOT

SEMILLON

PINOT

4

The

Activist Wine industry enthusiast Cord Switzer makes no apologies for being right ...

...and he usually is.

Photo by Leonardo Aguirre Jr.

ROCK&Vine

5

By Christine Granados

C

ord Switzer honed his chops in the wine business with a front row seat, during the national wine resurgence of the 1970s and ‘80s. Since that time, he has helped steer the Texas wine industry into its second successful renaissance in the new millennium through his dogged persistence of state and federal legislation and wine education, while ruffling a few feathers along the way.

“My congressman Mike Conaway, well he used to be, would introduce me to other congressmen as a P.I.I.—a politically incorrect individual,” Switzer said, as an explanation for how people view him. “My mindset is, ‘Excuse me, can I ask a question? Why are we doing this? I have a lot questions when people do dumb stuff and things that seem dumb to me. It’s not that I’m trying to offend somebody. I’m just trying to understand why. That’s what got me into the political arena because I hate dumb.”

U.S. Rep. Michael Conaway (R-Midland) can attest to Switzer’s intolerance of ignorance.

“He doesn’t suffer fools well,” said Conaway who met Switzer for the first time when running for District 11 in 2004. “We met at a candidates’ forum in Fredericksburg. There were probably 100 people in the audience. When I first saw him, his body language was anything but friendly. He was standing with his arms crossed. Toward the end of the forum, when no one had any more questions for us, he finally raised his hand. He said, ‘I don’t have a question but it’s more of a statement. Politicians are all the same, just a bunch of prostitutes.’ ” Conaway said he looked Switzer in the eye and told him he wasn’t sure about the other candidates but that he entered politics to get things done for the people of Texas.

“He’s been a strong supporter of mine ever since,” Conaway laughed at the memory.

It isn’t just congressmen who Switzer nettles.

His own family struggles with his brutally honest style.

“The biggest challenge of working with Cord would have to be working with Cord.” Minerva Switzer, his sister-in-law laughed. “I’m serious some days. I can get so mad at him and some days I can love him more than anything. But

that’s family.”

His wife, Sandy agreed, “He’s just this incredible human being and I hate saying this but when I get mad I just want to hit him in the mouth, because he’s always right. After I have time to settle down, I never go back and say yes, you’re right. I just go back and do what he tells me to do. It’s a challenge.”

Changing laws and mindsets Switzer, who calls himself the Gofer No. 1 at Fredericksburg Winery on Fredericksburg’s Main Street, used the same tenacity and bluntness to lobby the Texas State Legislature for ten years on behalf of Hill Country wineries. He was personally involved with five senate bills and four resolutions that earmarked $1 million for education and research programs in College Station, Denison and Lubbock, during the 79th Legislature Regular Session in 2005.

It was an uphill battle the entire way. He was fighting old laws and mindsets. Texas has one of the most complicated post-Prohibition alcohol laws in the country, according to wine experts. For example, there are ten dry counties, 49 wet counties, and 195 counties that are combination of wet and dry, according to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. Coupled with a fearful shipping, distribution, and retail industry trying to pass laws to ship wine throughout the state abounded with controversy and contention, during the first half of the new millennium.

Switzer said, the Senate hearings got nasty because the three industries thought the wine industry was competition. He said, what the other industries weren’t seeing was that if the state would allow wineries to ship their product it was going to increase business for everyone.

“The pull system works,” he said. “You’re pulling that wine through the marketing channels, which includes wholesalers, so wholesalers should be happy campers. They wouldn’t admit to it. They wouldn’t go along with it.”

It wasn’t until Texas Sen. Frank Madla (D-San Antonio) became Senate Pro-Tem that anything got done in the legislature, Switzer said. Madla wrote a letter that was signed by Continued

»

ROCK&Vine

6

Owners and operators of the Fredericksburg Winery from left to right are Sandy Switzer, Jack Boepple, Cord Switzer, (holding a photo of the “Antique Labeling Maching,” Oma Switzer who passed away in 2011), Bert Switzer and Minerva Switzer.

distributors, wholesalers and wine professionals that stated there was agreement on the wine bills.

“Frank Madla said if you don’t sign this letter you will never get another bill passed in this legislature as long as I’m the head of the Senate,” Switzer said.

“That’s the way it worked. The boys came in and signed.”

“At the time, I was quoted as saying, ‘What was done in this legislative session will blow the doors off the Texas Wine industry,’ ” Switzer said. “The industry has grown—gangbusters.”

There were 113 wineries in Texas in 2005 and now there are over 300 wineries, according to Texas Wine Marketing Research (TWMR) at Texas Tech University. The Lone Star State’s wine industry contributed $1.9 billion to the economy in 2013, according to the TWMR and Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association (TWGGA) joint study. In Gillespie County, wine producers contributed $82 million to the pie, according to the Alamo Area Council of Governments study in 2012.

This was in no small part due to Switzer’s diligence. He believes that the Texas wine industry is one of the most regulated in the country.

He’s a federal watchdog “I got involved with government, because every time I looked behind every door there was another government

agency,” Switzer said. “You gotta understand a winery when it comes to permits. We have a federal winery permit, a state winery permit, a county winery permit and a city winery permit. We have a state health permit and a city/county health permit. We’re registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Homeland Security.”

Because of this, Switzer has set his sights on national issues. As part of WineAmerica, a national wine association, he has started lobbying congressmen in Washington, D.C. on water issues, immigration reform and crop marketing and research.

“The issues that we’re working on in D.C. are a much broader issue than the ones that we work on for the state but it still impacts Texas,” Switzer said.

His concern stems from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2014 proposal to remove the word “navigable” from the Clean Water Act (CWA) and allow the Corps of Engineers and EPA to regulate all interstate and intrastate waters.

“This means that the federal government will take over all surface water, wetland, tributaries, etc,” Switzer said. “If you had a pond on your property, the government would tell you how much water you could retain and what you could use that water for. To grow, graze or spray anything on it, you’d have to get a permit from the FDA.

“I spend a lot of my hours trying to stay current in what’s going on. Sandy and I go to Washington, D.C. three to four times a year at a week at a time. It comes out of our back pocket. A trip is easy $6000, so four times a year that’s a lot of money out of a little company’s back pocket,” he said. “I’m trying to get our own industry to participate in the questioning process of their own congressman, their senators and those kind of things.”

Switzer does not confine his interest to the wine industry. Although he has been a member of the TWGGA, was part of the Wine and Culinary Arts Center board, and has helped with other state and federal wine associated legislation to name a few of his wine related ventures, he was also instrumental in helping develop the charm of the current city of Fredericksburg through his work on the Historical District, Formula Stores, Sign, Landscape and Sidewalk ordinances.

