Rock & Vine magazine - Summer 2019

FARM TO TABLE WITH AUSTIN CHEFS

Rock&Vine GOOD LIFE IN THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY

PLUNGE INTO THE COOLEST

HOT

SPOTS

GLAMPING NEAR CANYON LAKE MUSICIAN JOHNNY NICHOLAS BUILDING OFF THE GRID WOMEN IN WINE

ROCKANDVINEMAG.COM $4.95

SUMMER 2019

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HEATH SPARKLING WINES

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HE AT HS PA RKL I N G.COM SUMMER 2019

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FEATURES

in every issue

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10 The best places in the Hill Country to cool off in a spring-fed pool paradise

Publisher's Letter

Gayne C. Young

21 Meet four women who helped build the area wine industry and are shaping it today

7 Contributors

98 Drinkery Maps

Megan Willome

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Find out what's happing in your area

Meet a multi-generational group of family farmers supplying the top spots for farm-to-table Shannon Lowry

Events

114 End Notes

58 Johnny Nicholas brings the same approach to his music as he does his Hill Top CafÊ restaurant – keep it real.

Ken Esten Cooke

Photographer Summer Miles captured these pretty pullets while on assignment at Hat & Heart Farms.

Miles, who always makes time for the outdoors with her family, also took our cover photo at the iconic Jacob's Well in Wimberley.

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DEPARTMENTS 37

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TASTE Austin chefs bring Hill Country Farm to table approach with seasonal challenges

HAUS Variance Design A Q&A with designer Zac Zamora on Biopohlia & the fusion of nature, science and design

Kimberly Giles

47 DELIGHT The Art of Preserving Past tradition takes hold for foodies Ken Esten Cooke

52 OFF THE BEATEN PATH Glamping and escaping with Mystic Quarry How one corporate couple left it all behind Shannon Lowry

67 HAUS Coming full circle in off-the-grid, sustainable building concepts Kimberly Giles

Kimberly Giles

90 DRINKERY St. Tryphon takes a less-is-more approach for its wines Matthew EstĂŠ

94 DRINKERY Guadalupe Brewing Couple creates relaxing space, serves up unique brews in New Braunfelse Lee Nichols

104 STOMPING GROUNDS Bent Oak Winery is a marvelous winery secret in bustling Cedar Park Lorelei Helme

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contributors

Rock&Vine Featuring the best life has to offer in the Texas Hill Country.

A product of Fredericksburg Publishing Company.

Publisher/Editor Ken Esten Cooke Contributing Editor Sherrie Geistweidt Design Editor Andrea Chupik Contributing Writers Michael Barr, Matt Esté, Kimberly Giles, Lorelei Helmke, Shannon Lowry, Lee Nichols, Megan Willome, Gayne C. Young Contributing Photographers/Artists Brandon M. Aguilar, Sabrina Bean, Brian Boleyn, Trey Daffin, Kimberly Giles, Summer Miles, Joel Salcido, Jim Trent Advertising/Marketing Director Kimberly Giles Account Executives Ann Duecker, Kim Jung Rock&Vine Magazine 712 W. Main St. | P.O. Box 1639 Fredericksburg, Texas 78624 Phone 830 997 2155 rockandvinemag.com SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: $20 for two years www.rockandvinemag.com

COPYRIGHT: Rock&Vine Magazine is published by the Fredericksburg Publishing Company. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without permission of the publisher. Editorial content does not reflect the opinions of the publisher of this magazine. Editorial and advertising does not constitute advice or endorsement, but is considered informative.

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Publisher’s Letter

By KEN ESTEN COOKE Publisher love interviewing musicians.

My dad was a Dixieland and jazz drummer and some of my earliest memories are riding a Big Wheel around in the garage while listening to him bang out a Gene Krupa-style solo.

When I hear good music, I still get chills, whether it’s a church choir, a country band playing tunes at Luckenbach, or a blues or jazz band. So it was an honor to get to interview Johnny Nicholas for this edition. Ray Charles once said words to the effect of “it doesn’t matter what kind of music it is, if it’s played with soul, it’s good.” Nicholas reaches from all styles because he has learned from all styles of masters (and become one himself). And the food at his restaurant We are pleased to profile some women of the booming wine industry. Our writer has some who were instrumental in helping the industry get growing, and a couple who are forging new ground and making names for themselves.

As usual, in our Drinkery section, we have winery and wine reviews, as well as a profile on a thoughtful brewing family in New Braunfels.

We also touch on a Hill Country farming family and their supplying of goods and greens to some top Austin eateries.

Anyone who grew up in small-town Texas knows farming families. And we are so pleased to see young couples pursue this line of work and who are able to hone in on what chefs prefer in the way of fresh, organic greens, herbs and meats.

Last, and certainly not least, we outline our favorite swimming holes in this spring-laden area. I remember swimming in a spring-fed creek near my uncle’s property in Helotes, and there is nothing like a summer dip in one of these naturally cool pools. It’s a hot summer, so enjoy this diversion.

See you in the Hill Country.

–R&V– We want to know what you think about our growing publication. Please send feedback and story ideas to ken@fredericksburgstandard.com. And thanks for reading.

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$20 for two years Send to 712 W. Main St., Fredericksburg, TX 78624 or subscribe at RockandVineMag.com

Editorial submissions: ken@fredericksburgstandard.com

Andrea Chupik is a graphic designer / art director living in Fredericksburg. View her work at designranchcreative.com.

Lee Nichols is a freelance writer based in Austin. He loves beer and two-stepping in Texas dance halls, especially with his daughter, Lucy.

Matt EstĂŠ is a level 2 sommelier and a wine buyer.

Joel Salcido grew up in Mexico and the United States, straddling two languages and two cultures. His images appear in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, the El Paso Museum of Art, the Harry Ransom Humanities Center at the University of Texas at Austin, and the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University. Visit joelsalcido.com for more information.

Kimberly Giles is our Rock & Vine Ambassador, who is always scouting for stories in our Texas Hill Country, email her @ kgiles@fredericksburgstandard.com Lorelei Helmke, CSW and Sommelier.

Follow her on Twitter @Winesirens or see www.thewinesiren.com.

Shannon Lowry is a freelance writer and a former editor for Texas newspapers and magazines.

Steve Taylor is a Fredericksburg freelance writer who works with Taylored Communications. More information is at anntaylorcontentmaster.com.

Megan Willome is a freelance writer and author of "The Joy of Poetry."

To read more of her work visit meganwillome.com.

Summer Miles is a central Texas photographer who received her photography degree in 2007. summermilesphoto.com

Gayne C. Young is a writer, hunter, and adventurer living in Fredericksburg. He is an editor and writer for numerous magazines.

SETTING IT STRAIGHT

JULIO LLOP

In our spring edition, the name of Chef Julio Lopp's restaurant, Epicure, was misidentified.

We regret the error and invite our readers to enjoy the charcuterie and wine selections at Epicure, 333 US 290, #437, in Dripping Springs, phone 512.858.7300.

...

Letters to the editor On Friday, I picked up the latest issue of Rock & Vine at Andreucci Wine Room. I was very impressed with the quality of the entire magazine.

The photography throughout is sharp and crisp. They made me want to explore the varied locations.

The list of wineries and maps are the very best I have seen. I am the planner for wine tasting for all my friends. Your list will enable me to make decisions about stops.

Thank you for being "head and shoulders" above the other local publications. I will subscribe!

Sincerely, April Langston - Comfort, TX

...

I wanted to commend you on your article bringing into the light "regenerative ranching" and how one of the most prolific species of North America has contributed so much to the welfare of our local ecosystem. As I have suspected, we don't have to specialize nature and agriculture to the point of excluding the holistic integration of natures balance and mastery. So many times Texas get's a bum rap because of the mega corporate food giants who use and continue to use corporate technologies to essentially strip mine the landscape. The thoughtfully sustainable approach employed

by Forrest and Collins is ancient, sustainable and native to our experiential farming techniques and yet futuristic in our relearning of how we should help steward nature. These young people give me hope that we can change in time and avert total eco-collapse.

Sincerely, Lorenzo Hubbell - Albuquerque, NM

Executive Chef, Epicure

SUMMER 2019

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Mon. - Thurs. 10-5:15 Fri. & Sat. 10-7:15 Sun. 12-5:15 Check website for Holidays Phone: (830) 990-8747 email: wine@fbgwinery.com

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247 W. Main (in town - one block west of the Courthouse) Large parking area in front RV parking in back.

Fredericksburg, TX 78624

SUMMER 2019

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THE HILL COUNTRY’S

BEST

By GAYNE C. YOUNG Photos by SUMMER MILES

he Texas Hill Country is blessed with abundance of gorgeous landscapes, breathtaking views, and, fortunately in the dog days of summer, a plethora of pools to cool off. Here’s a look at some of the most popular Texas has to offer in no particular order.

PEDERNALES FALLS STATE PARK, JOHNSON CITY Located on more than 5,000 acres and just 30 miles west of Austin, Pedernales Falls State Park offers some of the best swimming, tubing, wading, and fishing on the Pedernales River.

The river within the park flows over and around limestone slabs and, depending on water levels, creates a multitude of shallow pools perfect for escaping the summer heat. Although swimming is not allowed directly below the falls, it is allowed along a stretch of river accessed by the 0.6-mile Pedernales Falls Swimming Area Trail. “Our swim area has a nice sandy beach and some great big cypress trees for shade,” says Assistant Park Superintendent Jason Hairston. “The river’s wide and the current generally slow. It’s the perfect place to float.”

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DEVIL'S WATERHOLE, BURNET

Don’t let the name fool you, the Devil's Waterhole is about as heavenly a swimming hole that can be found in the Hill Country. Located inside the 1,201-acre Inks Lake State Park, this Texas favorite swimming spot is a small inlet of Inks Lake that is almost completely surrounded by boulders of pink granite. Jumping from some of the higher cliffs surrounding the pool (the tallest being upwards of 40 feet) attracts thrill seekers from the world over and the tranquility of the 800-acre lake of brings them back again and again.

“The Devils Waterhole has been an icon of Central Texas for generations,” Park Superintendent Corey Evans says. “People love to jump off the cliffs and just to experience what has drawn folks from all around for so long.”

Above, Devil's Waterhole Right top, Hamilton Pool Right bottom, Pedernales Creek

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HAMILTON POOL, AUSTIN Fed by an absolutely stunning 50-foot waterfall and operated

by Travis County Parks, Hamilton Pool was formed when an underground river collapsed inward following more than a millennium of erosion. This left behind an amazing grotto filled with turquoise waters surrounded by scenic limestone outcroppings. Access to the pool is by reservation only and via a steep .25-mile trail (sturdy shoes are a must) that’s well worth the taking, given the reward at the end.

BARTON SPRINGS, AUSTIN Perhaps the most famous pool in all of Texas, Barton Springs is a cultural landmark located within the Barton Springs Greenbelt of Austin. The manmade pool is three acres in size and fed from the underground Main Barton Spring, the fourth largest spring in the state. The pool ranges from zero to 18 feet in depth and averages between 68-70 degrees. The swimming area is surrounded by grassy slopes and numerous shade trees and serves as the perfect place to lounge after cooling off in the spring’s brisk, gin-clear waters. A statue near the entrance honors the Texas letters triumvirate of Roy Bedicek, Walter Prescott Webb and J. Frank Dobie, who cooled off regularly here in pre-air conditioned Austin. Tiffany Chavez, a summer cashier at the Springs says of the popularity of the pool, “We’re family friendly and the water’s always, always cool and refreshing!”

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BLANCO STATE PARK, BLANCO Located only a stone’s throw from the Blanco Courthouse and roughly an hour from both San Antonio and Austin, Blanco State Park is the perfect place to dip into the cool waters of the spring-fed Blanco River. Park goers can swim anywhere along the river or relax near the man-made dam and small pool that sit surrounded by waterfalls. The shore is beautiful, natural Texas limestone and the water always cool. The park rents tubes and provides free loaner fishing rods to further enhance a getaway to the park. As Buffy Marquez, assistant office manager at the park, says, “We get everybody from all over to come enjoy our mile of river because everything here is perfect!”

GARNER STATE PARK, GARNER There’s no better place to cool off than in a river whose name means “cold” and no better place to do so than in Garner State Park. The park, famous for its fall foliage and summer dances, offers bathers, tubers, anglers, and those just looking to cool off nearly three miles of access to the Frio River’s cold, crystalclear water. Park goers can rent paddleboats, kayaks, and innertubes to further enjoy the river as well as tables, barbecue pits, and fans after a day in the water. A tube shuttle and putt-putt golf course are also available during summer months.

JACOB'S WELL, WIMBERLEY

Jacob's Well is a 30-foot vertical perennial karstic spring that serves as the headwaters of Cypress Creek, but it’s also the entrance to a vast underwater cave system. This gorgeous swimming hole is located within the Jacob's Well Natural Area (JWNA) and managed by the Hays County Parks Department. The Well is supplied by the Trinity aquifer, roughly 140 feet below the surface that maintains a constant temperature of 68 degrees making it one of the coolest times in Texas.

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LANDA PARK AT COMAL SPRINGS, NEW BRAUNFELS

Situated on the always 72-degree Comal Springs, Landa Park offers a trio of swimming experiences. The Coach E.E. “Bud” Dallmann Olympic Pool measures 25 yards by 50 meters and varies between four and seven feet deep.

It’s the perfect place to cool off or swim laps.

By far the most popular of the venues is the Springfed Pool. At more than a century old, it is one of the oldest and most popular bathing pools in Texas. The pool varies in depth from zero to nine feet deep, offers a 10-foot-tall water slide and shallow end with mushroom fountain. The Zero Depth Pool is perfect for bathers under five years of age and features water that varies between zero to two and a half feet in depth, a smaller slide and fountain. R&V

Top, Jacob's Well. Bottom left, Pedernales Creek . Bottom right, Blanco State park SUMMER 2019 15

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By MEGAN WILLOME Photos by JOEL SALCIDO (except for Becker photo)

ay back in 1971, near Fort Davis, Gretchen Glasscock planted a vineyard on the southern slope of Blue Mountain. It was not the first vine-yard in Texas — that honor goes to Spanish missionaries who planted grapes near El Paso. Before Prohibition, the state has around 25 wineries. But what with one law and another, wine fell from grace.

