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    French Connection Wines

    4.8 (32 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 6:00 PM

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    Heather T.

    I really loved our quick visit out to French Connection! It has this amazing Texas-French fusion vibe in the atmosphere that is absolutely so enticing to me! We did not have time to schedule official tastings at all the places we wanted to visit and I was initially bummed that I had not been able to schedule a tasting here. We found we had a quick break in our schedule before our next tasting up the road at CALAIS, so we stopped in just to check it out. I'm so glad we did! We ended up sitting out on their beautiful patio with a glass of their signature white and it was a lovely way to take a break and enjoy their beautiful views. Wide open spaces all around, covered patios with plenty of shade and seating, wind chimes in the air.... Heaven!! We will definitely return out here soon and either do a tasting or eat a meal on the patio. The ladies in the shop were SOOOOO funny and sweet! It's worth the drive out to get to that peaceful view but also just to chat with them! PS - The wine was delicious, too!

    Menu
    Stephanie W.

    Got the rec to come here from another Yelp elite at a Yelp event actually! She told me French connection is her favorite spot in Fredericksburg and given the number of wineries out there, that is high praise! I came to visit explicitly for that reason, and found out on arriving from our waitress Christia that they don't even advertise because they get so much business just from word of mouth. Needless to say - we had a fabulous time! The wine tasting is $25 per person for 5 wines. They have snack foods etc, and my mom bought a charcuterie board for $35 (small size) which complements the wine well. The ambiance is lovely - they have a beautiful view over the Texas hill country with both indoor and outdoor patio seating. It was cool (like 60F for the high) the day we came, and they had heaters on the patio so the vibe is great. Christia gave us a great background of the facility and all the wines so we felt like it was a very appropriate tasting. The charcuterie was also a pretty decent size even though it was small (it was plenty for 2 people to have a good snack). The winery itself is a bit off the road down a dirt road path, but it adds to the charm imo. I cannot say it is my new favorite (grape creek winery still holds a very special place in my heart!), I would absolutely rec a visit when coming to Fredericksburg. The vibes are immaculate, comparable I would argue to nearby Covington winery which I also LOVE. :) thanks French connection for a fabulous experience!

    Wine menu. We tried the first 5 during our Spring/Summer tasting.
    Jennifer L.

    We came here on a recommendation during another wine tasting. They do not have any signage except right in front of the establishment, so you will have to look it up for directions. The location is gorgeous and has an amazing view. They have a covered patio and rocking chairs you can enjoy. Our server, Kristia (sp?), was very knowledgeable about the winemaking process, the wine, and the winemaker. You can tell she is very passionate about what she does. French Connection is associated with Calais Winery. Just like Calais, these are French inspired wines, but focus more on whites and roses. The wines were very good and showed a nice variety. We also split the large charcuterie. I highly recommend getting this board vs the small. The highlights were the brie (soooo creamy!) and the ham. All of the board was delicious and we ate every last piece (and may have fought over the last of the brie). If you are looking for a relaxing, off-the-beaten path, this is a great place to enjoy a nice glass of wine.

    Wine menu. There wasn't a wine I didn't like.
    Gayle S.

    Love, love, love this winery! Each time we visit the Fredericksburg area we have to stop at French connection. The views when you sit outside and enjoy your wine are just awesome and it always seems a little cooler there compared to the rest of places we visit. Of course, none of that would matter much if the wine wasn't amazing. The sommelier's are knowledgeable and friendly, it's great learning from them. I should just go ahead and become part of their wine club. If you are wondering if you should give them a visit, just go!

    Macaroons with wine, yes please!
    Kris U.

    Every so often I'm reluctant to write a review because I want to keep a place all to myself, and not compete for a weekend reservation! But I have to share about this place because it is one of the best of our Hill Country wineries! The winemaker is Ben Calais and that eccentric (I mean you'd have to be to go from France to Texas to make wine, right?) Frenchman knows what he's doing working with Texas grapes! He is passionate about crafting world class wine and doing it right here in Hye, Texas. I've visited his namesake (by appointment-only) winery and the wines there were fabulous, and the pricing reflects the effort. French Connection Wines is his recent endeavor and the wines here are high quality but a bit more affordable. The tastings are an excellent experience and the servers are experts in wine and are very knowledgeable, providing detailed descriptions of each wine and explaining what makes it unique. It is truly an experience that will make you slow down and want to linger, especially while you are enjoying the outdoor patio tables with expansive views of the hill country from the "top of the hill". Oh, and did I mention the amazing charcuterie board?!