He is currently on a fact finding mission as a member of the Relief Route Task Force for Gillespie County and the City of Fredericksburg.

“When we first formed the task force, the Commissioners’ Court appointed him as a citizen to represent the city,” said

Sandy Switzer demonstrates the machine used to cork their first 500 bottles of wine, as Cord Switzer offers his advice.

ROCK&Vine Donald Schuch, Gillespie County Commissioner. “We chose Cord because we wanted his perspective. Plus, he’s been active in this issue since the 80s. He comes with facts, figures and binders filled with information.”

It’s all in a name Switzer shares many attributes with the “Cord” of the 1961 one-season show “Gunslinger,” whom he was nicknamed after.

“It’s a nick name. It’s short for nothing,” Switzer said.

“My real name is Spencer Alwin Switzer, Jr. You trying saying Spencer Alwin Switzer, Jr. after drinking wine all day. It doesn’t work effectively.

“One of the guys that I was in the Army with used to work in Hollywood and taught people how to do fast draw. Of course there’s nothing else in the Army to do, so he taught me how to do fast draw. I picked up the name because this guy’s name on television was Cord. I inherited his name because of the fast draw process,” he said.

The name “Cord” is of German origin and means honest advisor, which is apropos for Switzer whose pointed questions and common sense advice have been helping and irritating many civilians.

“If you’re gonna take him on, you better have done your homework, because he knows what he’s talking about and he knows what his position is,” said Tim Dooley, Fredericksburg business owner and former council member. “I think he will respect your (position) if it is different; on the other hand, he will beat you to death, if you don’t know your stuff and he does. He will beat you to death. I don’t mean that to be ugly, I mean that he is that tenacious about what he believes in. And that’s not a bad deal.”

How it all began As an assistant flight commander in the Army he taught students how to fly heliocopters then he taught instructors how to teach students to fly. Switzer is natural teacher He was a faculty member UT Arlington and Southwest Texas State before he tried his hand in the wine industry.

Even though he blamed his wife, Sandy for getting him into the wine business, she was a wine buyer for American Airlines in the ‘70s and he would accompany her on buying trips to Napa Valley, it was Switzer who struck up a conversation and questioned Robert Mondavi, who encouraged him to learn the trade. Switzer took winemaking extension courses from the University of California-Davis and transformed himself from an Army aviator to a professor into a winemaker.

“It was his idea to start a winery,” Sandy Switzer said. “I loved (the idea) too. I just thought, ‘Can we do this?’ First of all, it takes a lot of people and a lot of money then I just trusted him. That’s the thing I can do.”

Switzer, his wife, Sandy, two brothers, Bert and the late Jene, and their families opened the Fredericksburg Winery by leasing the building with a loan from a friend.

The Switzer family has been selling its unique brand of libations there since 1996. Today, the winery is producing 7,000 cases using only Texas grapes.

R&V

7 Wine Legislation Enacted by the 79th Legislature S.B. 57: Grants Texas wineries the specific operating hours of 8:00 a.m. to midnight, Monday through Saturday, and 10:00 a.m. to midnight on Sundays.

Previously there were no specific hours for wineries.

S.B. 877: Enables both Texas and out-of-state wineries to deliver directly to ultimate consumers for personal consumption up to 35,000 gallons of wine per year anywhere in Texas where the possession of wine is legal.

S.B. 1137: Wine Industry Development Act enables wine industry to plan for future industry development, among other things.

S.B. 1370: Captures excise and sales tax revenues that exceed current revenues plus average growth for reinvestment into programs such as Pierce’s Disease research, irrigation research, and health effects marketing that assists the development of the wine industry.

S.B. 1692: Allows for the storage of wine outside of the county where it is produced.

SCR 16: Declares the importance of the Texas wine industry to Texas state agencies, encourages their support of the industry, and requests the inclusion of Texas wine when alcohol is served at state agency functions.

SCR 17: Encourages Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, Grayson County College T.V. Munson Viticulture and Enology Center, and other Texas institutes of higher education offering education and research opportunities in viticulture and enology to collaborate to develop a world-class education and research program within Texas.

SCR 18: Advises the Texas Congressional delegation of the emerging Texas wine industry and encourages its support for initiatives and funding for Pierce’s Disease research and other areas important to the industry.

SCR 19: Encourages the Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute to include specific data in its annual analysis of the Texas Wine Industry.

CASTELL GENERAL STORE Open Every Day

Best Food On The Llano River only 30 minutes from FBG.

Burgers-Friday-Noon & Night, Nights on Saturday BBQ-Every Saturday Noon

Steaks-Ribeye Every Sunday Noon

Come enjoy the Llano River - Fish, Swim, Kayak 10 Rentals ~ B&B - Houses Events: Chili Cookoff 3rd weekend in February Testicle Festival 3rd Weekend of May Goat Cookoff 2nd Weekend of October Gumbo Cookoff 1st Weekend of December

Mason 29

Llano

377 87

Castell 152

87

DĂƌĐ Θ ZĂŶĚLJ >ĞŝĨĞƐƚĞ ͻ ϯϮϱͲϮϰϳͲϰϭϬϬ

Fredericksburg

ROCK&Vine

8

HILL COUNTRY DINING

A Taste of Thailand It’s a little bit Asian. It’s a little bit Texan. It’s all delicious.

By Megan Willome

O

wners Dawn and Leu Savanh met in Fort Worth when he was her martial arts instructor. Dawn, whose career in the resort and hotel industry had taken her around the world, knew the chef at the 5-star restaurant located inside the Hilton Anatole. The chef recognized Leu’s talent and trained him for free.

“He worked from 9 at night until 2 a.m. So, it got us ready,” Dawn Savanh said — ready to open one of Fredericksburg’s finest dining establishments.

Leu is from Thailand, so when you come to Thai Tuesday, you’re getting the real deal.

“What I love about Leu’s Thai cuisine is that it’s authentic, but it’s made with an American mindset. You’ll see more protein, more fresh vegetables and large portions,” Savanh said. “He wants people to walk away having enough for lunch the next day. And they do.”

August E’s offers an extensive sushi menu.

“We don’t take a lot of liberties,” Savanh said. “We like to do it the Old World way, and since Leu hails from there, there’s a lot of respect and honor for that tradition.”

But it’s not all Asian-inspired cuisine.

Leu makes a tasty Kobe burger, which is part of the bar menu, a favorite with locals who enjoy the separate bar area

and its handcrafted cocktails.