Glasscock helped change that by helping pass the 1977 Texas Farm Winery Act, which provided workarounds for vineyards in dry counties. She is just one example of the pioneering women in wine in the Lone Star State.

Because many Texas vineyards evolved from ranch land or farm land, they are often jointly run by husbands and wives, who eventually bring their families into the business. Rock & Vine spoke with four Hill Country women, all of whom bring their creativity and good sense to the business of wine.

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BECKER VINEYARDS

BUNNY BECKER :

I’M MORE CONSERVATIVE, SO I SAID, ‘LET’S PLANT ONE ACRE AND SEE HOW WE DO.’ BUT THEY SAID, ‘NO, BUNNY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE WHOLE DEAL.’ SO WE DID 13 ACRES. - Bunny Becker

Bunny Becker and her husband, Dr. Richard Becker, wanted a little house on about an acre of Hill Country land and no yardwork. They found a historic German cabin on 100 acres and learned the family didn’t want to break up the property.

So they went big and made the land another home. It was Dr. Becker who decided to plant a vineyard.

“I’m more conservative, so I said, ‘Let’s plant one acre and see how we do.’ But they said, ‘No, Bunny, you have to have the whole deal.’ So we did 13 acres,” she said.

Those 13 acres have grown to 56. In addition to its own vineyard, Becker is the largest purchasing winery of Texas grapes. Despite being busy with guests each weekend, Becker Vineyards still feels welcoming.

“That’s always been Bunny’s focus. She wants people to feel like they’re a guest in our home,” Dr. Becker said.

The estate includes The Library, the cellar tasting room of the most exclusive wines, and the Lavender Haus event center, where monthly Chef’s Table dining experiences pair the finest Becker wines with a gourmet lunch by Chef Michael Lockhart.

The tasting room includes framed White House menus of all the state dinners that have featured Becker wines. In every venture, from adding lavender fields to creating a new Claret with Coppola Wines for H-E-B, the Beckers work as partners.

“The guy said, ‘This is Texas. You’ll never sell a bit. They won’t be able to pronounce it.’ We said, ‘We’re gonna do it anyway.’

It’s been a very successful wine for us,” Becker said.

Renowned California wine-maker Robert Mondavi tasted the viognier early on and encouraged them to keep it up.

One of Becker’s favorite growers is Brenda Canada, in Plains, whose grapes grow in rocky soil. Canada Family Vineyards grows cabernet, chardonnay and malbec for Becker.

“She was a schoolteacher, and when she retired, she told her husband, ‘I’m gonna plant a vineyard’ and he said, ‘You’ve got to do it by yourself,’ and she did!’” Becker said.

Much of the art on Becker’s bottles was created by the late Tony Bell, a friend of Dr. Becker’s. The malmsey’s label is a portrait of Becker, painted by her late father.

“When we first made our label, they said, ‘Make a pretty one because women are the ones who buy it,’” Becker recalled.

“I think she’s smarter than I am,” Dr. Becker said, of his wife.

“I’m more the risk-taker. I take the risks, and she makes them work.”

Over the 27 years Becker Vineyards has been in operation, Becker has seen more women get involved in the industry, and not just in the tasting room.

In 2018, Becker won four double gold medals at the San Francisco Chronical Wine Competition. And they were the first vineyard in Texas to plant viognier, even though a winemaker advised against it.

“They’re involved in vineyard choices and decisions,” she said, noting her decision to open a second tasting room in downtown Fredericksburg, in the old Buick dealership.

“I call it Becker Buick,” she said.

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While living in Scotland, Karen DeBerry and her husband, Blake, purchased a ranch outside Burnet, with the intent to have a cattle ranch and a place to retire. Instead they planted a vineyard, to which they gave the Gaelic name Torr Na Lochs, meaning Hill over Lakes. The tasting room and open patio overlook Inks Lake and Lake Buchanan.

Because her husband hasn’t yet retired, DeBerry oversees most of the work.

“I manage the vineyard. I’m an accountant by training, so I handle bookkeeping,” she said. “We harvest together, crush together, but I begin the winemaking process on my own because I’m here and he’s not.”

DeBerry earned her viticulture certification from Texas Tech University at Fredericksburg in 2014, the same year they planted their first grapes. Unlike most vineyards, which don’t produce a usable crop for the first few years, Torr Na Lochs didn’t have to wait.

“Our first vintage was made with fruit from one-year-old vines,” DeBerry said. “We did a lot of special preparation at planting that gave our vines a good head start.”

Some of that preparation involved an emphasis on sustainability.

“I don’t like spraying chemicals. I never have. I teamed up with AgriOzein. It makes ozone gas, and it’s 100 percent safe,” DeBerry said. “We collect rainwater from two buildings, so we have just under 100,000 gallons of rainwater storage.

We collect the condensation from air conditioning units and wastewater from reverse osmosis water production, and it goes into irrigation tanks. We’re on solid granite outcroppings, so every drop of water counts, literally.” Torr Na Lochs also uses solar-powered water wells.

In February the winery acquired its own bottling line.

“It’s a great addition to our facility. Now we have the entire process under our control,” DeBerry said.

Although she got too busy running a business to complete her enology certification, DeBerry’s oldest daughter did finish.

“She stepped in and did that program in my place. We’re hoping they will be willing to take over the business someday,” she said.

KAREN DEBERRY : TORR NA LOCHS

OUR FIRST VINTAGE WAS MADE WITH FRUIT FROM ONE-YEAROLD VINES. WE DID A LOT OF SPECIAL PREPARATION AT PLANTING THAT GAVE OUR VINES A GOOD HEAD START. - Karen Deberry

The winery’s tagline, “From Rocks to Wine,” captures two ideas: that the vines grow in decomposed granite and that clearing the land meant pulling out a lot of rocks.

“All the rock on the exterior of the building came from the site,” DeBerry said. “Our rock mason wasn’t too happy about that because of irregular sizes and shapes.”

The 2015 Estate Syrah and the 2016 Orange Muscat both won gold at the 2019 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

DeBerry says the recently released 2017 Montelpulciano, grown in the Texas High Plains, is “flying off shelves.”

“Our wines are typically dry, but because they’re so fruitforward they’re very balanced and very drinkable. What we’ve become known for in our short history, four years open to the public, is dry red wines,” she said.

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MEI NEWSOM : NEWSOM VINEYARDS

WOMEN CAN BE VERY GOOD WINEMAKERS. MY OPINION IS WITH A MAN, SOMETIMES THE WINE HAS A MALE GENDER. THE MORE DELICATE WINE IS MORE FEMALE-FEELING. - Mei Newsom

When Yanmei Zhang Newsom came to Texas Tech University in 2009 to pursue a graduate degree in enology, Lubbock was still dry.

“I was surprised: How can they have an enology program when the entire city is dry? One year later, in 2010, Lubbock finally became wet,” she said.

Newsom came from Shanghai, China, to study wine with Dr. Brent Trela, whom she met at a winemaker challenge. He was intrigued by her undergraduate background in table grapes and recruited her as a graduate assistant.

While in the Panhandle she met her husband, Nolan Newsom, and married into a wine family. Newsom Vineyards has been growing grapes for more than 30 years in Plains.

“It’s 100 percent Texas High Plains wine. We don’t source any other fruit, don’t buy any fruit,” Newsom said.

In 2016, Newsom and her husband opened a Newsom Vineyards tasting room in Comfort. He works there full time.

“In our tasting room right now, because we’ve been in the industry for so long, we have very good connections with all the winemakers in the state,” Newsom said, including partnerships with Bending Branch Winery, Calais Winery, Flat Creek Estate and Lewis Wines.

Before moving to the Hill Country, Newsom worked in Napa and at Texas Custom Wine Works. Coming to this part of the state meant getting a chance to make her own wine.

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Since 2016, she has worked as winemaker at Driftwood Estate Winery. Driftwood’s 2018 Viognier and 2018 Dry Rosé won gold at the 2019 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

For the Newsom Vineyards own label, she made a 2018 Pinot Grigio and a 2018 Albariño.

Newsom says being a wine-maker is all about making decisions.

“I decide what wine style that batch of grapes is going to be, either sweet or dry, or if I want it fruit-forward or more Old World-like, which means less fruity,” she said, adding that different winemakers can use the same fruit and get very different-tasting wines.

“Like a dry orange muscat. Many people never heard of it, but if a winemaker decides to make it dry, it can be dry,” she said.

Also, whether a winemaker is male or female can impact the taste of wine.

“Women can be very good winemakers. My opinion is with a man, sometimes the wine has a male gender. The more delicate wine is more female-feeling,” Newsom said.

Like Texas, Newsom says China’s wine industry is expanding.

“It’s very similar to the Texas market. It’s growing, it’s booming. I’ve been to some premium wine regions,” Newsom said.

She describes Texas as “still a big sweet wine market, but I can tell so many people are moving on to drinking more dry and bolder premium wine,” she said.

SUSAN AULER : FALL CREEK VINEYARDS

Texas wines trace their roots to Susan Auler of Fall Creek Vineyards, who has been both a founder and evangelist for the industry since the 1970s.

Auler’s husband, Ed, had a ranch near Tow that had been in his family for generations. In 1973, the Aulers took a trip to France to look at cattle to breed with their Angus herd.

“I said very innocently, ‘Why don’t we take time to see the major wine regions?’ Back then there was certainly no signage, maybe a 13th century stone marker,” Auler said. “Ed sent our ranch manager to go over and see the folks at Texas A&M and see if anyone knows anything about growing grapes.”

The Aulers had good timing. The next year the bottom fell out of the cattle market. They planted their first vines in 1975, and Fall Creek Vineyards brought out its first vintage in 1979. The following year Ed left his law practice to ranch grapes.

Susan focused on the public relations of wine, which meant a lot more than advertising. Part of her mission was getting Texas established as an AVA, or American Viticulture Area.

THE FRENCH HAVE THE WORD TERROIR — IT MEANS SOIL, WIND PATTERNS, AIR, CLIMATE OF THAT SPECIFIC VINEYARD. WE’RE WELLROOTED IN TIME AND PLACE. WE’VE BEEN MAKING WINE FROM DIFFERENT REGIONS OF THE HILL COUNTRY AND TEXAS, SO WE KNOW WHAT GROWS WHERE. IT’S ALL ABOUT MATCHING THE RIGHT VARIETY TO THE RIGHT SOIL. - Susan Auler

“It was apparent immediately that we needed to create an identity for the Hill Country as Texas wine country,” Auler said.

While her husband navigated the bureaucracies, Auler made friends with winemakers in California, who became mentors.

“A friend introduced us to André Tchelistcheff, the winemakers’ winemaker. He put California wine on the map.

He’s a Russian immigrant. He tasted our third-leaf cabernet sauvignon, and in his heavy Russian accent said, ‘Plant more!’” Auler said.

As Fall Creek’s wines gained prominence, Auler partnered with the celebrity chefs of the ’80s Southwestern cuisine movement — Dean Fearing, Robert del Grande and Stephan Piles. She created the Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival that same decade. All her work went toward making Texas wine world-renowned.

Fall Creek Vineyards has a commitment to what Auler calls “Texas terroir.”

“The French have the word terroir — it means soil, wind patterns, air, climate of that specific vineyard,” she said.

“We’re well-rooted in time and place. We’ve been making wine from different regions of the Hill Country and Texas, so we know what grows where. It’s all about matching the right variety to the right soil.”

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“Women have a good work ethic, and this is very laborintensive. It’s farming first. If it doesn’t happen right in the vineyard, in won’t happen right in the winery,” she said.

After winning numerous gold and double gold medals at international competitions, Fall Creek’s profile was raised even higher last year after wine critic James Suckling invited the winery to submit selections for his “American Wine Revolution” report. Four wines scored a 90 or above.

In October, Fall Creek’s 2016 ExTerra Tempranillo received Suckling’s endorsement via Instagram: “Outstanding Tempranillo from Texas. James says a bit like Toro, @stockwine says Ribera ... either way this is #greatamericanwine.” The post included a fistbump emoji.

“That is the best thing be-cause there are three top wine reviewers in the country, and he’s one of them. None of the three have decided to review Texas wines before. Then for us to get these excellent scores, it elevates the entire industry,” Auler said.

Amid this recognition, the first lady of Texas wine still sees Fall Creek as a family business.

“It’s been a great adventure for our entire family. The boys grew up picking those grapes and getting their buddies from the basketball team to help,” she said. “Alsacian friends, they’ve been making wine for 400 years, and he loved to get in the lab and taste with Ed. Out at Tow, the boys would be playing. He’d say, ‘Let them smell the wines.’ I do that with my grandson now.” R&V

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As Texas’ wine industry grows, Auler sees more women getting involved.

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“In cooler climates you might have a week to 10 days to harvest. In Texas you have 36-48 hours,” she said.

R

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Still, Auler says the biggest challenge to growing grapes in Texas comes at harvest-time.

ED

“Sergio really opened our eyes that anything has a chance of doing well in Texas. He said, ‘It’s all about the soil. Don’t worry about the heat — it’s hot in Spain, it’s hot in Australia, it’s hot in the Middle East, and that’s where grapes were discovered 8,000 to 10,000 years ago,’” Auler said.

FR

Four and a half years ago they opened a second tasting room in Driftwood, across from The Salt Lick BBQ. Salt Creek Vineyard, overseen by Scott Roberts, is Fall Creek’s main source for grapes. Roberts works closely with Sergio Cuadra, the Aulers’ Chilean winemaker.

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With five vineyards — two in the Hill Country, one north of Big Bend and two in Driftwood —the Aulers have learned not only about terrior in different regions, but from row to row of the same vineyard.

