- From Austin
- About 1.5 hours
- Wineries in a day
- Three
- Clusters
- Town & 290 · Stonewall & Hye
- Best months
- April for wildflowers, summer for peaches
Why two pockets
Highway 290 runs east from Fredericksburg through Stonewall and Hye toward Johnson City, and most of the wineries people mean when they say "Fredericksburg" sit along it. The west pocket is town itself and the first stretch of 290. The east pocket is Stonewall and Hye, fifteen to twenty-five minutes further out. Within either pocket the stops are a short drive apart. Crossing between them adds a long leg — the part of the day kids notice most.
The west pocket: Fredericksburg and near-east 290
Downtown
Pontotoc Weingarten
A small wine garden in an old cottage on West Main Street, with a stone-walled courtyard out back. Easy to pair with an hour of walking Main Street, and the courtyard gives kids somewhere to be that is not a tasting bar.
Downtown
Becker Main Street
Becker's in-town tasting room, in a big renovated former car showroom on Main Street. The quickest way to taste Becker without driving out to Stonewall, and roomy enough that a family does not feel underfoot.
Hwy 87
Das Peach Haus
A historic country store on a big property with a pond, owned by Fischer & Wieser, the jam people. Peach wine for the adults, peach cobbler and ice cream for everyone. The easiest stop on this list to sell to a child.
Goehmann Lane
Kalasi Cellars
A family-run vineyard and wine bar on Goehmann Lane, a quiet road off the main corridor. Pairs naturally with Alexander next door for two stops and almost no driving.
Goehmann Lane
Alexander Vineyards
European wines and real Champagne, poured outside under the oaks. A different list from anywhere else in the area, and the shade matters in summer.
Just off 290
Fat Ass Ranch & Winery
A ranch winery a short way off the highway, with the same owners running a brewery on 290 and a tasting room on Main Street. The ranch is the one you want with kids — make sure you are booking that location, not the downtown room.
Hwy 290
Barons Creek
A large property close to town with a shaded backyard patio. A good last stop: low-key, near the highway home, and comfortable for a group that is running out of steam.
Hwy 290
Wildseed Farms
A working wildflower seed farm with fields, a market, and a small tasting area. Not a winery first, which is why it works: the fields are the attraction. Spectacular in April.
The east pocket: Stonewall and Hye
Hwy 290
Texas Wine Collective
One room pouring three established Texas wineries — McPherson, Lost Oak, and Brennan — with cheese and chocolate pairings. Efficient for the adults, and the pairings give kids something on the table too.
Hwy 290
Rhinory
A winery that is also a rhino conservation project. Blake, a 4,100-pound rhino, can be watched from the patio. If the day needs a centerpiece for the kids, this is it. The up-close rhino experiences are booked separately, so reserve ahead if you want one.
Stonewall
Becker Vineyards
Planted in the early nineties and still the Texas winery most people name first. Lavender fields out front give kids room to roam. Saturday afternoons get crowded — go first thing.
Stonewall
Pedernales Cellars
A hilltop terrace looking over the Pedernales valley, and some of the best Tempranillo in the state. The view does a lot of the work of keeping a family settled.
Hye
William Chris Vineyards
A restored farmhouse under live oaks, and the most credible wine on the corridor. Relaxed and spread out rather than one crowded room.
Hye
Hye Meadow
Directly across the road from William Chris, so the two make an easy pair with almost no time in the car between them.
Two routes to start from
Each route stays inside one pocket, so the drives between stops are short. Swap any stop for another from the same pocket and the day still works.
The Classic — Becker, Rhinory, William Chris
Two of the most famous names in Texas wine, with a rhino in between. East pocket.
- 1Becker Vineyards — start at one of the region's original estates, before the Saturday crowd.
- 2Rhinory — watch Blake, the 4,100-pound rhino, from the patio.
- 3William Chris — finish at one of the most acclaimed wineries in Texas.
Off the Usual Wine Trail — Alexander, Das Peach Haus, Barons Creek
A slower, lower-key day, closer to town. West pocket.
- 1Alexander Vineyards — European wines and real Champagne under the oaks.
- 2Das Peach Haus — the pond, peach wine, peach cobbler, and ice cream.
- 3Barons Creek — wind down on the shaded backyard patio.
Austin Wine Car
Pick three, and someone else drives
Door-to-door from Austin to Fredericksburg. Tell us your three when you book and we will plan the day around them.
Not ready to book?
Planning the day with kids
- Stay in one pocket. Three stops five minutes apart is a different day from three stops spread across 290.
- Start early. Tasting rooms are quietest in the late morning, and the most popular ones fill by early afternoon on Saturdays.
- Put the kid-pleaser second. Rhinory or Das Peach Haus in the middle of the day gives everyone something to look forward to after the first stop.
- Think about the season. Wildseed Farms is at its best in April, Das Peach Haus in peach season, and in July and August a shaded patio matters more than a view.
- Tastings are paid at each winery, not in the tour price. Plan on a tasting for each adult who wants one.
- Reserve every stop and mention the kids. A family that shows up unannounced on a busy Saturday may not get a table.