In addition, August E’s carries 240 wines, about 40 by the glass. The wine book is 70 pages.

For dinner, August E’s offers hand-cut steaks, from Black Angus to Kobe to Akaushi, raised in Texas.

“It’s the highest form of Kobe beef that there is. Their lineage is meticulously documented for 30 generations,” Savanh said.

The restaurant’s fish is flown in three times a week from Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest. August E’s never serves quick-frozen seafood.

“We have our standards,” Savanh

said, adding, “This is where we eat, too.”

The key to Chef Leu’s success is his creativity.

“People ask Leu for recipes, and he couldn’t write down a recipe if his life depended on it,” Savanh said. “I’ve lived all over the world, so when I describe a dish to him, he knows how to do it.”

Since opening in 2004, August E’s has proudly displayed artwork.

“We already have a long waiting list,” Savanh said, noting that they are hosting their first international artist.

The restaurant’s modern atmosphere compliments the contemporary art.

If you’re in town on the first Friday of the month, find out if August E’s is participating in the First Friday Art Walk.

August E’s caters about 100 special events a year. Their Chef’s Table, a private four- to six-course meal, is offered midweek by reservation.

August E’s is located at 203 East San Antonio Street, one block off Main.

Call (830) 997-1585 for reservations.

Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 5 p.m. until close. They are also open for brunch on Easter and Mother’s Day. Learn more at www.facebook.com/ augustesfbg.

R&V Megan Willome is managing editor and contributing writer for the Wacoan Magazine in Waco. She blogs about poetry and other things at www.meganwillome.

com.

“The Texas Cheese & Wine Experience” UÊxÊ>ÀÌ Ã> ÊÀ>ÜÊ ÊV iiÃià UÊxÊÃi iVÌÊÜ ià UÊ > ÞÊ£\ääÊ«° ° UÊ->ÌÕÀ`>ÞÃÊ££\ääÊ>° °Ê> `Ê£\ääÊ«° ° UÊfÓäÊ«iÀÊ«iÀÃ Ê ÊÀiÃiÀÛ>Ì ÃÊÀiµÕ Ài`

www.fourpointwine.com/tastings Enjoy sampling the best here!

FOUR POINT CELLARS 10354 E. US HWY. 290 FREDERICKSBURG, TX 78624 830.997.7470

Monday thru Saturday 10am-6pm Sundays 11am - 5pm check the website for more details: www.fourpointwine.com

Join the Celebration!

As artists create large-scale street paintings on Peterson Plaza

June 6 & 7, 2015 Free Admission Great Food and Music Image above courtesy of this year’s Featured Artist, Henry Darnell.

KerrvilleChalk.org

Add a kids chalk zone to the celebration, and you have the setting for a whole lot of family fun.

Image courtesy of Anat Ronen

10

ROCK&Vine

Wine Q&A

By Lorelei Helmke

Photos by Alana Lively

Founding members Dr. Robert W. Young and artist John Rivenburgh were the first to produce tannat in Texas.

Bending Branch Winery Those adventurous enough to try unfamiliar wines are rewarded at Bending Branch Winery, located just outside of Comfort. The wines being produced there possess enticing flavors, textures and aromas.

Owners Dr. Robert “Bob” Young and John Rivenburgh offer experienced and novice wine lovers exciting new flavors.

These winery owners are reaping the benefits of centuries of knowledge obtained from winemakers and grape growers all over the world. They have combed research books and vineyards around the globe to choose grapes that produce the best wines possible.

Rock & Vine sat down with the duo to discuss their success, including a Double Gold Medal from the San Francisco Chronicle International Wine Tasting. They said the true measure of their triumph is their customers. In the last seven years, Bending Branch has exceeded all expectations as a result of Bob and John’s pursuit of great wine. It doesn’t seem to matter that the varietals are unfamiliar (and sometimes unpronounceable), people enjoy the wine.

R&V: How did you come to this property? What makes it special?

JR: I grew up around here. Went to Robert E. Lee High School in San Antonio. We (his wife, Alison, and he) were invited to camp on the property. We spent the weekend under the canopy of a huge oak tree. There were about 30 tents erected under it. At the time, Bob and I had been looking into starting a winery in Texas and this seemed perfect.

R&V: Tell me about the landscape.

JR: The property has eight different soil types—black soils and lime driven soils. There is a patch of red soil on this property—it’s red granite. This property is basically a ridge that runs between two valleys.

R&V: How did you decide which varietals to grow on this property?

BY: We studied. We set the criteria. The grapes had to make good

wine, be resistant to heat, drought and disease, and have a late bud break. The later the bud break the better chance of surviving one of our spring freezes.

R&V: Which grape is your best producer?

BY: Tannat—Texas Tannat. We were the first to produce it and have trademarked the term. We have about five acres of tannat planted on the estate. Newsom Vineyards in the Texas High Plains is also growing Texas Tannat for us. We just released our Estate Tannat.

R&V: What else are you growing here that you see promise in?

JR: On the Estate, we are currently growing aglianico, tempranillo, malbec, cabernet sauvignon, petite verdot, charbono, souzao, picpoul blanc, and two experimental grapes, fer servadou, and sagrantino. We found these unique grapes while walking the old Bonnie Doon Vineyards. There was only about an acre of each planted. We brought some cuttings home and planted them here.

Those acres and what we have are the only plantings of these grapes in America that we know of.

BY: The varietals we grow have been around for centuries. In fact, it is said that picpoul blanc was quite popular with Napoleon.

Fer servadou is traditionally blended with tannat in Southwest France. Souzao is a traditional Portuguese red variety.

R&V: Do you have any growing techniques that differ from other producers?

BY: John, tell her about the “Stairway to Heaven.”

JR: Okay, it’s really just a variation of the vertical ladder system.

The vines are attached to a single vertical pole and the shoots are trained to grow opposite each other. When the vines are growing it looks like a stairway, so we call it “Stairway to Heaven.”

R&V: What are you most excited about for 2015?

JR: The charbono (a.k.a bonarda in Argentina). We acquired cuttings from famed charbono producer Summers vineyards a few years ago. The vines have had a great start, just like the tannat did.

We hope to release charbono this year.

BY: Malbec, it’s been growing in the red soils here. We plan on R&V releasing it in 2015, too.

Lorelei Helmke is a certified specialist of wine through the Society of Wine Educators and a Level 1 Sommelier. Learn more about her wine philosophy at www.winesiren.com.