TX

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2 1/2 blocks off Main Street SUMMER 2019 Fredericksburg, TX27

HOME IS WHERE YOU HANG YOUR

HAT � HEART

By SHANNON LOWRY

Take a long, tall sixth-generation GermanTexan farmer named Bradley Ottmers, who spends all his waking hours in a cowboy hat. Stir in his life and business partner Katherine Tanner, whose family hails from the heart of Texas. Add one exuberant young border collie named Stetson, who celebrates each and every vegetable plucked out of the ground with a happy dance, and you have just part of the secret family recipe that makes up the Hat & Heart Farm in Fredericksburg.

Back in 1967, Bradley’s parents J.W. and Marion Ottmers purchased the 93-acre farm on North Grape Creek Road for $200 an acre. Until this spring, the farm has always been known as Opa and Oma’s.

Although they still own, live and work long hours on the farm, the elder Ottmers, now in their seventies, are content to pass the pitchfork of the farm’s management into the capable hands of Bradley and Katherine.

“We picked the name for the farm for several reasons. You will rarely see Bradley without his cowboy hat. He has a summer

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Photos by SUMMER MILES

straw working hat, a dancing straw hat, a work winter felt hat and a special occasion winter felt hat. A lot of people don’t look for him at the farmer’s market, they look for the hat,” Tanner said.

“Katherine is the heart. And she has stolen mine,” Ottmers said. “Part of her family comes from this area and also from Brady, known as the heart of Texas.”

“We also both wear a lot of hats,” Tanner added. “And we love each other very much.”

Both J.W. and Marion are fifth-generation German-Texan farmers. Marion was raised near Luckenbach, where her father grew vegetables, cotton and corn. J.W. was the youngest of three children on his family’s farmstead nearby Albert. J.W. and Marion had 4,000 breeder turkey hens and went into wholesale vegetable farming. He also traveled to the terminal market in San Antonio, a night market from 10 p.m. to 2 p.m. where all grocers went to restock their shelves for the next morning.

Bradley Ottners and his life and business partner, Katherine Tanner come from old German farming families in the Hill Country.

SUMMER 2019 29

Fredericksburg farmer Bradley Ottmers shows his border collie, Stetson, a freshly plucked green bean while chewing on another one.

“J.W. would work all day, load up his truck at night and go to the market, which is exactly what Marion’s dad and granddad used to do. But selling wholesale was a way to wear yourself out fast and not make a lot of money doing it,” Tanner said.

In 1997-1998, J.W. and Marion went to a retail model for their farming operation and made the shift to farmer’s markets.

“That’s when it changed,” Ottmers said. “We are growing 45 different varieties of vegetables now in the fields. We get to meet the people who are eating our food and we can actually make more per pound when there is no middle man. Since 2006, we’ve been consistently going to farmer’s markets.

HAT & HEART OFFERS FARM TO TABLE GOODNESS Hat & Heart Farmfresh veggies, eggs and goat meat are available at the following farmer’s markets: SFC Farmer’s Market in downtown Austin from 9am - 1pm Sat

“The Hat & Heart Farm is now a vegetable, goat meat and chicken egg operation,” Ottmers said. “We have 550 laying chickens on pasture 100 percent of the time, although we have chicken houses for them to sleep in at night and lay their eggs. We are averaging about 280 eggs a day right now. We sell eggs by the case to restaurants we partner with and at every farmer’s market. Our retired chickens, we sell to backyard chicken people who don’t want a ton of eggs, and we’ve partnered with a local dog food company and they will also use chickens for dog food.”

Pearl Farmer’s Market, San Antonio, 9am - 1pm Sat and 10am - 2pm Sun

In fact, Katherine and Bradley met over a carton of farm-fresh eggs at a farmer’s market. “I thought his eggs were too expensive,” she said. “He handed me a dozen without charge — he’d never done that before. ‘What’s so special about these eggs?,’ I asked him. He said, ‘You try ‘em and let me know.’ He gave me his card and a dozen eggs and he thought he’d never hear from me again. Oh my goodness, the eggs were incredible and frankly reminded me of the eggs I ate in Europe.

The area restaurants they work with, along with how to schedule a private farm tour, are detailed on their website at hatandheart.com

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Texas Farmer’s Market, Mueller, Austin, 5-8 pm Wed Wimberley Farmer’s Market, 3-6pm Wed

Katherine Tanner checks on her stand of dill weed.

Elephant garlic seeds take two years to grow into mature plants.

WE ARE GROWING 45 DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF VEGETABLES NOW IN THE FIELDS. WE GET TO MEET THE PEOPLE WHO ARE EATING OUR FOOD AND WE CAN ACTUALLY MAKE MORE PER POUND WHEN THERE IS NO MIDDLE MAN. - Bradley Ottmers

The Hat & Heart farm’s 550 laying chickens are producing about 280 eggs a day right now, which are sold to area restaurants and at farmer’s markets.

SUMMER 2019 31

Chefs from Austin area restaurants picked beans on a recent farm tour.

Bradley Ottmers, Katherine Tanner, J.W. and Marion Ottmers keep the family in farming.

“When I called to tell him so, he invited me out to the farm. We learned about each other. It was a gradual thing. We know enough to know that this is just the right thing. He’s so incredible,” she said. “Bradley is a welder, mechanic, our resident entomologist. He’s constantly surveying the soil and he’s grown this herd of goats he bought from stock show money he won at 16 years old and that have the same bloodline today. He’s so very talented.”

Bradley cultivated his first relationships with chefs in Austin about 12 years ago.

The chefs would come every week to the farmer’s market and started asking him if they could get their produce ahead of time.

“We’ve gotten a little bit more organized so we send a list out to the chefs every single week and tasting baskets to new chefs to inspire them with new flavors,” Tanner said.

The couple are planning to do pre-arranged, private tours and are working to get more chefs to come out to the farm for educational experiences. “Bradley wants more people to be exposed to a sustainable farm and what goes into it,” Tanner said.

No pesticides or conventional chemicals have been used on the farm since 1997.

To fight insect problems, the couple orders predator insects and releases them.

They feed microbes in the soil.

“We have a huge belief in low or no waste around here,” she said. “Whatever we don’t sell, we have pickled or preserved at the end of the week. We work with a sixth-generation canner, out of Conroe — HGD Foods. This allows us to 32

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WE HAVE A HUGE BELIEF IN LOW OR NO WASTE AROUND HERE. WHATEVER WE DON'T SELL, WE HAVE PICKLED OR PRESERVED AT THE END OF THE WEEK. - Katherine Tanner

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Schaf Wolken?

From generation to generation, German-Texan sayings have been passed down to farming children by their parents.

J.W. and Marion Ottmers’ parents would call the cumulonimbus clouds “Schaf Wolken” or “sheep clouds.” The story went the clouds were fluffy like sheep and would move in a herd. They would always bring rain (the sheep would go potty).

They would have the kids look out for Schaf Wolken in the sky.

Bradley Ottmers and Katherine Tanner take a “whole goat approach” to raising goats, selling the meat, organs, broth bones and even the goat heads, which one area restaurant prepares as a smoked gourmet dish.

sell pickles, pickled okra, peppers and beets during the winter and not waste precious produce in the summer.”

“We are honoring his family and this heritage farm,” said Tanner. “I am a very proud seventh generation Texan. His family is among the first original families of Fredericksburg. Both of us are proud of our roots and want to continue the tradition with future generations."

Their 9-month-old border collie Stetson is a true working dog and stays right alongside the family as they put in 16-hour days. “He’s our goat herding dog, and he’s already done a great job as young as he is,” she said.

Stetson’s boundless enthusiasm over vegetables started as a tiny pup. First it was just turnips. “He would make it a game in the field. When we’d grab one out of the ground, he’d just do this happy dance. But you can’t have a dog racing around through your crops and doing damage so we taught him to celebrate by barreling straight down the row to the end and then turning and coming back around on the next row.”

Now Stetson channels his slightly bridled joy into celebrating not just turnips but the harvest of all root vegetables. When he returns down a row, he crouches stealthily and lies in wait until the next farm-fresh veggie is plucked from the ground.

This cowboy dog’s philosophy seems to be, “you never know when you’ll need a border collie to round up some runaway leek.” R&V

Katherine Tanner, who also comes from German-Texan heritage, says her favorite saying is, “behave dich,” which is truly German-Texan because it’s half English and half German. It means “behave yourself.”

“This phrase is used by everyone on the farm, including Bradley and myself,” Tanner said. “This was used by most local parents in the German Texan community, I assume.

The proper German phrase is “bennim dich,” or my Austrian mother would say every day before school, “brav sein,” which translates to “be good.”

They say it to the young children, or for us, we say it to Stetson or the animals when they have that mischievous look in their eyes.”

Tanner’s mother didn’t speak English until Katherine was in first grade. “I speak German myself, so Marion and I speak German at the farm. At the end of every row, we have a marker with what is grown and the German name underneath it because all they used one generation back was German.” Right now, they are growing heirloom German pink tomatoes or Rosa Tomaten.

SUMMER 2019 33

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When you’re here, you’ll feel the warmth of our Texas spirit, right alongside the aroma of our sweet mash and the soothing hum of our copper pot-stills making more bourbon. Come pay us a visit.

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Rock&Vine

©2018 34 Garrison Brothers Distillery

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302

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Brick Red

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Butcher Paper Grey Flower Mark

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Hours: Monday-Saturday 11 am to 7 pm | Sunday 12 pm to 7 pm 830.992.3036 | 312 E Austin Street, Fredericksburg, Texas

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taste

FROM

Hat & Heart Farm

TO TABLE

Austin chefs bring Hill Country Farm to table approach with seasonal challenges.

By KIMBERLY GILES

SUMMER 2019 37

taste

CHRISTIAN GARCIA Chef de Cuisine Odd Duck

WHY IS FARM TO TABLE IMPORTANT TO YOU FOR YOUR CULINARY NEEDS? I think everyone should know where their food comes from and that it is being respected before it is bought and consumed. Biggest thing that I always like to make people understand is the hard work that all our farmers put into getting this to your plate and how hard it is to be a farmer in Texas. It's a connection that most people don't have and we take a lot of pride in making that connection to our guest and the public.

DOES FARM TO TABLE SEEM IMPORTANT TO YOUR PATRONS? It sometimes feels like it isn't, we are an extremely busy restaurant that gets visited by a lot of people from out of town. I don't think that most people come into the restaurant because it is a farm to table restaurant, it's a great Austin restaurant. But every once in a while you have someone that wants to know everything their is to know about our food and our farmers. You always get the "This is the best I've ever tasted" and you know that that person gets it or if it didn't before they walked in today, they get it now.

WHAT ARE YOUR SEASONAL, LOCALLY SOURCED FAVORITE INDGRIEDENTS FROM HAT & HEART FARMS? We are huge fans of the goats they have been raising, they are super tender and have a little milder flavor, they are a great gateway to get more people to try goat. Personally I think my biggest eye opening ingredient I got from them this year was the elephant garlic. I grew up eating the commercially grown stuff and that flavor is one of the worst when it comes to garlic. Learning that it takes two years to grow to the point when they can sell it and the delicate flavor, texture and spice that is still has, it's mind blowing.

IS THERE A CONNECTION OR INSPIRATION YOU FEEL AS A CHEF BY CREATING DISHES WHERE YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR INGREDIENTS ARE SOURCED? When you have great product you don't need to work so hard to make it taste like something. I am a firm believer of just using a few ingredients that will highlight the great product that is that large part of the dish.

The simpler the better you be able to taste everything.

1201 S Lamar Blvd Austin 512.433.6521 oddduckaustin.com

Photos by Richard Casteel 38

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WHAT IS THE PLUS SIDE FOR SOURCING SEASONALLY IN YOUR FARM TO TABLE APPROACH AND THE DOWNSIDE OR CHALLENGES? I think the biggest plus side to having our relationship with our farmers is knowing the availability of the product and using everything at the peak of the season. The biggest challenges are the unpredictable weather we have in Texas. You can have something this week and next week is gone because it was too hot, it froze overnight, hasn't stopped raining in three to four days, it hasn't rained in a month or locusts wiped clean most of the crop in a day. You name it, it will find itself into a farming season in Texas.

taste

KEVIN CANNON

Chef de Cuisine Barley Swine

WHY IS FARM TO TABLE IMPORTANT TO YOU FOR YOUR CULINARY NEEDS? Well, it is quite simple. Without farms, there is no food. Supporting the farms around us is the best way to keep the food supply..

DOES FARM TO TABLE SEEM IMPORTANT TO YOUR PATRONS? Yes, we see a lot of our guests at the farmer’s market.

WHAT ARE YOUR SEASONAL, LOCALLY SOURCED FAVORITE INDGRIEDENTS FROM HAT & HEART FARMS? Onions, leeks, garlic are great. We use their goat for our smoked goat neck. We use their borage flowers as a garnish, and we are all excited for their tomatillos.

IS THERE A CONNECTION OR INSPIRATION YOU FEEL AS A CHEF BY CREATING DISHES WHERE YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR INGREDIENTS ARE SOURCED? There’s definitely a connection with the farm. Different farms produce the same ingredient, but they look and taste different. We use each ingredient to highlight the produce.

WHAT IS THE PLUS SIDE FOR SOURCING SEASONALLY IN YOUR FARM TO TABLE APPROACH AND THE DOWNSIDE OR CHALLENGES? The blessings are that the food is fresh. It tastes real and has its own personality. The downside is changing the menu to reflect what’s available. Sometimes you need something you can’t get.

6555 Burnet Road, Suite 400 Austin 512.394.8150 barleyswine.com

Photos by Richard Casteel SPRING 2019 39

taste

ZECHARIAH PEREZ Chef de Cuisine Sour Duck

WHY IS FARM TO TABLE IMPORTANT TO YOU FOR YOUR CULINARY NEEDS? It's a nice peace of mind. We know where our produce is coming from, who's handling it, keeps our chefs on their feet with the seasons changing throughout the year. Also, it's awesome knowing that our money spent on food cost is going directly to a Farmer and not a chain of vendors, couriers, or completely different state.