    Diana G.

    Semi new winery associated with Calais winery. Located close to Hye market and garrison brothers. Their wines are French inspired. I had a tasting and was happy with all of the wines I tasted. They have a nice patio with beautiful views of the hill country. They do have a few onsite cabins for rent. Tastings are by appointment, but if you're nearby, you can always stop and ask if they have openings. They had one when I went. If they don't, you can enjoy a glass or bottle without an appointment.

    Cute sign out front
    Kathleen F.

    Great views, wonderful service and charcuterie to die for! We loved the rose and brought back several bottles. There is a wonderful patio making it family friendly too.

    Jessie C.

    Great little winery tucked away on 290 wine road. It's very lowkey and relaxed compared to some of the bigger wineries, which was a huge plus. It was the first stop for my family and I on our winery hopping day and a great place to kick it off. They specialize in French wines and were popular for their whites and roses. We got a bottle of their dry white and it was divine. The staff were very friendly and checked on us quite often to ensure we were enjoying ourselves. The view is absolutely stunning - it's a gorgeous place to kick back and enjoy a nice Texas fall afternoon!

    Craig J.

    Totally recommend hitting this place while you're in the area. This Rose is delicious! They also have amazing whites and reds. We stayed on location in one of their Maisonettes. Very comfy and convenient to several great spots, including Garrison Bourbon just down the road..

    Charcuterie (sin board to observe safety precautions). A nice variety of curated meats, cheeses and accompaniments.
    Seema P.

    This winery is tucked behind the 290 trail but a very special place with a wonderful view, delicious wine, and helpful service. It felt less commercial than other wineries in the area we visited and more of a small batch, well thought out wine.

    Jennifer J.

    Must go for the view and wine! It's beautiful with the view of surrounding area! Wine was great and view was even better!

    Outdoor area

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    Love the quaint atmosphere, the view and the petite Syrah. Great people. A hidden gym on Hye Albert Rd.

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    Ask the Community - French Connection Wines

    Review Highlights - French Connection Wines

    Sheri and Pat Pattillo have teamed up with Ben Calais (Calais Winery) and Victoria Gimino to bring this newest shining star of Texas wineries to the Texas Hill Country.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    William Chris Vineyards - Doesn't get better than this.

    William Chris Vineyards

    4.1(476 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$$
    Established in 2008
    LGBTQ friendly

    This winery is the only Texas winery to be listed among the World's 50 Best Vineyards, recently…read morepublished by William Reed (the long-established organizer of wine-industry ranking) and compiled by a global academy of more than 700 wine and travel experts. So it's the real deal. After you make your online reservation (which is extremely easy to do), you're greeted at the entry gate a hostess / staff member, who comes wine-in-hand to give you a welcome beverage and offer you a greeting that excites Texas Hospitality. You're briefly shown thegrounds, walked over to your tasting room, and introduced to your server. The grounds are absolutely lovely. This time of year the vineyards are lush and green. The property overlooks a lovely valley that reminds me of California. Walk around and you'll discover a lovely Monarch butterfly garden teaming with life. We saw over a dozen butterflies and a hummingbird. And the colors of the garden are so vibrant. We had a lovely tasting, bought a bottle of wine to take back to our VRBO, and before leaving, we ordered some food from their cafe and ate in one of their patios. The food was expensive but everything was of the highest quality and had to be made from scratch. The tacos came in beef (an amazing smoked beef cheek) or chicken (adequately spiced with Hatch green chillies) and homemade flour tortillas, homemade chips, and amazing salsa that I would have bought a bottle of if they sold it. Today's tasting was all red. But they switch things out seasonally and you may get whites or roses. But here's what you should know. Only 3% of Texas wineries only ever use Texas grapes. Some offer estate wines and many bring grapes in from the Texas High Plains but those are most often then blended with grapes from California, Washington or elsewhere. This place only works withTexas grapes. So... you're going to get the purest expressions of what the Texas soil and climate produces. This includes Tennat (tons of tannin) and Mourvedre (a small grape with thick skin that also delivers high tannin and is earthy, smokey, peppery... very savory). These grapes are celebrated in Spain, France and Uruguay. So you may be quite familiar with them. But they are very different from the far fruitier wines you may be most familiar with. They are certainly not California Napa cabs or pinots, Sonoma chards or Lodi zins. So know what you're getting into. Since they rotate their tastings, we'll come back and try more of their offerings. I really respect what they are doing here, and wineries like this are part of what makes Texas great.

