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 !

The wine was absolutely exceptional! I did the "North of 90" tasting and loved every pour. We ended…read moreup bringing home a bottle of the 2019 Sangiovese and my husband enjoyed the sparkling wine. The views are never ending and so breathtaking! The food was equally incredible. We had the Deviled Eggs with sweet and spicy bacon jam along with the Pomegranate-Glazed Wagyu Meatballs served with spiced yogurt dipping sauce, peppery greens, and flatbread. Everything was absolutely outstanding!!!! Stephanie, who hosted us in the tasting room, was so friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely enjoyable to talk with. You can tell she truly loves what she does and knows her wines!! We truly could not have asked for a better experience and will come again!!!

The wines are fantastic, unique and memorable. The scenery, as you can see in my photo is amazing…read more Service was excellent. We got to meet the winemaker and learn what drives their thought process behind the wines.

Very nice place and good wines from South Africa. The host was great and very knowledgeable about…read morethe wines and the region. The place is an old Sears house I think that has been redone and moved. Maybe won't be around long if tRump adds tariffs

Absolutely amazing wine! Jordyn was so knowledgeable and guided us to the perfect glass. Such a…read morecharming place! An absolute must stop and drink here in Fredricksburg!

This was the first stop on our wine tour so we were excited. It is small on the inside but has some…read moreoutdoor seating. Our group sat at the bar. They have a preset tasting with 4 wines and it is self guided. The tray is cute with o mason jars. There was minimal info on the wines such as the year and grapes. No info on the notes. Nothing impressed us flavor wise. They really passed the pimento cheese and curry chicken. We got the cheese and upgraded to bear instead of saltines. It was good and $15. I believe they have some accommodations on site. It's a cute unassuming place but not my favorite on the tour.

We always go to the Main Street location but we were closer to this one. It did not disappoint. It…read morehad a nice indoor area with bar and group seating. The lady on duty was the absolute best. She was friendly and as attentive as she could be as she was the only person there. They had some of the cleanest bathrooms ever and they were gender neutral. The sangria is the best I have ever had. I really wish it was available via mail.

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?

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!

We were looking for a destination lunch in the area, checked on the internet and chose to stop at…read moreSilver Dollar for lunch and a wine tasting. When we arrived, there was a party of ladies in the tasting room on a bus tour, evidently they were quite enjoying both the food and the wine! I went with the Poblano Chicken Lasagna and Deb the Chicken Alfredo and both came with a decent sized, fresh side salad. We enjoyed the food and also the accompanying wines we chose from the wine tasting list. We went home with full, happy bellies and three bottles of their excellent Reds. We also had a great visit with Richard, the owner, who told us the story of the winery and also how he ended up with a London bus on the property (I am a naturalized Texan, originally from London!) All in all, a very enjoyable lunch.

7 Italian lunch options, several of which are gluten-free, and 3 vegetarian. A large selection of…read morewhite and red wines, both running the gamut from sweet to dry. I loved the ambiance: cute tzotskes, rustic setting and fantastic, friendly people. Worth the drive all on its own.

We visited on a Saturday with our dog. Plenty of free parking in their private lot. The grounds are…read morespacious with outdoor seating in the sun or shade - you can bring your own camp chairs or blankets to sit on or there were some picnic tables too. In the tasting building, there are clean bathrooms and plenty of tables and chairs. There are food options but we didn't try any food this visit. We were offered small samples prior to picking our wine. All of the wine we tried was excellent. We like dry red wine. The staff were friendly and accommodating.

Stumbled upon Westcave on our route to Fredericksburg - it was one of our favorites. We opted to…read moretry the beer flights and absolutely loved all of them. We ordered the pulled pork nachos to share and it was unbelievable - generous topping to nacho ratio with very unique toppings of slaw, pickles and pulled pork combination. It was a nacho plate to remember! Highly recommend stopping by for a beer flight + food.