ROCK&Vine

11 Units: AmorĂŠ, Buona Sera & Bellissimo L Located in Stonewall 2 Minutes from the Wine Trail W aand 15 minutes from Fredericksburg Award Winner A ffor 2009 aand 2010 BedandBreakfast.com B Reservations: For F or R eser es erva vati tion ionss: www.the-italian-place.com 888-702-7288 Bill & Amber Nanni

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

Alpacas Rock

Visit our Alpacas & Explore our Alpacas Creations Farm Store Featuring Fine Alpaca Products & Yarn Open Mon thru Sat Please call for appointment 210-394-5378 or 830-990-9125 :LOGĂ RZHU 5LGJH $OSDFD 5DQFK &HQWHU 3RLQW 5RDG )UHGHULFNVEXUJ 7; ZZZ ZU DOSDFD UDQFK FRP

‡ ZZZ EHFNHUYLQH\DUGV FRP

‡Chill ‡Open ‡Serve

‡Drink ‡Preserve ‡Transport

NECESSARY WINE ACCESSORIES Der KĂźchen Laden

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

12

CENTRAL TEXAS VINEY

The Hill Country wine region has over 70 wineries. The 600 acres of vineyard 15

Locator Map of

71

Llano

261

21 & 44

1431

29 Oatmeal

Lake LBJ Granite Shoals

Sunri Beach Sunrise

Round Mtn.

Willow City

4

:ƵŶĐƟŽŶ

23 USNER RD

290 2093

Fredericksburg 17 1 29 22 54

8 48 16

45

16

31

37 57 2 42 35 Luckenbach 25

10

32 59

Johnson City 1320 Hye

38 61 27 1623 3

UPPER ALBERT RD

1623

2766

10

201

281

Blanco

9 7

Spring Branch

47

311

Bulverde

10

60

3237

Canyon City

2673

3159

306

33

E’S AN CR ILL M

281

46

87

43 14

150

12

Canyon Lake

1376

Boerne

1826

150

LON MTN EMAN . RD .

306

46

Bandera

12

473 MILL DA M RD

SONS

HERMA

NN

Center L Point INDNER

290 CR 170

6

Wimberley

18

224

101

12

12

Sisterdale

Comfort

3238

49 71

Dripping Springs

165

Bee Cave

5

32 473

46

Lakeway

52 3232 Henly

28

Jonesto Lago Vista

51

HA PO MIL OL TO RD N .

26

34

Kerrville

173

962

20

62

58

1376

87

27

CR 302

CR 301

Stonewall

JENSCHKE LN

30

56

36

Cypress Mill

1323

41

SHOVEL

962 965

Spicewood Lake CR 409 Travis 50

MTN.

87

Travis Peak

SIN GLE TON BEN D

71

18

1431

Marble Falls

Horseshoe Bay

648

1174

19

1431

16 6

783

Burnet

P4

2342

2323

A Bertram

39

Inks Lake

Kingsland

Castell

1174

690 2341 Buchanan Dam

29

13

40

281

1431

Bluffton 2241

29 Mason

2340

BELL SPRINGS

Central Texas Vineyards and Wineries

Lake Buchanan

Tow

2722

Smithson Valley HERBELIN RD

3009

13 46

S M 11

Gruene

35 New Braunfels

YARDS AND WINERIES

13

ds span the region north of Fredericksburg to San Saba, and west of Menard.

38

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

55 Florence

Andice

35

Georgetown

24

83

own

1431

Round Rock

20 LOOP 1

44

Aus n

35

21

183

an Marcos 53

1. Alexander Vineyards 6360 Goehmann Lane Fredericksburg, TX 78624 2. Baron’s Creek Vineyard 5865 E. US Highway 290 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 3. Becker Vineyards 464 Becker Farms Road Stonewall, TX 78671 4. Bell Mountain Vineyards 463 Bell Mountain Road Fredericksburg, TX 78624 5. Bell Springs Winery 3700 Bell Springs Road Dripping Springs, TX 78620 6. The Bella Vista Ranch 3101 Mount Sharp Rd. Wimberly, TX 78676 7. Bending Branch Winery 142 Lindner Branch Trail Comfort, TX 78013 8. Chisholm Trail Winery 2367 Usener Rd. Fredericksburg, TX 78624 9. Comfort Cellars Winery 723 Front Street Comfort, TX 78013 10. Compass Rose Cellars Inc. 1197 Hye Albert Rd. Hye, TX 78635 11. Copper Star Cellars 256 W. Mill Street New Braunfels, TX 78130 12. Driftwood Estate Winery 4001 Elder Hill Rd. Driftwood, TX 78619 13. Dry Comal Creek Vineyards 1741 Herbelin Rd. New Braunfels, TX 78132 14. Dutchman Family Winery 13308 FM 150 W. Driftwood, TX 78619 15. Fall Creek Vineyards 1820 County Road 222 Tow, TX 78672 16. Fat Ass Winery Tasting Room 153 E. Main St. Fredericksburg, TX 78624 17. Fat Ass Ranch Winery 51 Elgin Behrends Rd. Fredericksburg, TX 78624 18. Fawncrest Vineyard & Winery 1370 Westside Circle Canyon Lake, TX 78133 19. Flat Creek Enoteca 112 US Hwy. 281 Marble Falls, TX 78654 20. Flat Creek Estate 24912 Singleton Bend East Rd. Marble Falls, TX 78654

21. Fly Gap Winery 2851 Hickory Grove Rd. Mason, TX 76856 22. Four Point Cellars 10354 E. US Highway 290 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 23. Fredericksburg Winery 247 W. Main St. Fredericksburg, TX 78624 24. Georgetown Winery 715 Main St. Georgetown, TX 78626 25. Grape Creek Vineyards 97 Vineyard Lane Fredericksburg, TX 78624 26. Hawk’s Shadow Estate Vineyard 7500 McGregor Lane Dripping Springs, TX 78620 27. Hilmy Cellars 12346 E. US Hwy. 290 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 28. Hye Meadow Winery 10257 US Highway 290 W., Hye, TX 78635 29. Inwood Estates WineryThe Vineyard at Florence 10303 Hwy. 290 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 30. Junction Rivers Winery 210 North 6th Street Junction, TX 76849 31. Kerrville Hills Winery 3600 Fredericksburg Road Kerrville, Texas 78028 32. Kuhlman Cellars 18421 E. US Hwy. 290 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 33. La Cruz de Comal Wines 7405 FM 2722 Startzville, TX 78133 34. Lewis Wines 3209 W. Highway 290 (Mail to PO Box 372) Johnson City, TX 78636 35. Lost Draw Cellars 113 E. Park St. Fredericksburg, TX 78624 36. McReynolds Winery 706 Shovel Mountain Rd. Cypress Mill, TX 78663 37. Messina Hof Winery Hill Country 9996 E. US Highway 290 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 38. Pedernales Cellars 2916 Upper Albert Road Stonewall, TX 78671 39. Perissos Vineyards 7214 Park Road 4 West Burnet, TX 78611 40. Pilot Knob Vineyard 3125 CR 212 Bertram, TX 78605