DOES FARM TO TABLE SEEM IMPORTANT TO YOUR PATRONS? I think it adds some value to the guests perception. I'd like to think our guests understand that these ingredients aren't grown easily; consideration for the farmer's hard work, cost, and lifestyle. As a patron on my off days, I like knowing that my dollar is spent on a family and their farm.

WHAT ARE YOUR SEASONAL, LOCALLY SOURCED FAVORITE INDGRIEDENTS FROM HAT & HEART FARMS? Okra, onions, and peppers. These are some of my favorite ingredients from Bradley and his partner. The onions are delicious. Sweet and great eaten fresh in relishes or as garnish. The Okra is great pickled or grilled.

IS THERE A CONNECTION OR INSPIRATION YOU FEEL AS A CHEF BY CREATING DISHES WHERE YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR INGREDIENTS ARE SOURCED? There's definitely inspiration from the ingredients themselves and the farmers. Also, nostalgia from many many seasons prior to our current. Looking back at how we've created dishes and how we can do it differently or better, or keep it the same 'cause it was just that delicious the first time. Sometimes just asking the farmer how they enjoy their ingredients is just as inspiring.

WHAT IS THE PLUS SIDE FOR SOURCING SEASONALLY IN YOUR FARM TO TABLE APPROACH AND THE DOWNSIDE OR CHALLENGES? The plus side is again that peace of mind, constant flow of creativity, and a feel good ethical practice of sustainability when supporting your local farmers.

1814 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Austin 512.394.5776 sourduckmarket.com

Photos by Richard Casteel 40

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The downside is Texas' seasons for produce. Certain ingredients go by so fast and it's a big challenge to keep a consistent menu for so long when some ingredients are gone in a matter of weeks. But also it's a fun challenge for the creative process. So, it's still worth it.

HOURS Wednesday - Saturday 7:30am - 3pm Sunday 10am - 2pm Closed Monday + Tuesdays

607 South Washington Street ▮ Fredericksburg, Texas 78624 ▮ emmaolliefbg.com

G Fine Texas Wines & Gifts on Mason’s Historical Square

U HOURS: Mon-Thurs: 11 am to 7 pm; Fri & Sat: 10 am to 9 pm 120 Ft. McKavett Mason, TX 76856 (325) 347-1010

MurphyCreekCellars.com

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Where tasteful creations begin 305 South Linclon Fredericksburg, TX

FULL SERVICE CATERING

info@wo ernerwarehouse.com 830-997-2246 SUMMER 2019 43

A new level of taste.

260 E. Main St., Fredericksburg, TX 78624 www.rathskellerrestaurant.net rathskellerrestaurant@gmail.com 830-990-5858

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SUMMER 2019 45

Wild Hare Bistro

Tasting Room & Restaurant on Main Introducing our handcrafted wine, beer and spirits with distinctive cuisine

319 East Main Street

and

WHBistro.com

Sleepy Hollow Boutique SleepyHollowBoutique.com Eclectic and unexpected finds 830.992.3070 See our websites for current hours 46

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delight

PRESERVING

A PAST

KEEPING A RURAL TRADITION ALIVE IN WINE COUNTRY Story and photos by KEN ESTEN COOKE

rin Smith remembers making preserves in her grandmother’s hot kitchen in tiny Albert. For her grandparents, living off the land and preserving was still a way of life in the post-Depression-era Hill Country. But for the grandkids, it was a hot, arduous task.

Today, Smith wants to bring some fun back to preserving vegetables and teach others how easy it can be. She runs Perfectly Preserved in Stonewall, which teaches the simple process of preserving pickles, jalapeĂąos and other veggies and sending students of the craft home with a delicious treat.

SUMMER 2019 47

delight “People remember they were in their hot, unairconditioned kitchens and it wasn’t fun,” Smith said. “But I love teaching people how simple it is. And I love to look at their faces when we tell them these will be ready to eat tomorrow. Our grandmothers told us they wouldn’t be ready for weeks because they knew we’d eat them all.”

Smith grew up down the road from her grandparents. She and siblings and cousins would walk or ride bikes the mile and a half to her grandparents’ home. Her Oma and Opa had freshly pulled vegetables from their garden, they had chickens for eggs, animals for meats. “About all they would buy at the store was sugar and flour,” Smith remembered.

“We didn’t go to the store a lot. When my husband (Eric) and I started dating, I didn’t know what they were going to fix, but I warned him they use every part of the animal. We were very country.”

IT’S FUN, IT’S INTERACTIVE. I LOVE ALL THE WINERIES HERE, BUT IT’S SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO DO FOR FRIENDS BESIDES GO TO A BAR. BUT, YES, PEOPLE STILL BRING THEIR OWN LIBATIONS TO THE CLASS. - Arin Smith

Her husband, an Arlington native, loved Arin’s grandparents and how they preserved what they had – their food, their farm, their land. They cared for it, used it and nurtured it.

Arin now brings that same sensibility to show people they can keep their store-bought or garden-grown veggies preserved. She uses a smokehouse in Stonewall owned by friends Rodney and Denise Eckert, who smoke game meats about half the year. Smith’s classes are not a demonstration, but a do-it-yourself good time. And it’s not just for women men and kids take the course, Smith said, both with groups and so-lo. “The next morning, they taste it and think ‘I made that and it’s so good,’” she said.

Smith got the idea for the business after she and Eric made their own salsas and she got creative with other recipes. She experimented using figs and smoked bourbon, or brown sugar and peach. The game changer was when she got her grandmother’s dill pickle and salt pickle recipes.

Smith began selling jars of those delicacies at her hair salon and people soon began buying multiple jars or cases.

She thought she would pursue doing it commercially and pumped up production to 300 or 400 jars a day, all summer.

While successful, it began to resemble Oma’s hot kitchen and “it took the fun out of it.”

Smith cut back on production, but still wanted to share her treats. She taught classes with friends in the smokehouse.

Word spread on social media, and soon her classes filled on Fridays and Saturdays. People used them for team building and she has hosted everyone from bloggers to home construction firms.

“It’s fun, it’s interactive. I love all the wineries here, but it’s something different to do for friends besides go to a bar,” Smith said. But, yes, people still bring their own libations to the class.

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SERVING BREAKFAST ALL-DAY

l!

oca l t i g n pi

Kee

The classes appeal to all the senses. There is the color and smells of fresh-chopped vegetables, chopping, packing, brining and steaming, the scent of vinegar, and sounds the laughter as friends and strangers get familiar and comfortable with the process. For many, it brings back memories.

BEER • WINE • MIMOSAS BLOODY MARYS & MARGARITAS BEST BREAKFAST IN TOWN!

“When people first hear of the class, they say, ‘Ugh. I canned with my grandmother.’ But this is fun and it’s hands-on.

(And air-conditioned.) It’s a fool-proof recipe. I’ve had people text me the next day, ‘OMG, these are so delicious!’

And it didn’t take 12 hours in a hot kitchen.” & RV

PERFECTLY PRESERVED 411 S Ranch Rd 1623 Stonewall, TX 78671 830.456.9431 perfectlypreservedtx.com

902 South Adams Fredericksburg, Texas 830.997.5904

Open Daily 7am-3pm Sunday Brunch 8am-2pm Closed Wednesday

sunsetgrillfbgtx.com SUMMER 2019 49

TASTE the DIFFERENCE

LOCALLY GROWN...

INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN! Fall in love with the world-class, premier wines of FALL CREEK Vineyards.

OPEN DAILY FALL CREEK Vineyards at DRIFTWOOD 18059A FM 1826 DRIFTWOOD, TEXAS

FALL CREEK Vineyards at TOW 1820 COUNTY RD. 222 TOW, TEXAS

Visit us at FCV.com

• Cigar Shop and Smoking Lounge • Walk-In Humidor • Texas Craft Beers and Wines

We’re mobile too!

Mobile cigar lounge available for parties, weddings, and corporate events.

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31560 Ranch Road 12 Suite 207 Dripping Springs, Texas 78620 512-921-8388 www.smokeyslounge.com

Relax & Stay Awhile

Mixologist

Brandon Vinyard

Sommelier

Anson sale cone

live music thurs-sat

229 E. Main St. Fredericksburg, Tx 830.992.3186 www.78624thebar.com #78624thebar SUMMER 2019 51

GLAMP BACK TO NATURE

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off the beaten path

im and Courtney Trent traded in big city, high-profile corporate jobs in 2016 to start Mystic Quarry, an RV, tiny home and glamping park in quiet Canyon Lake. There, they share their love of camping and the outdoors with their guests.

The couple, who met in Dallas, were living in California in 2015, where Jim worked as an electrical engineer and Courtney did data analytics for large insurance companies. For Courtney’s birthday on October 27, she asked Jim to take some time off so they could do a day trip around San Jose.

“It was like pulling teeth to get his management team to let him go for just half a day,” Courtney said. “His cell phone never stopped ringing the whole time.”

The pair started talking about why they were killing themselves working corporate jobs and decided they had enough smarts between them to make decisions and go into business for themselves.

They shook hands on quitting the rat race and “literally looked at each other and said, ‘OK, we are done.’ We packed everything and just under two months later, we moved back to Texas to be near family,” she said. “We bought an RV and went traveling and decided to renovate a rental home we had in San Marcos. Jim has a friend who owns RV parks and he suggested that we look at that business model.”

AT MYSTIC QUARRY

Courtney and Jim Trent traded in offices for the great outdoors to open Mystic Quarry.

By SHANNON LOWRY

They came across a 21-acre property at Canyon Lake that hadn’t been tended to in several years. The RV resort had a nice layout, beautiful mature trees and it was situated between San Antonio and Austin and only a few hours drive from Houston.

“We settled on this place and decided to design something more modern with higher level of amenities than you typically find in a campground,” said Courtney.

“We closed on the property October 27, 2016, one year to the day on my birthday when we had decided to go into business. It was an RV and cabin park when we purchased it and has been a campground since the 1970s. It needed a lot of work.”

The couple kept the resort operating during six months of renovations, brought in 15 tiny homes with cable TV with high-definition, fiber optic wifi and improved the property throughout.

Today, Mystic Quarry has 24 indoor accommodations including tiny houses and cottages, three tipis (soon to be five tipis), 53 RV sites for overnight and seasonal stays for snow birds and 23 primitive camping sites. All of their accommodations except for the camping sites have air conditioning.

The dog-friendly resort features an onsite laundry, recreation hall with a pool, a ping-pong table, TV, and several lawn games, including bocce ball courts, a sand volleyball court, horseshoes and washer pitching. Guests can hike a one-mile nature trail through the park. Hammocks are hung for relaxing, fire pits beckon folks to share a fireside chat and an elevated sky deck made out of two shipping containers is just right for star gazing.

Top left: Couples walk a fourlegged friend at dusk at the pet-friendly Mystic Quarry. Photo by Trey Daffin Bottom left: A camper picks out a tune as she unpacks for a stay in a sustainable tiny house, one of the accommodations offered at MQ. Photo by Trey Daffin

SUMMER 2019 53

Above: Distinctive logo sign for the grounds. - Photo by Jim Trent Below: A tipi is one option for lodging on the grounds. - Photo by Kimberly Giles

OUR HOPE IS TO MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT IN CANYON LAKE AND GROW RESPONSIBLY. – Jim Trent

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off the beaten path

On Friday nights during the summer months, Mystic Quarry features a live band. Shuttle service is offered during concert nights at the Whitewater Amphitheater in New Braunfels and the Guadalupe River for tubing, kayaking or rafting.

And although Jellystone Park campground is just across the street, the Trent’s property is “more of a back to nature resort,” Courtney said. “We have honey bees onsite and we harvest the honey here. We have a nature garden with wildflowers.

We have bats in our bat boxes that start to leave around 8:30 p.m. Free-range chickens run around during the day and go back to their chicken condo at night. We sell their eggs as well.”

They are also all about keeping their business local. Their Mystic Quarry coffee is supplied from a San Marcos coffee company, some of the furniture for their accommodations was built in Austin and they reuse as many materials as they can.

“Our hope is to make a positive impact in Canyon Lake and grow responsibly,” Jim said. Most recently, the couple has donated $5,000 to the canine unit with the Comal County Sheriff’s Department.

The resort also has a beer and wine license, with two kegs of draft from regional breweries on tap up front. In a true Texan welcome, guests can get a check-in beer for a buck when they arrive.

“We couldn’t be happier,” Jim said. “We live on the property. We also have two dogs that we love and get to spend all our time with now instead of coming home to them after a 12-hour day.”

And although they admit they have never worked harder than they have the last three years, being their own bosses and getting to know people who come from all over the country is rewarding. They also have an engaging staff who make it their priority to put their guests’ needs first. R&V

Hammocks are just one amenity to help guests chillax at Mystic Quarry. - Photo by Jim Trent

Mystic Quarry is located at 13190 FM 306, Canyon Lake, 78133.

For more information, rates and to make reservations, visit mysticquarry.com, call 830-964-3330 or email info@mysticquarry.com SUMMER 2019 55

221 EAST MAIN STREET 4 FREDERICKSBURG, TX 930.990.2462 4 HABERDASHERYBOUTIQUE.COM HABERDASHERY_BOUTIQUE IG HABERDASHERY BOUTIQUE FB

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Photo by Brandon Aguilar

THE REAL DEAL MUSICIAN, RESTAURATEUR JOHNNY NICHOLAS HEADS TO NEXT VERSE

By KEN ESTEN COOKE

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The old gas pumps remain as a symbol of the place’s history. There aren’t many Zagat-rated restaurants with a screen door, however, Hill Top Café is more real than most. This former gas station is packed most nights to dine on creative, down-home, Greek and Cajun-influenced dishes and hear music from a master.

