Are you headed to Fredericksburg, TX or as like to call it, The Napa of the South? 🙂 First off, I’m jealous. Second off, I have been a few times now and thought it was about time for an updated travel guide as their are SO many new and cute spots in town!
If you’ve never been to Fredericksburg you are in for a treat! It has quaint small town vibes but with so much to do and see! Obviously most people come for the wineries, but honestly you’ll want to stay for more than just that! While it’s a great weekend getaway, I would highly recommend it for a bachelorette party, girl’s weekend or low(er) key birthday trip.
WHERE TO STAY
I highly suggest renting a house for the weekend. If you are heading up for a girls weekend or wanting to go in on a place with multiple people, a house is the way to go. Fredericksburg offers many cute options that make the trip so much more enjoyable than staying in a hotel. We stayed at The Emerald Door which proved to be everything we hoped for and more! With COVID still a high risk, we wanted a space where we could spread out and not have to leave the house except for wineries and one nice dinner.
Most places are between $4-$600 a night (cheaper during the week) so split between multiple people, it is well worth it! Our house slept 12 plus came equipped with a huge outdoor area, corn hole, a fire pit, hot tub and a whole cupboard of games which we used the entire weekend. The owner has several other properties (found here), all with different colored front doors, that are perfect for your next girls weekend, bachelorette party, or couples retreat. I cannot say enough great things about the owner, all of her recommendations, attention to little details, and the overall house aesthetic. Just look what I mean- SO CUTE! In fact, many of you messaged me while I was there telling me you had stayed in one of her properties as well!!
WINERIES
Aka the reason you are probably headed to Frederickburg! I’ve tried several but this past trip was by FAR my favorite wineries that I have been to yet! While Grape Creek, Becker Vineyards and 4.0 Cellars are all highly recommended and fantastic options, these next 3 will blow them out of them water!
Signor Vineyards–This was our first winery of the day and talk about GORGEOUS. I’m telling you right now that you’ll want to stay at this outdoor space for hours! Our group was too big for a tasting so we bought a few bottles and did our own tasting at one of the picnic tables. They are known for their chardonnay and pinot but the cab was my personal fav!
Baron’s Creek– Out of the 3 we went to this one was probably my least favorite just because it didn’t have the WOW factor that Signor and Augusta Vin had but I enjoyed the wine, outdoor music and the wine was actually one of my favorites from the day!
Augusta Vin– Talk about a little piece of California in Texas. With the floor to ceiling windows and hilly views, it’s hard to believe you are in Texas! Check out the picture below. If you can request a tasting on the second floor- highly recommend. Also highly recommend the bread and olive oil pairing with your tasting 🙂
If you want to really take your weekend up a notch and not have to worry about getting transportation in between wineries (Ubers are V scarce), I recommend looking into a winery tour/shuttle. We used Texas Wine Tours and our driver was a freaking hoot. His name was Darrell and if you can request him- DO IT- you’ll be laughing for hours. Not to mention he brought us donuts and kolaches which came in clutch after 3 wineries if you know what I mean.
The way the winery tour works is that they handle all of your winery tasting reservations and fees in the price which is actually incredibly convenient if you have a big group (especially during COVID) because making reservations for big groups actually proved to be really hard when I was trying to do it!
WHERE TO EAT
Granite House Lounge– Hot of the press! The food was AMAZING. Just take my word for it. This place had only been open 3 weeks when we went and it was hip hop happenin to say the least. It’s pretty small so expect to wait but you can grab a cocktail and hangout outside while you do! I also would suggest hopping on the online waitlist!
The Auslander- If you are wanting a cheap, authentic German meal, this is the place! If the weather is nice enough, there is usually a pretty good sized crowd enjoying live music and throwing back oversized beers.Sozial Haus– A quaint spot that has great pizza. Monday nights they have half price pizzas and bottles of wine.
Hondos– An old spot where you will find many locals. The food is nothing extraordinary but the atmosphere is fun!
Vaudeville– This is a nicer place and reservations are recommended. Even if you don’t get a chance to eat here, I suggest checking out the courtyard and little shop that is attached to it. Both are amazing! I have heard the restaurant is a must do if you have the time (and money!) to do so.
August E’s– Another great fine dining experience. We were there during the week and attended “Thai Tuesday” night. While the price is a little high for thai, the portions are HUGE and easy to share. They also have sushi and steaks.
Prometheus Pizza-This food truck came highly recommended to us if you are wanting something quick, easy and GOOD. They deliver too!
WHAT TO DO (besides the obvious)
Besides visiting wineries, there are plenty of other things to do in Fredericksburg! It is such a cute town to explore and small enough to walk most places if you are staying at a house that is close to the main strip (which I highly recommend!).
Tasting rooms– If you are just wanting to grab a drink before dinner or do not want to drive out to the wineries, several of the vineyards have tasting rooms on the main strip.
Lincoln St.– A cute indoor/outdoor bar that is perfect for drinks before or after dinner and one of the only places that stays open later.
Fredericksboards– We did this one night for a happy hour at home! Highly recommend grabbing a charcuterie board from them. They are beautiful and will save you a trip to the grocery store!
Yellow Door Studio– If you have already done a wine and painting class, then you know how fun they are. If you have not, now is your time! The art class is BYOB and is so much fun! These classes run about $45/person and are a great keepsake for a girls or bachelorette weekend!
I have a Frederickburg highlight saved to my Instagram with more visuals and fun happenings from our weekend but if you have any questions please feel free to comment on this post or email me at itsallchictomeblog@gmail.com. I hope you enjoy your stay!