41. Pontotoc Vineyard 338 W. Main St. Fredericksburg, TX 78624 42. Rancho Point Vineyard 315 Ranch Road 1376 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 43. Salt Lick Cellars 1800-C FM 1826 Driftwood, TX 78619 44. Sandstone Cellars Winery 211 San Antonio Street Mason, TX 76856 45. Santa Maria Cellars 12044 Hwy. 16 S. Fredericksburg, TX 78624 46. Singing Water Vineyards 316 Mill Dam Rd. Comfort, TX 78013 47. Sister Creek Vineyards 1142 Sisterdale Rd. Boerne, TX 78006 48. Six Shooters Cellars 6264 US Hwy. 290 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 49. Solaro Estate 13111 Silver Creek Rd. Dripping Springs, TX 78620 50. Spicewood Vineyards 1419 CR 409 Spicewood, TX 78669 51. Stone House Vineyard 24350 Haynie Flat Road Spicewood, TX 78669 52. Texas Hills Vineyard 878 RR 2766, PO Box 1480 Johnson City, TX 78636 53. Three Dude’s Winery 125 Old Martindale Road San Marcos, TX 78628 54. Torre di Pietra Vineyards 10915 East US Hwy. 290 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 55. The Vineyard at Florence 8711 W. FM 487 Florence, TX 76527 56. The Vintage Cellar 6258 E. US Hwy. 290 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 57. Winotus 115 E. Main St. Fredericksburg, TX 78624 58. Westcave Cellars Winery 25711 Hamilton Pool Rd. Round Mountain, TX 7663 59. William Chris Vineyards 10352 Highway 290 Hye, TX 78635 60. Wimberly Valley Winery 2825 County Road 183 Driftwood, TX 78619 61. Woodrose Winery 662 Woodrose Lane Stonewall, TX 78671

ROCK&Vine

14

HILL COUNTRY MUSIC

Success means Lett’ing audience be part of entertainment

By Phil Houseal

W

hen visiting Fredericksburg’s wineries, you go for the experience: chatting with friends, comparing the fruity notes of cab and merlot, and tapping your foot to live music. If that music is being played by Lonnie Lett, he is paying attention to only one thing: you.

“It’s all about the client; it’s not about me,” said the singer/guitar player.

Lett is the rare artist that makes entertainment his business. He doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke, dresses up for gigs (he owns 50 specially-embroidered shirts), and never takes a break. Lett believes that if the client is happy, and the customers are happy, you don’t have to worry about bookings.

“I pick out the closest table to me,” he said. “I watch while the people are talking. If they are leaning in to each other, that means they can’t hear. So I start with the sound low. You watch the people; that’s the way you gauge.”

He learned those tricks during 50 years of playing classic country and standards—including tours of the U.S. and Europe. Now Lett’s “one man band” is a popular fixture at Fredericksburg wineries and clubs. But it almost didn’t happen.

Seven years ago, Lett was making a comfortable living playing in the Houston area, when one night a couple walked in to eat. They moved to a table near the bandstand and stayed all night.

“They said, we need you in Fredericksburg,” Lett recalled. “We’re going to get you booked there.”

To his surprise, the call came through.

Lett traveled to Fredericksburg to play the audition and had a revelation.

“I was sitting there and said to myself, I love Fredericksburg,” he said.

“Fredericksburg is where I need to be. I decided I’m just going to do it.”

Seven years ago Lonnie Lett left Houston so he could play classic country music in Fredericksburg clubs and wineries. Combining 50 years’ experience in the music business with computer technology, Lonnie Lett has refined his stage presence to an interactive one-man show. — Photo by Phil Houseal So he sold his home and antiques, loaded a truck and trailer and headed to the hills. He arrived on a Thursday, and by the following Wednesday had a fulltime gig.

“I have absolutely no regrets,” he said.

“I love Fredericksburg. I love the people.

You’re going to have to carry me out of here in a box.”

Lett especially loves playing the wineries.

“At the wineries, you see new faces every hour,” he said. “Everyone is there to have a good time, to drink good wine,

and to be entertained.”

On one recent afternoon, a group of ladies decided Lett’s blues riffs were too good to ignore.

Soon, half a dozen dancers formed a semi-circle and began showing their dance moves. Not missing a beat, Lett smoothly stepped from behind the microphone and joined them on the dance floor.

He laughed. “Our job as entertainers is to make that part of the experience,” he said. “This is different than putting on a show. We are not going to get everyone’s undivided attention. We are there to be part of the experience.”

Lett’s personal attention to fans earns him kudos from his clients.

“Lonnie Lett has brought me customers,” avowed Jess Barter, General Manager at 4.0 Cellars. “We have a couple who drive up from McAllen and only come when Lonnie is playing. That for me is testament that offering the right type of entertainment is added value to what we do here.”

As contented customers head back to buses and shuttles, many stop to thank Lett.

“People will take pictures and get excited, and it is the greatest feeling in the world,” he said. “It gives me goose bumps. Why not look like you are having fun? And I am.”

Phil Houseal is a writer, educator and musician. He has written several books on the music and entertainment of the Texas Hill Country. Contact him at www. fullhouseproductions.net.

ROCK&Vine

15

Celebrating 30 Years of Hospitality Choose from a wide selection of quality homes both in town and in the country.

ASKET

RS OR A B

OWE /RDER m

Tell us your needs and we will do our best to match you to the perfect property!

"OOK A W INE TOUR O R MASSAG E

~ Rustic Getaways ^ ,UXURIOUS 2OMANTIC 2ETREATS ^ &AMILY OR &RIEND 2EUNIONS ^ #HILDREN AND 0ET &RIENDLY 0ROPERTIES ^ 7ALKING DISTANCE TO -AIN 3TREET

We invite you to visit with our FRIENDLY AND KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF Our goal is to make your vacation an enjoyable experience from the moment you begin planning your trip to moment you return home.

We are conďŹ dent you’ll back to enjoy our lodging options in Fredericksburg and the surrounding Hill Country.

Visit our Gallery Homes 7EST -AIN s &REDERICKSBURG 4EXAS

4OLL &REE WWW FBGLODGING COM

ROCK&Vine

16

LODGING

Gästehaus Schmidt properties reflect

C

Gemütlichkeit

opied from the Europeans, the start up of the bed and breakfast industry in Fredericksburg in the early 1980s was just another way this Hill Country town could show off its German gemütlichkeit.