Johnny Nicholas - musician and restaurateur - always stays busy. He is a musical style virtuoso who learned from the greats of American roots music. He gigs and records constantly while overseeing the coolest place in Gillespie County to keep Hill Country food fans full and happy.

Nicholas was setting up for his final shows before hitting the road to promote his latest album, “Too Many Bad Habits.” He is still touring behind his album that won him a Grammy nomination for album packaging, which includes a 68-page booklet of pictures and mementos that make music fans salivate. The road was his life until he and his late wife Brenda opened Hill Top. “That’s what I loved to do and it has taken me to a lot of great places,” he said of his decades on tour. Today, he still regularly welcomes Texas’ top roots musicians to his Hill Top Café, and either fronts groups of musicians or sits in for musical journeys ranging from blues, to country, to Cajun, to conjunto. It’s also not unusual to see Jimmie Vaughan, Marcia Ball of other vaunted names like Eric Clapton stop by to sit in. Nicholas’ musical journey helped him absorb a mastery of instruments and styles and he learned from those who stirred his musical soul.

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“I had a Greek upbringing, with hard-working immigrants,” Nicholas said of his youth, split between Southern Rhode Island and Louisiana. Nicholas was born in Westerly, Rhode Island, but spent a lot of time in Houston and Lake Charles with family. His mother played the piano, but his brother lit his musical fires. “My older brother was a hipster when a hipster was actually somebody cool. He had a great record collection and we listened to all the rhythm and blues radio stations.” His earliest influences were Ray Charles, Muddy Waters and Little Walter, and he later got into the New Orleans greats – the Dixie Cups and Allen Toussaint, and more.

Nicholas’ first band was in high school called The Vikings and became popular playing Chuck Berry, Muddy, Howlin’ Wolf. “Southern Rhode Island’s a weird little place. It was a real community of blues and rhythm and blues players,” he said. “Duke Robillard (founder of Roomful of Blues) and I grew up together and he had a band called The Variations and we’d have a battle of the bands.” He and Robillard would go to an Elks Club in New London, Connecticut, that was on the Chitlin’ Circuit to see his roots music heroes, like Junior Walker and the All Stars, Otis Redding, and the Stax and Motown artists.

Hill Top decor could be described as "Hill Country Eclectic."

Nicholas started going to Ann Arbor, Michigan, in the 1960s to join a hot music scene, where he played seven nights a week. There, he began working with Howlin’ Wolf, guitarist Hubert Sumlin and Eddie Taylor, Big Walter, Johnny Shines and more. His band The Boogie Brothers cut their first recording on an album featuring acts from the Ann Arbor Blues Festival.

The Ann Arbor Blues Festival in the early 1970s was broadcast nationwide. Soon after, Nicholas received a call from Jimmie Vaughan, who invited him to Texas. He stayed with Vaughan a few months and became a part of the music scene, where Clifford Antone had just opened a club on Sixth Street and Armadillo World Headquarters was in full swing.

But Nicholas always subscribed to the theory that if it was played with soul, it was good music. “If I liked something, I’d play it. I love listening to bluegrass,” he said. “I’ve still got my brother’s 45 records. I was crazy about the Stanley Brothers - still am. And Nathan Abshire - the King of Cajun Accordion - was as raw and lowdown and deep as any of the old blues guys.”

Nicholas said the Cajun swamp artists like Rockin’ Sydney, country singers like Ry Cooder or folk masters like Bob Dylan were tied to the blues. “They were all digging in the same mine of American roots music,” he said.

Nicholas joined roots icons Asleep at the Wheel, Ray Benson’s country and western swing act. He loved that roots music.

“Western swing has been good to Ray, and he’s been good to it, too,” he said. Nicholas said one year, the band did more than 300 shows.

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GIVING BACK Nicholas also has given back from his talents. He holds an annual “Big Band Bash” each November, which has raised a huge amount of money for arts education in the region. This year’s event will be Nov. 7-10 and “mystery” headliners show up each year.

IF I LIKED SOMETHING, I’D PLAY IT. I LOVE LISTENING TO BLUEGRASS. I’VE STILL GOT MY BROTHER’S 45 RECORDS. I WAS CRAZY ABOUT THE STANLEY BROTHERS - STILL AM. AND NATHAN ABSHIRE - THE KING OF CAJUN ACCORDION WAS AS RAW AND LOWDOWN AND DEEP AS ANY OF THE OLD BLUES GUYS. - Johnny Nicholas

Johnny Nicholas in front of his Hill Top Café.

Photo by Joel Salcido

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Likely one of the only Zagat-rated restaurants with a screen door.

But the road began to wear on him. “I was ready for a change,” he said. “I was riding it pretty hard, drinking hard. And I had met my future bride, Brenda Schlaut, who was born near here in Cherry Spring.” Brenda grew up in Port Arthur with the blues club founder Clifford Antone. (The town also claims Janis Joplin as a homegrown talent.) She was a perfect fit for Nicholas, as she “had a great record collection.”

Nicholas said the early days at the Hill Top Café were lean but rewarding. “We hunted for most of our food, we had wood stoves, we cut our firewood, we ate a lot of squirrel and dumplings,” he said, laughing. They sold cold beer and gasoline and pickled pigs feet and hard-boiled eggs and performed music.

Neither had a culinary background, but Nicholas said Brenda “just knew how to cook.” She had run a small restaurant in Austin called The Southerner on South Congress.

Over the years, Hill Top became known as the stop in Fredericksburg for foodies. Nicholas said his restaurant was always “farm-to-table,” long before it became a slogan. “The best food is, of course, whatever is closest,” he said. “We always had big gardens and we were all organic, and people appreciated it. And we always did the music.

It’s about the only place with-in a 75-mile radius to get gumbo, blue crab cakes or the house specialty Oysters Bruton. And even as Fredericksburg has attracted more highend restaurants, Hill Top remains a destination. “Back then, there was nobody doing food like we did,” he said. “We did down-home, simple stuff, but tricked it out. Brenda was

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The piano where Johnny Nicholas and guests work their magic.

really creative.” As a tip to its Louisiana roots, a kitchen sign reads: “Caution: Coon Ass at Work.”

Before Brenda passed in 2017, Nicholas promised the restaurant quality would remain high and he would continue to share his musical talents. “I know that’s what she wanted me to do - we talked about it when she was sick,” he said. “I have a gift from God and have been very fortunate. But I also made things happen because I apprenticed myself to some really great people.”

And the restaurant remains a must-visit place in tourist heavy Fredericksburg, now run by his son William, while Nicholas handles the music. “Brenda and I had the same approach to the food and the music and that’s what people dig about Hill Top,” he said. “It’s not a contrived thing – it’s real.”

R&V

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Reclaimed Space

By KIMBERLY GILES Photos by SABRINA BEAN

Tracen Gardner is an environmentally conscious builder of sustainable, modular living spaces built from salvaged historic barn wood and corrugated metal. Plans for each of his clients are individually drawn out and, once agreed upon, are built in his Lockhart warehouse facility and shipped to the client’s final location. Reclaimed Space began in 2007 and its concept is simple: To build a sustainable, modular structure that is in harmony with the natural world and to reverse the impact the new building industry is having on our environment.

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haus

R&V: What was the initial inspiration that led you to develop Reclaimed Space and its objective for sustainable building?

TG: It came from when I was attending a boarding school in Arizona and we visited the Arcosanti community.

Paolo Soleri was an Italian architect that started his dream in the 1960s about sustainable living that utilized geothermal cooling and heating mechanisms. Along with environmental compatibility and passive solar, he used other really advanced systems that I thought were so cool.

R&V: What has to be considered to ensure environmental compatibility when planning and building a modular home?

TG: I do things the way the first settlers did and look to seasons for the variables, and compatibility with the environment is a key component in all of our builds. I usually walk a property and look at the north and south positions, and plan for cross ventilation with window positioning. Roof lines are important for catching water and harnessing solar. The materials are also a critical component in building sustainably as well as building in a controlled environment.

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RV: What are your ideal materials and why is building in a controlled environment important?

TG: Solid hardwood is like gold. It was used prolifically before WWII – anything built prior to 1940 is what we try to salvage and this is typically long-leaf pine which we use for our trim, flooring and wall materials, as well as chestnut from barns in Kentucky and we get Cypress wood from old farm homes and barns . By reusing these pre-1940 materials, I can build a home free of pesticides and sheet rock. Every home we are building is the way we would like to find a home if we were going to take it apart.

Building our modular homes in a warehouse provides protection from the weather, reduces litter and your carbon footprint is vastly reduced as there is no need to for lengthy drives to site visits by numerous people. We are also trying to use solar charged equipment to accomplish all our power needs. You just can’t get any more sustainable that that.

RV: What challenges do you face in building sustainably?

building a house, how do you make it transportable so it can be moved anytime. Nowadays, builders don’t look at orientation of a property when they are building on lots – the building industry just asks how may houses can we fit into a neighborhood. The packaging utilized in each new home build is also a waste. It’s from understanding these challenges and having a need for my own place that I came up with this all-around idea of how to build sustainably and more cost effectively.

RV: You have manifested some of your dreams stemming from your youth when you visited the ArcoSanti community and began your own pioneering endeavor with Reclaimed Space. What’s next on your list?

TG: It’s funny you should ask this because I have been thinking about it a lot. I am actually going back to Arcosanti to build out on a pavilion. Goals are important to write down and to talk about. I am exploring other building techniques as well as building and designing larger homes and barns. I am outfitting an entire ranch and would like to do a small hotel.

We are only limited by our own dreams and our budgets!

TG: When we began in 2007, there were only a few people doing smaller, modular, pre-fab building. It was costly. I came from a mindset that everything is a project, so if you’re

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Arcosanti is a sustainable community planned by Italian architect Paolo Soleri in 1970, located an hour north of Phoenix. The community was planned around Soleri’s concept of creating an environmentally minded community in harmony with nature for our urban world needs.

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FINALIZING SITE

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We welcom e you to v is it o u r n ew s h ow ro o ms i n Sa n A n ton io & F re d e r icksb u rg

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VARIANCE DESIGN ///// ZAC ZAMORA

By KIMBERLY GILES

Variance Design Studio located at: 111 West Main Street // Johnson City, TX 78636 // variance deisgn.com Clients include: Amazon, AMNH New York, San Diego Zoo, Smithsonian Institute, National Aquarium in Baltimore, Henry Vilas Zoo, Eco Life Foundation, Furbish Company, Science mill, Aquarium Zen, Austin Children's Museum and Houston Zoo 82

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rivers on Highway 290 exploring the Hill Country will notice a Quonset hut-shaped structure just past the giant robotic hand protruding from the Johnson City Science Mill’s courtyard.

These two architectural pieces are related, as they are the scientific and artistic creation of Zac Zamora’s Variance Design.

biophilia noun bī-ō-fi-lē-

e

Zamora’s love for Biophilic design has taken root in Johnson City. Rock & Vine wanted to learn more about this collective group of artists, designers and craftsmen with Variance Design.

R&V: Why did you choose your current location in Johnson City for Variance Design?

definition

ZZ: My first interaction with Johnson City was with the Science Mill.

They approached me to build a living wall in their lobby. I didn’t know very much about them in the beginning but I appreciated their innovation and their architectural space.

a hypothetical human tendency to interact or be closely associated with other forms of life in nature

Then I began working with them more and more on different projects that encompassed more of our natural and scientific vision. I also liked that our property was on this intersection of the 290 and that it backs up to the state park.

(Variance Design projects that can be found at the Johnson City Science Mill include the following: Colossal robotic hand, wave pendulum, fossil dig monument, vivarium’s and living walls.)

R&V: Your background states that you have a degree in zoology from the University of Texas, you’re a master craftsman and a naturalist.

Was this an obvious transition for you all along with Variance?

ZZ: I always had an interest in building things and creating habitats for plants and animals. I also loved architecture and interior design.

I was really interested in tropical amphibians and enjoyed creating habitats for them and learning about their ecosystem, and this is where I was able to apply my passion for design and creating habitats. Once I got my hands dirty with some of the fabrication, I just decided why not own my own variance design?

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photo by Joel Calvin

MOST OF MY INSPIRATION COMES FROM THE NATURAL WORLD AND WAS SPECIFIC AROUND PLANTS AND ANIMALS. - Zac Zamora

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Variance Design Quonset shaped showroom off the 290 in Johnson City

Building living walls and natural habitats has its own set of requirements with lighting, plumbing, irrigation and climate control. Most of my inspiration comes from the natural world and was specific around plants and animals. Now it’s kind of opened up to human species and creating these planters and biophilia furniture.

R&V: Why is it important to you and your team to incorporate biophilic principles into all of your work?

ZZ: Having connections with other life forms are important to us all. Whether it’s a plant in your work space, a dog, a tropical ecosystem or just coming up to Hill Country to look at the wildflowers, all of these elements make connections that are in all of us to different degrees. I think of the more urban communities, and maybe they don’t have pastures of wild flowers. So we bring these natural elements of the world into the indoor space.

R&V: You have connected with some wonderfully creative people at Variance Design. What are some of your objectives as a team with your diversity in interests?

ZZ: Being inspired by the natural world has its positive benefits on multiple levels and that’s kind of our shtick – that’s really what we do and try and stay true to that and see where it takes us. It’s been an evolutionary process and having the passion to create and yet not really being defined by it is important to us.

Our inspiration comes from a bunch of different places. We also have a fascination for gadgets, electronics, automation and robotics. Applying all of these elements and blurring the lines between art and science, along with having fun, is our objective.

The other important element is our client. Taking inspiration and feedback from our clients (frog or human), we can create some kind of totally unique experience in whatever we are trying to build. R&V

photo by Holly Barton

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drinkery

SAINT WATCHES OVER NEW WINERY ST. TRYPHON’S LESS-IS-MORE APPROACH MAKES FOR GREAT WINES

By MATT ESTÉ

n a Sunday drive from Luckenbach to Boerne on FM1376, I passed a sign for St. Tryphon (prounced tree-fon) Vineyards. A short distance off the road and I discovered a small family farm. I was greeted by Silouan “Sil” Bradord, and a couple of friendly dogs. Sil started this winery with his wife Mary Elizabeth.

