Hey, friends! Happy New Year and welcome to 2023! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and were able to relax and reset in preparation for the year ahead. For me, the holidays always go by too fast, but I intentionally took time to slow down and soak in all the little things this year.
I don’t know about you, but the older I get the more I love the idea of staying home in my sweatpants with a glass of wine on New Years vs going out with large crowds at a bar until midnight. This year I did neither! Haha. My boyfriend and I booked a last minute trip to get out of town for NYE and headed to one of my favorite parts of Texas; Fredericksburg. If you plan on taking a trip to our glorious Texas wine country anytime soon, you’ll want to save this blog for the best go-to spots year round.
Where to Stay in Fredericksburg
Any good trip starts with a good place to stay. Fredericksburg is crawling with phenomenal mom + pop bed and breakfasts’, as well as Airbnb’s and hotels. If you’re going for a holiday weekend, I suggest booking a few months in advance. As I mentioned, this was a last minute trip and we were extremely lucky to have found our quaint Airbnb on the outskirts of downtown Fredericksburg.
We spent 3 nights at the Das Woerner Haus and let me tell you – this place was even better than expected. This adorable Airbnb is located at the back of the owner’s property, and they’ve done a great job at making you feel secluded.
So full of charm and detail, this Airbnb made my designer heart happy. Thoughtful touches are found throughout the home, including the farm fresh eggs provided upon your arrival. We used these eggs to make breakfast on Sunday morning. They were delicious!
This home gives you the country feel but in a great location that is less than 10 minutes from town! We faced an open field with direct views of the owner’s goats, chickens and other animals roaming their land. There is also a sparkling hot tub and a small firepit for you to enjoy. I highly suggest waking up to watch the sun rise with a coffee or mimosa in the hot tub. Talk about tranquil; truly the best way to start your day! PRO TIP: stop at a grocery store or gas station along the way to purchase firewood for the firepit. We grabbed ours at a local gas station as we pulled into town and it definitely came in handy for making smores Sunday evening.
What to Do in Fredericksburg
This special town is full of German history and endless amounts of wine! One of my favorite things about Fredericksburg is the open carry rule. You can grab a glass of wine or locally brewed beer and take it with you as you hop from store to store along Main Street. Booze and shopping. Who doesn’t love that?
For New Years Eve Fredericksburg is full of activities and things to do; tethered hot air balloon rides, helicopter rides, live music, polo, ice skating, and even a ball drop on Main Street, among other things. We did start New Years Eve on Main Street for some early shopping, but left before lunch because we wanted to avoid the crowds. Instead of sticking around downtown, I sought out quieter experiences and booked wine tastings at a few vineyards outside of town.
Our first wine tasting of the day was at Becker Vineyards on Main Street (my last stop before leaving downtown). Their tasting includes 6 wines that you get to select from their list of award winning wines. I should probably warn you now that I do not lean towards sweet alcohol and prefer a more bold/ bitter wine. (If you are in the market for sweet wines, stay tuned – I have a place for you that we will talk about soon) My favorite wine from this tasting was the ’17 Ranger Hays. Y’all, this is such a great red wine that’s not sweet but also not too bitter. Of course, I had to buy a bottle to take home, along with a bottle of their Dry Rosé – ’21 Provencal. Becker Vineyards has a great patio on Main Street, so be sure to stop by to sip on a glass of wine and enjoy the sunshine when you’re in town!
Next on our stops was Fat Ass Ranch & Winery outside of town. Now, this is the place that I promised for all you sweet wine lovers! They have some of the most unique wine flavors I’ve ever seen and you’re going to want to try them all! They don’t require reservations and have a nice outdoor area to hangout and enjoy live music. We did a tasting, which includes 5 samples of wine from their current wine list and you get to keep your wine glass after; Apple Pie, Texas Red, Prickly Pear JalaRasberryPeno, Rise and Shine Orange Mimosa and the Cabernet Sauvignon. My favorite item I tried here was actually the red wine frozen sangria that I got after the wine tasting. (They are most famous for these) Fat Ass Rach & Winery also has a tasting room on Main Street if you can’t make it out to the vineyard!
One of the last vineyards we made it to was Heath Sparkling Wines, which is a sister company to Grape Creek Vineyards. If you haven’t been here, this place is a must! Beautiful views surround this entire area and you do not want to miss it! PRO TIP: make reservations before coming! They stay busy year round.
Heath Sparkling Wines is the first sparkling wine tasting room in Texas and it does not disappoint! Plus, if you know me, you know I’m a sparkling wine girl. (Boy, do I love me some bubbles) Needless to say, this was my favorite winery tasting that we went to. Heath offers 4 sparkling wines, each with their own food pairing. All it took was great tasting sparkling wine and small snacks to sell me on their wine club! Heath and Grape Creek have plenty of places to explore with breathtaking scenery, so be sure to check it out!
We had 2 other stops planned but unfortunately walked out to the parking lot to find a flat tire and a large screw sticking out the side. An unexpected trip to Discount Tire and two hours later, we made it back to Fredericksburg just in time for dinner!
Where to Eat in Fredericksburg
Let’s start with the most important meal of the day, shall we? Breakfast is my favorite genre of food and I can seriously eat it any time of day. Fortunately for me, I stumbled across a newer restaurant in Fredericksburg that has both the aesthetics and tasty food I’m always on the hunt for.
Hill & Vine has an amazing brunch menu and the cutest décor! I started off with a bloody Mary made with their fresh, house-made tomato mix. For breakfast, we ordered the avocado toast topped with over-medium eggs and fresh fruit, along with the jalapeno scone biscuits and gravy. I seriously cannot say enough good things about this place! The drinks, food and service were all on point. Make this one of your breakfast stops on your next Fredericksburg trip!
If you’re on Main Street around lunch time and want to divulge in the German culture, there are a long list of German restaurants for you to try! Make sure you plan ahead. Restaurants get packed around noon and you may have to wait to eat! We stopped in at several small joints, but ended up eating at Auslander Biergarten Restaurant, one of the larger restaurants off Main Street. Personally, German food isn’t my favorite, but I’m always here to try something new. When it comes to food I live by the old mantra “don’t knock it before you try it”. I ordered a locally brewed coffee porter, beer battered mushrooms and the German Meatballs. They were great! Not stopping in to eat? Come grab a beer to take with you while you walk Main Street!
If you’re a lover of all things Italian food, then honey I’ve got the place for you! Pasta Bella Restaurant is a small hidden gem right off of Main Street. I always make sure to come in on an empty stomach, and even then, I typically have to take leftovers home because the portions are so large! With an extensive menu, you’re sure to find something for even the pickiest eaters to enjoy. We started with the Pizza Bread for an appetizer. It is basically a glorified cheese bread with marinara sauce, and DAMN GINA is it good! For our entrées, we ordered the Chicken Parmigiana and the Sunburst Ravioli and washed it all down with a glass of Cabernet. Pasta Bella always hits the spot. Try it out for yourself next time you’re in town! This is one that I know won’t disappoint!
And that’s a wrap! This trip was spontaneous and just what my soul needed. Fredericksburg is filled with numerous activities and amazing small businesses working hard for our support; not just around the holidays, but year round! If you’ve been on the fence about visiting the beautiful wine country of Texas, now is your sign to go! If you try one of my recommendations or have any of your own that you think should be on the Fredericksburg list, be sure to let me know!
I pray you all have a year filled with prosperity and happiness. Bring on 2023!