Hospitality might be an easier word to pronounce than gemütlichkeit but in either language it translates into an experience of coziness and warmth.

Just like being at home.

The late Kenn Knopp, one of the many early “ambassadors” of Fredericksburg, experienced the uniqueness of bed and breakfast stays during his European travels, where he shared almost all but the bedrooms with other guests. He sat down for breakfast and shared bread with his new-found friends and in some instances he had to wait his turn for his morning shower, he said.

So Knopp thought it would be great idea of invite some of his friends to open their homes to Fredericksburg visitors. And so it began.

One of the first couples to volunteer was Charles and Loretta Schmidt. A barn on their property became the Schmidt Barn Bed & Breakfast. Other families took the challenge and the industry grew to a point when, in 1985, Charles and Loretta decided to represent other properties and opened

The Palo Alto Creek Farm log cabin is a pioneer homestead settled in 1854 by German immigrant Karl Itz. Itz raised eight children in this one bedroom home. — Photos by Alana Lively

up Gästehaus Schmidt Reservation Services.

That was 30 years ago and now, Dan and Donna Mittel, own the service.

They have seen a tremendous growth in the industry to where Donna Mittel estimated 400 properties with a total of 500 units are available locally.

While the term “bed and breakfast” is

Donna and Don Mittel relax on the deck of one of their luxurious guesthouses with old world charm.

still commonly used, the better term now is ‘guesthouse.’

As Donna Mittel explained, the early properties had hosts who served breakfast of some kind. Most of the homes had the traditional country décor with lace and four-poster beds.

Today there are probably only 15 or 20 “traditional” bed and breakfasts, she said.

“Over the years that has changed,” Mittel said. “Now they are elegant and luxurious with the highest quality sheets and mattresses. Now if they do a breakfast it’s usually a gift coupon (to a restaurant).Others, however, provide a self-serve Continental-style breakfast.

Or if they do not want to be disturbed, other arrangements can be made.”

“A lot of the guesthouses try to cater to romance. They do the fireplaces, whirlpools, fireplaces, king size beds.

Continued

»

ROCK&Vine

17

LODGING

At left, the distinctive window sign at the downtown headquarters. Above, one of several single family guest house options at Gästehaus Schmidt.

That trend probably evolved in the early 2000s,” she said.

But simplicity still exists. If you want a comfortable bed with a breakfast roll with tea or coffee, they are out there.

“People are still looking for that individual experience whether it’s a home in town or in the country. They like to learn about the history of a particular home. And romance will always be a big thing,” Mittel said.

And guesthouses aren’t just for people anymore. “A big trend right now is pets. I think more people travel with pets now than they do with their children,” she said.

Cyclists are also big customers. “They come all year

After wine it’s showtime!

round and stay, a week or 10 days or sometimes two weeks,” she said.

Of course, young newlyweds still want a guesthouse for their honeymoon but some homes can sleep as many as 22 to serve a variety of needs such as bachelorette parties or reunions, whether college, high school or family.

For more information visit Gästehaus Schmidt website www.fbglodging.com.

R&V Joe Kammlah, as a fifth generation native of Fredericksburg, has a keen interest in the history of Fredericksburg and the Germans in Texas. He is on the board of the Gillespie County Historical Society.

Stars in the

Hills Weekly Tribute Show

Shows Every

Friday at 8pm Saturdays 4:30 & 8pm m Buyy tickets tickets o online nline o orr ccall:

(830) 997-7625 RockBoxTheater.com

Located 99 Steps off Main Street · 109 North Llano, Fredericksburg, Texas

Featuring Spot-On Tributes to Elvis Presley, George Strait, Alan Jackson, Marilyn Monroe, Rod Stewart, Garth Brooks, Shania Twain and more!

ROCK&Vine

18

WINE PROFILE

Passion

& soul

drive the William Chris Vineyard team

By Valerie Menard

T

wenty miles south of Fredericksburg is home to some veritable gems of viticulture at the William Chris Vineyards in Hye. Focused on red varietals, the company has produced award-winning vintages, including a gold medal for its mourvédre at the 2014 Concours International de Lyon, France, and most recently, gold medals for the 2012 Artist Blend and the 2012 Enchanté at the 2015 San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo.

While accolades are nice, what co-owner Chris Brundrett would like would-be wine tasters to know is that every wine produced at the winery comes from 100 percent Texas grapes, a boast not all Texas wineries share—the state standard is 75 percent to be labeled a “Texas” wine—and what he believes contributes to his wine’s success.

“So many people are not using Texas grapes and vines,” Brundrett said. “We’re making wines that were grown not made. We want to produce wines with a sense of place. We want to coax the terroir out not engineer wines to taste the way they did last year. Bill [Blackmon] and I are big proponents of growing soulful wines with a sense of place.

That’s what brought us together, a similar passion.”

A native of San Angelo, Brundrett can’t say that he always dreamt of making wine, but he did have a clue.

The Mourvédre’s ripe berry and dried herb flavor has made it a favorite in the Hye Society Members lounge.

He passed on a football scholarship to the United States Merchant Marine Academy to attend Texas A&M University where he studied entomology and horticulture with an emphasis on grape and wine production.

“I made a lot of really good and bad wines in labs, but I just fell in love with it,” he said.

On an extension day from the university to the Granite Hill Vineyard in 2006, Brundrett met William “Bill” Blackmon, who had already clocked 15 years managing at Granite Hill and was itching to launch his own label. They struck up a conversation and immediately connected on their love of Texas wine and winemaking.

“When I met him, I just knew he would be my partner,” Blackmon said.

The two also discovered that they shared a disdain for the business side of the industry that seemed to put marketing and profit before grapes. Suddenly, Brundrett says, a light bulb went off.

“I decided it was time to quit partying and do something with my life,” he said. “I packed up with my girlfriend, Katherine (now wife), and headed for Fredricksburg.”

The partners signed a lease with Granite Hill and

ROCK&Vine

19

The partnership of William “Bill” Blackmon and Chris Brundrett is a winning combination. produced 400 cases of the first vintage of William Chris wines, a cabernet sauvignon, malbec, and merlot, in 2009. They used the proceeds to purchase 20 acres of land in Hye and opened the wine tasting room in 2010.

Six years later, they have expanded the wine tasting room to accommodate more than 1,000 weekly visitors to the vineyard and they’re producing about 13,000 cases annually. Blackmon, a Lubbock native, manages the vineyards while Brundrett works at the winery with assistant winemaker, Josh Fritsche.