St. Tryphon was a young farmer in 3rd century Turkey.

Tryphon was martyred at 16 years old, and is a patron for grape growers and gardeners, and is often invoked against rodents and insects, a fitting patron for this small family winery. When I walked into the simple barn-like tasting room, my eye was drawn to the large painting of the saint over the bar.

Sil started his wine career as a wine steward for H-E-B in San Antonio, and eventually started selling fine wine for a distributor. In 2016, Sil planted the first vines – Blanc du Bois and Black Spanish - on his estate that became St. Tryphon Winery. On February 1, 2018, which happens to be the feast day of St. Tryphon, Sil opened the doors of his winery to the public.

Bradford wants his winery to be a place that the people of the Hill Country can be proud of, not only as a place for people to enjoy a glass of wine or celebrate life, but as an organization that gives back to the community, in the spirit of San Antonio and organizations like the Spurs and H-E-B. St. Tryphon’s wines are simply elegant. www.sainttryphon.com

“It’s difficult to do organic wines in Texas, I prefer a ‘minimal intervention’ approach,” he said, “Most of my wines are low in sulfur dioxide – less than 22 parts per million.”

He has studied the current movement of “Natural Wines.”

Bradford prefers to focus on great wines. “Not better that anyone else, but better than I am right now,” he said. After tasting several of the wines in the tasting room, it became obvious.

Sil mentions several Texans who influence his wines – “Chris Brundrett and William Chris, Bending Branch and Bob Young for what he’s been doing with Tanat, Duchmann and their Aglianico.”

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drinkery

They only produce 1,500 cases right now but foresee producing around 4,000 to 5,000 in five years. St. Tryphon’s current selection features several wines. He speaks of them as if they were his children and brags about each of their unique qualities.

The Flower & Bee Blanc du Bois is a delightful white wine that reminded me of walking through an orchard. The bright rosé that seems perfect for warmer Texas weather. The aglianico which is great by itself but would also pare nicely with venison. The mourvedre, which Sil calls his flagship, contains fruit from Farmhouse Vineyards and natural yeast that ages for 16 months in used French oak barrels. Sil likes used French oak – more proof of the less is more approach at St. Tryphon.

IT’S DIFFICULT TO DO ORGANIC WINES IN TEXAS, I PREFER A ‘MINIMAL INTERVENTION’ APPROACH. MOST OF MY WINES ARE LOW IN SULFUR DIOXIDE – LESS THAN 22 PARTS PER MILLION. - Sil Bradord

Like bubbles? The imPETuous Petulant Natural (PetNat) is a bottle-fermented white made with orange muscat. It’s very enjoyable on its own, but Sil suggested that it might also make a nice base for a cocktail.

Texas has plenty of large wineries. Sil isn’t striving to produce 50,000 cases a year, but striving instead to produce great wines. Like Rimi Yang’s painting of St. Tryphon behind the bar, Sil’s wine is produced with heart, soul and a contemplated attention to detail.

The view from the tasting room stretches past the farm into the unspoiled beauty of the area. St. Tryphon Vineyards is at 24 Wasp Creek Road off of Farm to Market Road 1376 close to Boerne. Walk-in visitors are welcome, but I would recommend scheduling a visit. R&V SUMMER 2019 91

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92

Rock&Vine

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drinkery

GUADALUPE BREWING

By LEE NICHOLS

Guadalupe Brewing is located away from bustling downtown, and that's how the owners want it.

Photo by Brian Boleyn

The grounds on the county road setting of Guadalupe Brewing help make for a comfortable feel.

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Rock&Vine

Beer fans revel in the service provided at Guadalupe Brewing. All of its servers are certified cicerones, the equivalent of a wine sommelier.

drinkery

Keith and Anna Kilker want to make one thing very clear about Guadalupe Brewing Company – it’s not a bar.

That doesn’t mean you can’t sit down with a beer and unwind.

In fact, that’s exactly what they want you to do in their cozy tasting room or breezy back porch.

But it’s not a place to get drunk and rowdy. It’s not a place where a random people will see a neon sign and wan-der in off the street looking for a stiff one. In fact, hidden down rural Wald Road, well away from New Braunfels’ tourist zone, street traffic is not at all a part of Guadalupe’s business plan. When the Kilkers talk about their business model, they don’t talk about profits or expansion … they talk about community.

“It’s comfortable,” Keith says. “You don’t have frat boys here. Everyone’s behaved. It’s professional, mature people. People that are coming out here are coming with the intention of coming to a brewery.

“We love the fact that people that are looking for us are going to find us. They love the fact that we’re in the country. We’ve got the windmill out there, there’s deer running around out there, open sky, people love that. That’s who we are.”

“These people adore their beer,” Anna says. “That’s what they’re here for.”

“It’s very personal,” says Keith. “If you go to the counter in there, you’ll see the same people that have been with us for years.”

Since 2012, to be exact. Guadalupe’s roots began around the time of the Gulf War, when Keith was in the Air Force, and was impressed by the beer in Germany. “There was such a huge contrast between the beer here and what was over there.”

That was followed by trips to America’s Pacific Coast, where the craft beer revolution was well underway. “It planted the seed in my mind to bring it to this area,” Keith said.

He took that idea seriously, enrolling in Chicago’s Siebel Institute – a vocational school devoted to brewing – and learned what it takes to run a craft beer business. That was followed by some traveling to learn not only what makes for good beer, but also for a good drinking experience. “I visited Stone Brewing Company’s beer garden in San Diego and it made a big impression on me, with its natural setting. That’s what you’re going to see when we’ve fully developed this location.”

That location is on a former farm – the tasting room is an old barn lovingly refurbished.

“You’ll see flowers in the spring, just stunning,” Keith says. “It’s very soothing. You can just enjoy being in the country.”

Of course, natural beauty is nice, but the Kilkers know the primary product is beer, and they have that well covered.

Guadalupe (named after both the nearby river and Anna’s grandmother) – has 22 beers on tap, quite a large variety for a brewery of their small size, with a proper emphasis on the German: Kolsch, pilsner, hefeweizen and a good strong dopplebock. GBC’s flagship beer is a Texas Honey Ale. (They also stray outside the German with a Comal Pale Ale and a Black IPA.) The New Braunfels locals are starting to accept what GBC is doing, Keith says.

“They’ve had beer that claims to be German style but wasn’t that good,” he says. “I think once they’ve tried us, they come back. We make a good pilsner. And I think it’s most exciting when someone comes in from Europe and says, wow, that’s good beer. That’s validation that we’re in the right place.”

GBC even has German chocolate cake – no, not the pastry, a beer! The rich stout has cocoa nibs and real coconut. “That’s actual coconut that we processed ourself,” Keith says proudly. “Larger manufacturers use extract. It’s an experience – once you’ve had real ingredients you feel cheated by an ex-tract, and if you’re paying $10 for a bottle, you feel insulted.”

Attention to detail is crucial, Keith says.

SUMMER 2019 95

drinkery Seasonal brews such as this Pink Guava Berliner Weisse and a Raspberry Fo'Real Berliner Weiss are small-batch specialties.

“The key component of our success is service. It’s a lost art. Others are focused on volume. But if you’re going to pay $7 a pint of beer, and that’s a premium, you want a smile. All our servers are certified cicerones [the beer equivalent of a sommelier]. They’ll give you the background on our beers. That’s the service we want to provide.”

Other services include good food Thursdays through Mondays. There’s a kitchen out back that’s a separate business but part of GBC’s campus. “The lady had a food truck and she runs it. We don’t charge a lease, she just pays her utilities. It’s symbiotic – us small guys have to stick together. She has good comfort food – a nice pretzel, pulled pork nachos, a pork poor boy that’s phenomenal. She made fajita tacos today for a wedding.”

Also symbiotic is an unusual business right next door: the Texas Yeast Lab. It’s just what the name implies, a company that helps develop yeast strains for breweries, and it includes a tasting room featuring beers from several of their clients.

Both of those are just more pieces of the community the Kilkers are trying to build.

“We’re trying to grow organically,” Anna says. “We’ve had some customers leave us be-cause we got too busy, but now we’re open during the week, so they come on weekdays.”

“We learned,” Keith says. “That’s why we stay away from beer release parties and that type of business plan, be-cause I don’t want lines of people. I want the place that has great beer and a great environment, and a culture of family.

“We just want the family to grow,” says Keith.

R&V

GUADALUPE BREWING COMPANY 1586 Wald Road • New Braunfels 512-878-9214 • guadalupebrew.com Tasting room hours: Thursday, 4-9pm Friday, 4-10pm Saturday, noon-10pm 96

Rock&Vine

Sunday, noon-9pm Monday, 4-9pm

Enjoy a Sommelier Guided, small bite food and wine pairing experience today.

Tasting Room Hours: Thurs-Sat: 11-6 pm Sun-Mon: 12-5 pm Appointments are Requested At Kuhlman Cellars, it is All About the Wine.

Kuhlman Cellars

18421 E. U.S. Hwy. 290, Stonewall, Texas 512.920.2675 • www.kuhlmancellars.com

Enjoy a Sommelier Guided, small bite food and wine pairing experience today.

TASTING ROOM HOURS: Thurs-Sat: 11-6pm Sun-Mon 12-5pm Appointments are Requested At Kuhlman Cellars, it is All About the Wine.

Kuhlman Cellars 18421 E US HWY 290 • STONEWALL, TEXAS

512.920.2675 • kuhlmancellars.com

SUMMER 2019 97

drinkery maps Pontotoc

114

36 San Saba

Lake Buchanan

Tow

109

Florence

281

Blufftown

71

Buchanan Dam

29 29

Inks Lake

42, 74 & 89 Castell

105

29

Oatmeal

Lake LBJ

Sunrise Beach

41

Marble Falls

Horseshoe Bay Spicewood

Round Mtn.

110

Cypress Mill

90

86

60 23 4 16

Stonewall

Johnson City

100 9

79

10

30

15

290

87 32

25 76 55

36 Driftwood 35 113

Sisterdale

39

93

20 10

92

Boerne

54 Bandera

19 24

183 San Marcos

Spring Branch

16

AUSTIN

71

95

Wimberley Comfort

70 Vanderpool

107

85

KERRVILLE

Center Point

Bee Cave

Dripping Springs

87

83

98

Lakeway

14 Henly 33

8 Blanco

Jonestown Lago Vista

51

77

Luckenbach

SEE PAGE 60

61

Hye

50

65 67

Round Rock

71

Willow City

108 2

Lake Travis

97

87

FREDERICKSBURG

46

183

Travis Peak 71

13

Georgetown

Liberty Hill

Granite Shoals 16

Rogers 35

80

Kingsland

29

Andice

Bertram

Burnet

102

Llano

Mason

290

103

82

Canyon City

Canyon Lake

31 62

35

Smithson Valley Bulverde

101

64

281

34

87

Gruene 46

N New Braunfels

27 Seguin W

106

E

S

Hill Country Wine Region The Texas Hill Country region now has over 100+ breweries, distilleries, wineries and vineyards combined and continues to grow each month. With this growth, Rock & Vine has also expanded its reach with coverage to the northern counties of San Saba and McCullouch, down south to Bandera, Kendall and Comal, out west to Mason, Kimble and Menard, and east to Hays, Williamson and Travis counties.

Highlighted areas on page 100

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Rock&Vine

Listing numbers correspond with numbers on map. Locations are approximate not to scale.

1.

