fredericksburg, tx

we took the 45 minute drive up to frederickburg, tx to try out the "napa" of texas. i don't know what i was expecting, but the first stop (the Fredericksburg Winery) wasn't quite it. it was a storefront in the middle of town, the wine was incredibly sweet, and our "guide" was hilarious -- he named his daughter Chardonnay after all. the first thing he did was insult california wine makers, so he didn't start off well.  choose 6 wines to taste for free and $5 for their "premiums..." which were no better than the others. i didn't care for any of the wines they offer, but the crew that works there is very nice and the winemaker talks faster than any human being i've met.

we did enjoy d'vine wine. maybe it was just a nice change of pace, but we took several bottles home as gifts. the pourer recommended a sandwich shop across the street called Rather Sweet: Bakery and Cafe. boy, i could have kissed her. i've dreamed about going back since we left (and we're going there this weekend)!

i had a tomato, basil, and mozzarella sandwich (on fresh, homemade bread) that was just incredible, with a side of tomato basil soup. overkill? no WAY. the sandwich dipped into the soup was pure heaven. i can still taste it right now as i'm writing this. i had a glass of Becker's Iconoclast to compliment my lunch and could have repeated the whole meal for dinner. jason had the BLAT and said it was delicious, but i'll have to take his word for it, because he didn't offer me a bite!

there are several neat stores in town. i came away with a very cute amber butterfly ring and we were most impressed by the granite furniture store.

we ended the trip with Becker Vineyards. this was a little more of what i was expecting. the lavender smelled wonderful and the wine was good. I am a fan of the Iconoclast for a great, under $10 bottle. in all, it was a fantastic day and i can't wait to go back.