Passion like Brundrett’s and Blackmon’s, however, can be tested. While hill country weather has good moments, late spring frosts in March and April can be especially damaging to the vines.

They’re working with the Texas Wine Growers Association (TWGGA) and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Viticulture and Fruit Lab to address these issues, but Brundrett feels compelled to note that more support, especially from the state, would be appreciated. The lab operates on a $190,000 budget from grants, yet the wine industry contributes nearly $1.9 billion in revenue to the state annually, according to TWGGA. But on the plus side, it’s the dirt, the granite formations and the limestone deposits that make the Texas Hill Country so ideal for wine growing and what distinguish its terroir.

“These are the most sought after wine growing soils types in the world,” said Brundrett. “It’s the formations that make it

incredible and you can taste the difference.”

Blackmon adds: “I love that we can grow grapes that compete with any in the world.”

While William Chris began with Bordeaux varietals, it works with eighteen today also offers blends, such as the Enchanté and Emotion. The Rhone varietals have been of particular focus of late and Brundrett hopes to continue to work with this grape. The tasting room was recently expanded and he hopes bring on a chef to expand the food offerings at the winery, further enhancing the tasting experience. Currently, a tasting cost $15 from five different wines, plus there’s a bar that serves special cocktails.

“Our team is undeniably one of the best in the country, from the vineyards, to the office, to the tasting room,” Brundrett said. “Without them, our wine family, we would be nothing.”

Driving along Hwy. 290, you can easily pass up William Chris. There’s no big limestone gateway to signal the entrance, merely a gravel driveway with a handful of humble buildings scattered about. But treasure hunters from Houston, San Antonio, and Austin have found it and they make a beeline to the vineyard each year to savor that precious Texas terroir.

Valerie Menard is a published author and freelance writer based in Austin. You can read her work at www.latinotrafficreport.com.

ROCK&Vine

20

READING BETWEEN THE VINES

Blood of Jupiter: A Texas delicacy 6260 US Hwy East 290 - Fredericksburg Just a short drive out 290 East–at Rocky Hill complex.

Live music every Saturday and Sunday.

Phone: 830-997-4466

5 Tastings for $10 and a complimentary stemless Fiesta glass.

With a 3 bottle purchase your tasting is FREE!

Hours: Open 7 days a Week. Call for times. ™™™ǤĎ?‹‡•–ƒ™‹Â?‡”›Ǥ…‘Â?

When talking Italian wines, many people think of Chianti the Tuscan village. However, the principal grape in the wines from Chianti and many Italian wines is sangiovese (pronounced San-jo-Vay-say and in Latin means “blood of Jupiter�).

The grape is so popular in Italy that it is often called by dozens of other names and has at least 14 clones. Sangiovese grows well all over the boot shaped country; perhaps that is why the grape also makes great wines in Texas.

Boots are not the only things Texans and Italians have in common, both celebrate family, friends, food and wine. On a recent sunny Texas afternoon, I slipped on my cowboy footwear, visited some local tasting rooms and sampled some excellent local sangiovese.

One of Fredericksburg’s newest tasting rooms is Lost Draw Cellars. Located at 113 E. Park Street, they offer wines from Andy Timmons’s Lost Draw Vineyards in the Texas High Plains area.

Their 2013 Reserve Sangiovese was a delight. The

dark red wine smelled of freshly picked cherries and the taste wasn’t much different. This dry wine had a wonderful medium body with a little bit of spice.

The great finish of this wine made me think that it would be the perfect pair for venison enchiladas with a hearty red sauce.

On my last visit to Hilmy Cellars, 12346 Highway 290, Fredericksburg, their sangiovese caught my attention. Its dark garnet red color, aroma of black cherries and faint hint of dark chocolate, made me wonder if this wine was going to be sweet. It wasn’t.

It was dry with a luscious, full body. I am looking forward to having this with spicy Italian sausage and grilled vegetables.

As much as I hated saying ciao to these wineries, there are more amazing wines to taste in the Hill Country. We’ll see you soon on the wine road. Until then, Salut.

Matt EstĂŠ is the Beer & Wine Manager for H-E-B in Fredericksburg. He has a Level 2 Certification from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust.

0QFO 4BU Q N B N 4VO 'SJ Q N B N t & .BJO 4U 'SFEFSJDLTCVSH

ROCK&Vine

21 WINE COUNTRY ART & ANTIQUES

FREDERICKSBURG, TX #$ !##! $$$$$$$$

! "$ "# #

! "# !$ " #

$ " $ "#$ # # $

" " ! " !

10 7 N O R T H L L A N O S T R E E T

.

C AT E @ C AT E Z A N E . C O M

.

830.992.2044

W W W. C AT E Z A N E . C O M - A D D I T I O N A L PA R K I N G B E H I N D T H E S H O P -

ROCK&Vine

22

let us take care of all your printing needs

MAGAZINES • CATALOGS • POSTCARDS CALENDARS • BROCHURES

4954 Space Center Dr., San Antonio, TX 78218 210.480.0860 | www.shweiki.com

Sources from The Hill Country Petrae & Vitis, page 23 Table wine information from Texas Wine & Grape Growers Association; Texas Park and Wildlife information on cuckoos; Red wine research from Texas A&M University; Bass information from Outdoor Life Magazine; Hummingbird moth research from the USDA Forest Service; Trois Estate at Enchanted Rock; Idioms and Expressions in the German of Fredericskburg, Texas by Carol Jean McCauley; Caliche: Origin, Classification, Morphology and Uses. C.C. Reeves, Jr.; list of celebrities compiled from various online and print sources; and North Atlantic Population Project: Complete Count Microdata.

Compiled by Christine Granados

Now Serving Brick Oven Wood-Fired Gourmet Pizza every Friday, Saturday and Sunday

:LQHU\

Open Daily Noon to 6 p.m.

A LIST OF OUR WINES:

White BELLE STARR - Blanc du Bois Reds SHOWDOWN - Cabernet Sauvignon >KE tK>& Ͳ >ĞŶŽŝƌ ͻ d, Khd> t Ͳ ĂƌďĞƌĂ TWILIGHT RIDE - Blend of 3 Sweet Wines HIGH NOON II - Blanc du Bois ^D Zd ^^ >h^, Ͳ ůĞŶĚ ŽĨ Ϯ GHOSTRIDER - Blend of 3 &ŽƌƟĮĞĚ tŝŶĞƐ THE YELLOW PARASOL - Blanc du Bois ALMAGRES - Lenoir ΨϭϬ͘ϬϬ ŵŝŶŝŵƵŵ ĐŚĂƌŐĞ ĨŽƌ ƚĂƐƟŶŐ Like us on Facebook

Pizza Hours: Noon to 5 p.m. - Friday-Saturday Noon to 4 pm. Sunday

2367 Usener Road 12 miles west on 290 towards Harper,

turn left on Usener 2.3 miles to the winery

830-990-2675 www.chisholmtrailwinery.com

ROCK&Vine

23

PETRÆ & VITIS

The Hill Country Table wine is still (not bubbling) wine under 14 percent alcohol.