290 Vinery

300 W. Main (Hwy. 290) • Johnson City

2. 290 Wine Castle

101 Durango • Johnson City

3. 1851 Vineyards

4222 S. Hwy. 16 • Fredericksburg

4. Ab Astris

320 Klein Rd • Stonewall

5. Altstadt Brewery

6120 E. US Hwy 290 • Fredericksburg

6. Alexander Vineyards 6360 Goehmann Lane Fredericksburg

7. Andreucci Wines

2 Locations 8898 US Hwy. 290 308 E. Main St. • Fredericksburg

8. Andalusia Whiskey Company 6462 N. Highway 281• Blanco 9. Arc de Texas

4555 Hwy. 281 • Johnson City

10. Armadillo’s Leap Winery

2 Locations 134 E. Main St 6266 E. US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

11. Baron’s Creek Vineyard

5865 E. US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

12. Becker Vineyards

2 Locations 307 E. Main St. 464 Becker Farms Rd. • Fredericksburg

13. Bell Mountain Vineyards

463 Bell Mountain Rd. • Fredericksburg

14. Bell Springs Winery 3700 Bell Springs Rd. Dripping Springs

15. Bella Vista Ranch

3101 Mount Sharp Rd. • Wimberley

16. Bending Branch Winery

142 Lindner Branch Trail • Comfort

17. Bingham Family Vineyards

3915 E. US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

18. Blue Lotus Winery

8500 W Hwy 290 • Hye

19. Boerne Brewery

106 Sage Brush • Boerne

20. Branch on High

704 High St. • Comfort

21. Brewbonnet (inside Wildseed farms) 100 Legacy Rd • Fredericksburg

22. Calais Winery

8115 W. US Hwy. 290 • Hye

23. Chisholm Trail Winery

2367 Usener Rd. • Fredericksburg

24. Cibolo Creek Brewing Company 122 N. Plant • Boerne

25. Comfort Brewing

523 Seventh St. • Comfort

26. Compass Rose Cellars Inc. 1197 Hye Albert Rd. • Hye

27. Copper Star Cellars (Off Map) 13217 FM 1117 • Seguin

28. Cross Mountain

308 E. Main St. • Fredericksburg

29. Dancing Bee Winery (Off Map) 8060 W. US Hwy. 190 • Rogers

30. Deep Eddy Vodka 2250 E. US Hwy. 290 Dripping Springs

31. Dodging Duck Brewhaus 402 River Rd. • Boerne

32. Driftwood Estate Winery 4001 Elder Hill Rd. • Driftwood

33. Dripping Springs Vodka 5330 Bell Springs Rd. Dripping Springs

34. Dry Comal Creek Vineyards 1741 Herbelin Rd. • New Braunfels

35. Duchman Family Winery 13308 FM 150 W. • Driftwood

36. Fall Creek Vineyards

2 Locations 18059-A FM 1826 • Driftwood 1820 County Rd. 222 • Tow

37. Fat Ass Winery Tasting Room 153 E. Main St. • Fredericksburg

38. Fat Ass Ranch Winery

51 Elgin Behrends Rd. • Fredericksburg

39. Fawncrest Vineyard & Winery 1370 Westside Circle • Canyon Lake

40. Fiesta Winery - 2 locations

147A E. Main St. 6260 US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

41. Flat Creek Estate

24912 Singleton Bend East Rd. Marble Falls

42. Fly Gap Winery (Off Map)

2851 Hickory Grove Rd. • Mason

43. Four Point Cellars

10354 E. US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

44. Fredericksburg Brewing Company 245 E. Main St. • Fredericksburg

45. Fredericksburg Winery

247 W. Main St. • Fredericksburg

46. Georgetown Winery

715 Main St. • Georgetown

47. Garrison Brothers Distillery 1827 Hye Albert Rd. • Hye

48. Grape Creek Vineyards

10587 E. US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

49. Grape Creek Vineyard on Main 223 E. Main St. • Fredericksburg

50. Hahne Estates Winery

14802 US Hwy. 290 East • Stonewall

51. Hawk’s Shadow Estate Vineyard

7500 McGregor Ln. • Dripping Springs

52. Heath Sparkling (coming summer '19) 10591 US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

53. Hilmy Cellars

12346 E. US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

54. Hill Country Cellars & Winery 3540 S. Hwy 16 Ste 2D • Bandera

55. Hill Country Distillers 723 Front St. • Comfort

56. Horn Wineries

9953 E. US Hwy. 290 • Hye

57. Hye Meadow Winery 9953 US Hwy. 290 • Hye

58. Hye Rum

11247 W. US Hwy. 290 • Hye

59. Inwood Estates Winery

60. Iron Goat Distillery

91. Signor Vineyards

61. Kerrville Hills Winery

92. Singing Water Vineyards

62. Kinematic Brewing Company

93. Sister Creek Vineyards

63. Kuhlman Cellars

94. Six Shooters Cellars

64. La Cruz de Comal Wines

95. Solaro Estate Winery

817 Usener Rd. • Fredericksburg 3600 Fredericksburg Rd. • Kerrville 635 E. Hwy 46, Suite 207 • Boerne 18421 E. US Hwy. 290 • Stonewall 7405 FM 2722 • Canyon Lake

65. Lewis Wines

3209 W. US Hwy. 290 • Johnson City

66. Longhorn Cellars

315 Ranch Rd. 1376 • Fredericksburg

67. Longhorn Hills and Winery

555 Klappenbach Rd. • Johnson City

68. Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards

6009 US Hwy. 290. • Fredericksburg

69. Lost Draw Cellars

113 E. Park St. • Fredericksburg

70. Lost Maples Winery

34986 Farm Market 187 • Vanderpool

71. McReynolds Winery

706 Shovel Mountain Rd. • Cypress Mill

72. Mendelbaum Winery/Cellars

10207 E. US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

73. Messina Hof Winery

9996 E. US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

74. Murphy's Cellars

120 Fort McKavett St • Mason

75. Narrow Path Winery 2 Locations FM 1623 (South of Hye) • Albert 111 E. Main St. • Fredericksburg

362 Livesay Lane • Fredericksburg 316 Mill Dam Rd. • Comfort

1142 Sisterdale Rd. • Boerne

6264 E. US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg 13111 Silver Creek Rd. Dripping Springs

96. Southold Farm + Cellar 10474 Ranch Road 2721 Fredericksburg

97. Spicewood Vineyards 1419 CR 409 • Spicewood

98. Stone House Vineyard

24350 Haynie Flat Rd. • Spicewood

99. Texas Heritage Vineyards

3245 E. US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

100. Texas Hills Vineyard

878 RR 2766 • Johnson City

101. Three Dudes Winery

125 Old Martindale Rd. • San Marcos

102. Torr de Lochs

7055 W. State Hwy. 29 • Burnet

103. The Vineyard at Florence 8711 W. FM 487 • Florence

104. The Vintage Cellar

6258 E. US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

105. Thirsty Mule Winery & Vineyard 101 CR 257 • Liberty Hill

106. Timber Ridge Winery

2152 Timber Creek Rd. • Pipe Creek

76. Newsom Vineyards

107. Treaty Oak Distilling Company

77. Pecan Street Brewing

108. Vinovium

78. Pedernales Cellars

109. Wedding Oak Winery

717 Front St. • Comfort

106 E. Pecan Dr. • Johnson City 2916 Upper Albert Rd. • Stonewall

79. Pelota Wines, Inc.

3209 US Hwy. 290 • Johnson City

80. Perissos Vineyards

7214 W. Park Road 4 • Burnet

81. Perspective Cellars

247 E. Main St. • Fredericksburg

82. Pilot Knob Vineyard 3125 CR 212 • Bertram

83. Pint & Plow Brewing Company 332 Clay St. • Kerrville

84. Pontotoc Vineyard

320 W. Main St. • Fredericksburg

85. Real Ale Brewing Company 231 San Saba Court • Blanco

86. Ron Yates Wines

6676 W. US Hwy. 290• Hye

87. Salt Lick Cellars

1800-C FM 1826 • Driftwood

88. Safari (opening soon)

16604 Fitzhugh Rd. • Dripping Springs 214 Edmonds Avenue • Johnson City 2 Locations 316 E. Wallace (Off Map) • San Saba 290 Wine Rd., • Fredericksburg (Under construction)

110. Westcave Cellars Winery 25711 Hamilton Pool Rd. Round Mountain

111. Western Edge Cellars

228 W. Main St. • Fredericksburg

112. William Chris Vineyards 10352 US Hwy. 290 • Hye

113. Wimberley Valley Winery

2825 County Road 183 • Driftwood

114. Wines of Dotson Cervantes 13044 Willis Street • Pontotoc

115. Winotus

115 E. Main St. • Fredericksburg

116. Woodrose Winery

662 Woodrose Lane • Stonewall

117. Zero 815 Winery

11157 W. US Hwy. 290 • Hye

5479 E. US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

89. Sandstone Cellars (Off Map) 211 San Antonio St. • Mason

90. Santa Maria Cellars

12044 S. Hwy. 16 • Fredericksburg

10303 US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

SUMMER 2019 99

drinkery maps 96 LANE

FREDERICKSBURG FREDERICKSBURG

4

GOEHMANN

Cain City

LOWER ALBERT RD.

48 52

12

ALBER RD

HYE ALBERT RD.

GELLERMANN

1376

COM RD. FORT

C LU

7259

63 58 117

116

2 18 57

56 22

26 47

1623

HAHN RD.

CITY

N BACH-CAIN .

KE RD

RD.

MEUSEBACH CREEK RD .

WOODLAND DR.

RD. CAIN

IO

Blumenthal

53 91 43 38

Hye

290

Stonewall

T

ON

7

290

112

Pedernales River

PER

11 68 66

73

LBJ National LBJ State Historical Park Historical State Park Ranch

UP

NT SAN A

87

17 88

104 5 40 94 21 Rocky Hill 6 CITY

OLD

99

Pedernales River

JENSCHKE LANE

290

LUCKENBACH RD.

GOEHMANN LN.

LANE

.

KLEIN RD.

16

78 Albert

75

OLD

Luckenbach

WINE CORRIDOR

DOWNTOWN FREDERICKSBURG W. CENTRE ST.

PECAN ST.

ELM

W. COLLEGE ST.

TRAVIS ST.

ORCHARD ST. TRAVIS ST.

16 SCHUBERT ST.

MAIN STREET Pioneer Museum

45

10

28

75 115 40 37

Visitor Information Center

LINCOLN ST.

Marktplatz

LLANO ST.

AUSTIN ST.

ADAMS ST.

111

CROCKETT ST.

84

ORANGE ST.

MILAM ST.

AUSTIN ST.

EDISON ST.

BOWIE ST.

ACORN ST.

CHERRY ST.

SCHUBERT ST.

49

44

Museum of the Pacific War

290 12 81

MAIN STREET

7

SAN ANTONIO ST.

UFER ST.

16 N

PARK ST. W

E

S

100

Rock&Vine

69

S WASHINGTON

87 T

EEK S

E. CR

Faith Family & Friends

In 1847, German immigrant John Christian Durst was a ssigned a 10 acre plot in Fredericksburg TX, which

o r t wo comp lime ntary glasses of wine per day

included a 120‘ mountain. Durst pushed through the brush a nd discovered the remains of a wooden cross. Durst

erected the cross to honor the land God had provided his

on w ine & all m erchandise

family. A winemaker himself, Durst was known to value his

faith, family and friends over a good glass of wine. Four

g enerations later, we hope our wine provides time for you to

I nvita tions to wine club events

reflect on how important your faith, family and friends are.

T H E ON LY I TA L IA N W I N E S G O One O

D ofE aNkind OU G H F OR T E X A S wines from Italy’s top wine producers.

Where eve ryoneWith i s trdelicious e ated like family. food pairings.

Stop by the Tasting Room for a Glass of Wine with Ours!

to Wine Club Events

s r e e Ch

30 8 E . Ma in St. | Downtown Fredericks bu rg, T X (83 0) 992 - 3 2 73

W W W. C R O S S M O U N T A I N V I N E Y A R D S . C O M SUMMER 2019 101

The secret is out! age management.

it’s what we do.

830.792.3552 BellaLuzMD.com The Best CBD & Hemp Boutique in Texas NOW OPEN IN FREDERICKSBURG! Ultra-Premium, Pharmaceutical Grade, Made in the USA

We do CBD differently – Custom-Tailored for your needs!

Pain & Inflammation General Wellness Skin Conditions Anxiety Pet Relief Depression Sleep Ryan Bodiford Owner/President Intimacy Issues 102

Rock&Vine

Exclusive, specially designed products to target your needs The ONLY CBD provider in Texas with a medical consultant ON STAFF

401 E. Main Street, Ste. 1B Fredericksburg, TX 78624 830-992-3094 www.pharmroad.com

SUMMER 2019 103

stomping grounds

BENT OAK WINERY

By LORELIE HELMKE

AUSTIN’S BEST LITTLE SECRET

Bent Oak principles, from left, Marilee Catalano, Debbie Bruce, Audrey and John Catalano.

104

Rock&Vine

Computer software engineer by day, John Catalano loved making beer as a hobby. Eventually, he decided to try his fermenting skills with wine, perhaps at the behest of Audrey, his wife (a.k.a. “Chard Girl”). Catalano enrolled in the Viticulture and Enology program at Texas Tech. As luck would have it, grapes grown in Dry Creek fell into his possession while presenting his software in San Francisco.

This was the beginning.

John and Audrey, with his sister Marilee and her spouse Debbie, have created the best little secret in Austin. They still source some juice from California, but grapes for most of their wines are grown in the High Plains of Texas.

With 22 offerings at their winery there is something here for everyone. And the quality is impressive. In fact, many of their wines have earned well-deserved medals from wine competitions all over the country.

Bent Oak winery isn’t locat-ed in a place you would expect to find such graceful, elegant and beautiful wines. That’s what makes them a great little secret. I, for one, am happy to have found them and will be Ubering over every time I visit Austin.

stomping grounds

2017 TREBBIANO Texas High Plains

2017 VIOGNIER Texas High Plains

2018 BARBARA Texas High Plains

Silver at San Francisco International Competition.

Silver at San Francisco International Competition

Tart Apple and Pear hit the nose followed by a chalky dust. It delivers a tingling acidity that lays on the tongue. A mouthwatering medium finish. Pair with Gulf Snapper or Shrimp.

Sourced from the Bingham Family Vineyards, this Rhone varietal shows off white flowers with pear and Tuscan melon aromas, followed by hints of vanilla and nutmeg. Surlie aging gives it a lush creaminess. Pair with crab cakes or turkey dishes.

New Release Gorgeous nose of violets and dark cherry, plum and cranberry aromas. A soft, silky texture creates an enjoyable mouthfeel.

It’s young but oh so lovely. Great to serve with Texas Chili – beef or wild game.

2017 MALVASIA BLANCA Texas High Plains Silver at San Francisco International Competition.

Beautifully aromatic. It offers fresh cut honeydew melon and rose petals in the glass. A great wine for brunch – quiche and Benedict.

2017 SAUVIGNON BLANC Texas High Plains Silver Lone Star International Competition A traditional sauvignon blanc – aromas of lime zest with a distinct herbaceous quality and fresh cut grass. Whole cluster fermentation and oak barrel fermentation give this wine a hint of tannin complexity. A perfect wine to have with Manchego cheese and serrano ham.

2018 DOLCETTO Texas High Plains Silver at San Francisco International Competition Sourced from the Bingham Family Vineyards, this Rhone varietal shows off white flowers with pear and Tuscan melon aromas, followed by hints of vanilla and nutmeg. Surlie aging gives it a lush creaminess. Pair with crab cakes or turkey dishes.

2018 DOLCETTO Texas High Plains New Release Light garnet in color, this red shows off baked cherry pie aromas, hints of baking spice, a balanced acidity. It has characteristics of a big red in an easy to drink red wine that can be shilled slightly – a wonder-ful option for Texas. Pair this one with Margarita Pizza.

2018 SANGIOVESE Texas High Plains New Release This wine shows a rich ruby color, it is elegant and soft. Dark cherries leap out followed by plum, cigar box and a hint of mineral. Serve with roasted quail or Paella.