    Overall, I really enjoyed our experience at William Chris and had a wonderful time! We were greeted…read morewith a welcome wine (Mary Ruth) which is one of the flagship whites. This ended up being my favorite wine, not only of the whole tasting, but of the multiple vineyards we visited that day. We were brought to our tasting station which allowed for standing only and our guide was very knowledgable about the wines. I especially liked that he was purposefully reluctant to share the wine notes so that we could judge for ourselves (however, as someone who only tastes notes of wine and nothing else, it made it a little difficult). We ended up with a lineup of reds which was not what I expecting. Despite not being a huge fan of red wine, I still fully enjoyed myself and the wine that we tried. Our guide even gave us another tasting to try that was a off menu. I will be back and hopefully, I can try some more whites at that time! My biggest regret is not buying a bottle of the Mama Ruth. What in the world was I thinking?

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    William Chris Vineyards - The best members in Texas.

    The best members in Texas.

    William Chris Vineyards - Our Hye Society Members Lounge

    Our Hye Society Members Lounge

    William Chris Vineyards - Hye society

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    Hye society

    Hye Meadow Winery

    Hye Meadow Winery

    4.4(159 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$

    If you're looking for the BEST dog-friendly (and people-friendly) wine tasting room in the…read moreFredericksburg/290 area, Hye Meadow Winery is it! I did a ton of research on pup-friendly tasting rooms prior to our trip and I'm so glad this place popped up on my radar. You can easily make a reservation on their website that gets you an inside or outdoor space for a tasting that is dog and kid friendly. Since it's August, and hot as heck, my husband and I (and our two dogs, Jake and Finn) were so thankful and grateful our reservation got us a space inside their super cute (and air-conditioned) tasting room. Not only were the wines delicious (we bought a bottle of Tempranillo) but we also loved the sandwiches and cheese boards. The indoor space is a good size (and cute and comfy!) and the outdoor space is huge. There are outdoor fans and a great grass area (sans sticker burrs) where our babes were able to run around, which is so hard to find this time of year. Delaney was our wine pourer Friday and again on Sunday when we came back because we loved it so much. She was so welcoming, friendly and excited/knowledgeable about the wine, which made us too! There were a couple of other super friendly staffers there both days (I'm sorry I didn't get your names!) who made our visits such great experiences. It was truly the best case scenario for us. Hye Meadow will now always be our favorite stop in this area. Thanks so much, y'all!!

    This has become a yearly stop during our annual Fredericksburg Christmas tour ! Still good wine and…read morefriendly service !

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    Hye Meadow Winery - Entrance from parking lot to patio

    Entrance from parking lot to patio

    Hye Meadow Winery
    Hye Meadow Winery - #tasting

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    Calais Winery

    Calais Winery

    4.6(74 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$$

    If you enjoy a unique tasting experience in a unique setting and most importantly enjoy French…read moreinspired wine then do not pass up the opportunity to visit the Calais Winery/Cave in Hye. Calais Winery is easy to miss as it sits right off 290 between Johnson City and Fred. Look for the French Flag. The cave is an intimate setting and you are surrounded by their French Oak wine barrels. It is cool in there. We learned during our private tasting that they have been producing their limited production wines since 2008. The winemaker is a French-born engineer-turned-winemaker, Benjamin Calais. Even though the wine is produced using Texas grapes Calais uses old school French traditions when producing his wines. Our tasting included their Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and even a Rose'. The Left and Right Bank Bordeaux rivaled any Cab that we have sampled in Fred or Napa. The 2020 Gravitas red blend was an absolute joy to sample and it was one of the wines that traveled home with us. From their best harvests they select the 10 best barrels in the winery and produce Gravitas. It is unbelievably complex and if you enjoy a fuller than full bodied wine you will love Gravitas. Check out their website for a detailed description. Do make reservations as they are booked even on the weekdays.

    From the moment we stepped into the cave, Gina made us feel right at home. She was incredibly…read morefriendly and really knows her stuff--from the way the grapes are grown to how the different Texas climates shape each bottle. She walked us through the flavors and notes with so much passion, and we never felt rushed or pressured to buy a thing. ​The whole experience was eye-opening. My wife is a local, but this was my first time visiting the region, and I couldn't have asked for a better introduction. Truly a five-star experience!

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    Calais Winery
    Calais Winery
    Calais Winery - What a great find! Excellent French inspired wines

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    What a great find! Excellent French inspired wines

    French Connection Wines - wineries - Updated July 2026

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