Fortified Wine is a wine to which alcohol has been added, most typically brandy. Dessert Wine is wine that is 14 percent alcohol or higher, typically sweet, served with dessert and considered a sipping drink. Sparkling Wine is wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide making it bubbly. r:FMMPX CJMMFE cuckoos, a native bird to the Hill Country, occasionally lays its eggs in the nests of other smaller birds. When the young cuckoo hatches, it pushes nest mates or unhatched eggs belonging to foster parents out to make room for itself. Foster parents may have a difficult time gather enough food for their larger and hungry foster bird.

Texas red wines tested by Texas A&M University researchers proved to have more cancer prevention effects on colon-cancer cells than Texas white wines. r Caliche, which the Hill Country has in abundance, is a layer of soil in which the soil particles have been cemented together by lime or calcium carbonate. It can be used as building material that exceeds building code requirements for unfired masonry. Caliche was used to build a dormitory in Ingram, a demonstration building in Carrizo Springs and Mayan buildings in Mexico and the Yucutan Peninsula.

Hollywood actors, U.S. musicians and athletes who have ditched the bright lights for the Texas Hill Country— Madeleine Stowe, Shelley Duvall (actresses), Lynda Obst (director), Tommy Lee Jones (actor/ director), Thomas Haden Church, Matthew McConaughey, Dennis Quaid (actors), George Strait (musician), Roger Metzger, Lance Berkman (Major League Baseball players), Johnny Manziel (National Football League player), Lance Armstrong (cyclist) and Andy Roddick (tennis player).

Welcome to THE site for Fredericksburg, Texas realÄžĆ?ƚĂƚĞ ĂŜĚ Ć‰ĆŒĹ˝Ć‰ÄžĆŒĆ&#x;ÄžĆ? Ä¨Ĺ˝ĆŒ Ć?Ä‚ĹŻÄžÍ˜ EÄžĆ?ƚůĞĚ Ĺ?Ĺś ƚŚĞ Ä?ĞĂƾĆ&#x;Ĩƾů Texas Hill Country, Fredericksburg’s small-town ĂƚžŽĆ?Ć‰ĹšÄžĆŒÄžÍ• ĆŒÄžĹŻÄ‚Ç†ÄžÄš ĹŻĹ?ĨĞͲĆ?ƚLJůĞ͕ ĂŜĚ ƋƾĂůĹ?ƚLJ ŽĨ ĹŻĹ?ĨĞ ÄšĆŒÄ‚Ç Ć? ĨĂžĹ?ĹŻĹ?ÄžĆ? ĂŜĚ ĆŒÄžĆ&#x;ĆŒÄžÄžĆ? Ä¨ĆŒĹ˝Ĺľ Ä‚ĹŻĹŻ Ĺ˝Ç€ÄžĆŒÍ˜ tĹšÄžĆšĹšÄžĆŒ LJŽƾ Ä‚ĆŒÄž Ä?ƾLJĹ?ĹśĹ? Ĺ˝ĆŒ Ć?ĞůůĹ?ĹśĹ?Í• Ĺ˝ĆŒ ĹŠĆľĆ?Ćš Ä?ŽŜĆ?Ĺ?ÄšÄžĆŒĹ?ĹśĹ? ƚŚĞ Ć‰ÄžĆŒÄ¨ÄžÄ?Ćš ƉůĂÄ?Äž Ä¨Ĺ˝ĆŒ Ç‡Ĺ˝ĆľĆŒ ĆŒÄžĆ&#x;ĆŒÄžĹľÄžĹśĆš Ç‡ÄžÄ‚ĆŒĆ?Í• / Ç Ĺ˝ĆľĹŻÄš ůŽǀĞ ƚŽ Ć?ÄžĆŒÇ€Äž LJŽƾ Ͳ s Zz ^d W K& d, t z͘

New German compounds modeled on an English pattern were necessary, when the language was first established in Texas. There are numerous compounds in which a German word is combined with an English word. For instance: das Johnsongras (Johnson Grass), das Bermudagras (Bermuda grass), der Flintstein (flint rock), der Fenzposten (fence post), der Postoakbaum (postoak tree) and die Wassermoccasin (watermoccosin). r Bass lack eyelids and their iris is fixed, so bass cannot adjust the amount of light reaching the retina (the layer of photoreceptor nerve cells in the back of the eye). Bright light does not hurt their eyes. The amount of light reaching the photoreceptor cells is regulated by the amount of dark pigment in the cells surrounding the photoreceptors.

R&V

ON THE SQUARE

830-992-9446

FDUROH#FDUROHUHHG FRP ‡ ZZZ FDUROHUHHG FRP

&ROGZHOO %DQNHU 'œ$QQ +DUSHU 5($/7256 #66 6 $GDPV ‡ )UHGHULFNVEXUJ 7; Ž

%URNHU 'Âś$QQ +DUSHU /LF

Hummingbird moths in the Hill Country are often mistaken for actual hummingbirds because they resemble the bird in size and coloring. The insects have an olive-green body with red bands across their abdomen. Tufts of hairs from the end of the abdomen look like feathers. Although they can be seen on clear sunny days, the antennae HJWF UIJT JNQPTUFS BXBZ r The Hill Country’s own Trois Estate at Enchanted Rock boasts “The Worlds Largest Cap Gun Collection.�

The toys are displayed in a 5,000-square-foot museum that doubles as a reception hall. The oldest gun on display dates from 1792.

Oldest Antique Mall in Burnet

WILLKOMMEN!

Carole Reed

Between 1840 and 1893, when 4.5 million Germans immigrated to the United States, they took over certain manufacturing occupations: Germans made up 80 percent of the brewers in America, 53 percent of the bakers and 76 percent of the pork and sausage butchers, respectively. In Texas in 1870, Germans outnumbered natives in the baking trade, and among brewers they held a huge, almost three to one advantage, even though there was one German in the state’s labor force for every twenty-five native born workers.

Come find a Treasure!

BURNET ANTIQUE MALL ON THE SQUARE 6 0$,1 %851(7 7; ‡ WWW.BURNETANTIQUEMALL.COM