2018 PETITE VERDOT Texas High Plains Gold at San Francisco International Competition Masculine and full-bodied wine with aromas of black cherry, black berry, just rolled cigar and a hint of graphite. It’s sultry and sexy with a satiny tannins and bright acidity. Perfect with carne asada.

BENT OAK WINERY bentoakwinery.com 2000 Windy Terrace Bldg 2-B, Cedar Park, TX 78613 512.953.8094

SUMMER 2019 105

Private deck overlooking the Hill Country

Like us on Facebook PERMIT: FBGTX-17051

7055 W State Hwy 29, Burnet, TX 78611 512-766-0555 www.torrnalochs.com 106

Rock&Vine

Vineyard • Winery • Tasting Room • Private Events • Tours

We aren’t just wine tours!

• •

Weddings • Airport Shuttles •

Special Occasions Corporate Events

224 West MAin street • MAjestyWinetours.coM • 830.733.9019

Out of the Ordinary...

Decor

Accessories Art Gifts fAshion More!

224 West MAin street • fAcebook.coM/MAjestyonMAin • 830.456.1883

Come Wet Your Whistle

Breakfast

H

Lunch

H

Dinner

Happy Hour Specials Daily Mon-Fri 3-6 pm SUMMER 2019 107 To-Go Available • 830-992-3157 • 228 W. Main St. • www.westernedgecellars.com

Events July 13 —Second Saturday Gallery Trail, 19522

August

19-21

2-4 —Lone

Wimberly Square and around town, 4- 7 pm. Fifteen local fine art galleries stay open late so patrons can enjoy wine, bites and art. Free monthly event.

512-847-9438; wimberleyarts.org

—North American Jewelry & Gift Show, New Braunfels Convention Center, 375 South Castell Ave., Thursday and Friday, noon to 6 pm, Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm, Sunday 10 am to 4 pm 210-410-0737, nashows.com

20

—Night in Old Fredericksburg, Gillespie County Fairgrounds, 530 Fair Drive off TX16 two miles south of Fredericksburg, 3 pm to 12:30 am German and Texas entertainment from dancing to polka and country/western music, a beer (bier) hall, food courts, arts, crafts, domino tournament, goat roping, chili cook-off, kids area, historic demonstrations and more. 830-997-2359. gillespiefair.net/events/niof/

31-August 4

—Shark Week, Johnson City Science Mill, 101 South Lady Bird Lane, Johnson City. Sink your teeth into activities for kids, featuring special showings of Great White Shark 3D, digs for baby shark teeth, guest speakers and learning labs. Anne Hebert, 844263-6405. sciencemill.org

Star Gourd Festival, New Braunfels Civic Convention Center, 375 South Castell Ave., New Braunfels. Presented by Texas Gourd Society, 800-572-2626. 9 am to 5 pm Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Gourd art demos, gourds raffle, competition, kids corner crafts. texasgourdsociety.org

22-25

—131st Annual Gillespie County Fair Livestock Show, 530 Fair Dr., off TX-16 two miles south of Fredericksburg. Four days and nights celebrate the "oldest, continuously running county fair in Texas,” featuring livestock and ag exhibits, arts/crafts, horse racing, a carnival, a full lineup of country western music including a con-cert by Tanya Tucker, and dancing under Hill Country stars. 830-997-2359. gillespiefair.net

27 —LBJ’s

111th Birthday Celebration,

Stonewall, LBJ State Park & Historic Site, 199 Park Road 52, 9:30 am to 4 pm The life and accomplishments of the 36th President will be celebrated with old-fashioned games such as marbles, tops, jacks and stick horses in this free annual family event. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the park. 830-644-2252. tpwd.texas.gov/ state-parks/lyndon-b-johnson/park_events

30-31 —Oatmeal

Festival downtown Bertram, Celebrate Oatmeal, Texas, with a 3K run, pet parade, BBQ, vendors and a homecoming parade. 512-355-2197

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29-Sept 1 — 114th Annual Kendall

County Fair, Stock Show & Rodeo, Boerne, Kendall County Fair Grounds, 1307 River Road, Boerne. This annual event showcases the best ag products and livestock from Kendall County and sur-rounding area, along with a parade, queen’s contest, rodeo, live entertainment, food/drinks booths and a carnival. 210-8341282. www.kcfa.org

31-Sept 1

— WWII Pacific Combat Program, National Museum of the Pacific

War, 500 East Austin, Fredericksburg. This living history program puts you on the front lines of a beach landing in the Pacific theatre during WWII. Outdoors, weather permitting.

Tickets online. 830-997-8600 ext #204. pacificwarmuseum.org/news-events

September 13-15 —Wings

Over

Wimberley,

10 am to 5 pm, Bats live under the Cypress Creek Bridge in Wimberley and fly out just before dusk each evening. The festival, sponsored by the Wimberley Valley Arts & Cultural Alliance, heralds these amazing mammals who keep the insect population under control and pollinate many plants. Pamela Rudd, 269-290-5001, wingsoverwimberley@gmail.com

14—Spicewood

Demolition

Derby,

Spicewood Fire Hall, 9805 TX-71 East, Spicewood.

Gates open at 4 pm, races start at 6 pm. This annual family entertainment fundraiser for the local fire department and EMS features drivers blasting around the track in their demolition cars, food/ drinks and special Derby mementos such as t-shirts and hats. spicewoodvfd.org/demolition-derby

14—Bluebonnet Air Show, Burnet Regional

Airport, 2402 South Water Street, US-281 South, Burnet. Noon to 4 pm Highland Lakes Squadron of the Commemorative Air Force puts on this free annual air show, with classic WWII aircraft and high-performance planes in aerial demonstrations, along with static displays of military aircraft, vehicles and war-time memorabilia. Sandy Thompson, 817-304-0393, or Vicki Thomas, 281-620-5639. bluebonnetairshow.com Burnet Regional Airport, 2402 South Water Street, US-281 South, Burnet. Noon to 4 p.m. Highland Lakes

20-22 —Hill

Country Hunting Expo,

John L. Kuykendall Arena & Events Center, 2200 RR-152, Llano. Noon to 6 pm Friday; 9 am to 6 pm Saturday; and 11 am to 5 pm Sunday. Hunting and fishing expositions, knives, coolers, camping gear and off-road accessories. Fishing and hunting guides, outfitters and home improvement experts will be on hand. Held simultaneously with The Peddler Show for shoppers looking for personalized gifts and unique jewelry. 325-247-5354.

21 —Market Day on Main, Historic downtown Main Street, Marble Falls, 10 am to 4 pm, 100 plus arts/crafts booths, food vendors, live music.

830-693-2815

28

—Raise the Roof Chili & BBQ Cook Off, Twin Sisters Dance Hall, 6720 US-281 South, six miles south of Blanco, with food, live music, dominoes, washer pitching tournament, kids activities and dancing at this historic dance hall.

512-833-5773. twinsistersdancehall.com/specialevents/

28-29

—Day Out with Thomas, Burnet Community Center, 401 East Jackson Street, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., annual Thomas & Friends presentation hosted by the Austin Steam Train Association, featuring a 25-minute ride with a full-size Thomas the Tank engine. Enjoy live music, building with Mega Blocks, storytelling, photo ops and more.

Advance tickets recommended. Cody Eastman, 512477-8468. austinsteamtrain.org SUMMER 2019 109

THE CLUB

Lone Star Candy Bar Come be a kid in a candy store!

Try a FREE sample of our fresh HOMEMADE FUDGE!

CHOCOLATE DIPPED BACON!

Order fudge online!

www.lonestarcandybar.com

- Over 36 Flavors Everyday -

M&M’s in 21 colors & Jelly Bellys in lots of flavors!

Fresh Roasted Nuts Pucker Powder

We serve Hand Dipped Blue Bell Ice Cream!

Your Old-Time candy favorites 254 E. Main • Fredericksburg, Texas 830-990-9100

SUMMER 2019 111

3915 HWY 290 E. • Freder icksburg • 830-998-2079 112

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YeeHawRanch.com

Der Lindenbaum the linden tree

German Restaurant Authentic German Cuisine

you will be glad you came

Where Good Times are Always On the Menu!

For a truly unique dining experience during your visit to Fredericksburg and its German-enriched attractions ... Stop by our Main Street Restaurant, where you can find American, German and other foreign-flavored dishes to appease even the most hungry of appetites. And, remember, good times and fellowship are always on our menu!

Our skillful chefs take their precious time in preparing dishes (their “masterpieces”) that you can write home about and our service staff offers their visitors — both local and out-of-town — a refreshing friendliness as they care for all their needs.

Whether in town for just a day or making Fredericksburg your home, Der Lindenbaum is ‘a must’. Our comfortable, yet elegant dining atmosphere, welcomes all tastes with open friendship.

authentic - schnitzel burgers - sandwiches home baked breads - german specialties - desserts mouth-watering After shopping, come relax in our quiet, cozy atmosphere with hot spiced wine, European pastries and more. Come join us for delicious international dishes in our comfortable dining room. We’ll be waiting for you (close to the Nimitz Museum.)

Open 7 Days a Week, 11am to 10pm Tuesdays, 11am - 4pm only Now accepting all major credit cards Travelers Checks, Personal Checks

312 E. Main, Fredericksburg, Tx. - 830-997-9126

Texas Tech University now offers WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) Qualifications WSET Level 1 (Award in Wine) and WSET Level 2 (Award in Wines and Spirits) Courses offered in Fredericksburg and Lubbock, Texas.

Visit www.hs.ttu.edu/texaswine/wset.php for details.

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notes

Compiled by SHANNON LOWRY

FRENCH CHILDREN KNOW THIS TEXAN’S NAME

LLANO COUNTY ROCKS

Not many people in Texas know his name but schoolchildren in France are taught about Thomas Volney Munson, a Denison, Texas winemaker, who is credited with saving the French wine industry in the 19th Century.

Llanite, a rock that features embedded hexagonal blue quartz crystals, is found only in Llano County. A Llanite outcropping is located about nine miles north of Llano off Texas State Highway 16.

An expert in grape botany and grafting plants, Munson traveled 50,000 miles from 1880 to 1910 through 40 states, cataloging more than 1,000 native grape vines. He later provided the leading viticulture colleges worldwide with a complete set of American grape specimens.

More than 600 million years ago, forces deep within the Earth pushed bedrock to the surface in a huge area of Texas known as the Llano Estacado. Inside the Estacado is an area of exposed granite and quartz about 65 miles wide and 75 miles long called the Llano Uplift, where a dizzying 241 different kinds of rocks and rare minerals are found in Llano County alone.

In 1887, Munson escorted a French scientist from Bell to Bexar counties in south central Texas to help find hardy wine grapes that were resistant to the aphids that had wiped out 80 percent of France’s rootstocks. Munson collected 15 wagons of dormant stem cuttings over the course of four months for shipment to France, which were identified by species and became the breeding stock for the rootstocks that saved hundreds of villages and thousands of French grape growers.

A year later, the French government awarded Munson with the Legion of Honor — Chevalier du Merite Agricole — for his important role in helping to avert the country’s viticulture disaster.

Thomas Volney Munson (1843-1913), who lived in Denison, Texas, was way ahead of his time, breeding grapes to match the climate and to naturally prevent damage from diseases and insects.

The most impressive result of this uplift is Enchanted Rock, located in South Llano County. Rock hounds can learn more about the Llano Uplift and Llanite by visiting the Enchanted Rocks and Jewelry shop on the west side of Llano’s historic courthouse square.

RARE HUMMER MAKES TEXAS APPEARANCE Birders from as far away as Alaska flocked to the Quinta Mazatlan World Birding Center in McAllen, Texas, in 2017 to try to get a glimpse of the Photo by Francesco Veronesi Green-breasted Mango hummingbird. Some 250 species of birds have been recorded at this premier birding center in South Texas.

The fairly large hummingbird’s range only extends to northeastern Mexico, where it prefers to live in tropical lowlands around forest edges and clearings. Over the years, it has been sighted in Texas about 20 times. A few scattered records have also reported the beautiful green bird in Georgia and as far north as Wisconsin.

SOURCES: http://usgenwebsites.org/TXGrayson/ANewLand/Famous&Infamous/Munson_ThomasV/Munson_ThomasV. html; https://www.texascooppower.com/texas-stories/food/a-texan-saves-french-wines; https://aggie-horticulture.tamu. edu/southerngarden/Texaswine.html; https://www.goldandgemgazette.com/texas/; https://texashillcountry.com/rarehummingbird-appearance-texas/; http://www.theworldbirdingcenter.com/Quinta.html 114

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JUSTIN COP

Broker, Owner, GRI | 830-998-2895

KEELY CORONA

REALTOR® | 210-788-6150

KRISTA M. BENNETT

REALTOR®, GRI | 830-998-0633

CALEB HAIL

REALTOR®, GRI | 325-214-2764

KARI BOCK

REALTOR® | 830-459-6886

GINNY STEHLING

REALTOR® | 830-456-1235

SINCE 1965, FREDERICKSBURG REALTY HAS BEEN KNOWN AS THE PREMIER REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE FIRM IN THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY. The Hill Country was a well-kept secret for many years, but word of its natural beauty and small town charm has spread across Texas and far beyond. Long-term residents know what they have here, and have established roots, purchasing homes, ranches, waterfront property, and raw land. Now, others are trading in their busy city lives for a more easy going lifestyle.

Over the years, Fredericksburg Realty has helped both families and investors discover the property of their dreams, whether they were seeking a modest home or a sprawling ranch. Our agents have many years of combined experience selling the Hill Country, and they understand the nuances of residential, ranch, and commercial real estate. We have developed a proven strategy that combines professional imagery, area knowledge and data-driven, focused tactics to ensure that each property we market reaches a wide base of targeted prospects. Let us help you with all of your real estate needs.

8 3 0 - 9 9 7 - 6 5 3 1 | 2 5 7 W M A I N S T, F R E D E R I C K S B U R G , T X RANCH | R ES I D ENT IAL | COMME RC I A L

F R E D E R I C K S B U R G R E A LT Y. C O M SUMMER 2019 115

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