Story and photos by Scott Kendall
The Texas Hill Country is full of wineries, peach orchards, and rolling landscapes. We made the four hour drive from The Woodlands to spend a long weekend visiting three wineries, a peach orchard, and beautiful hill country landscapes. Coordinates Vineyards, Pedernales Cellars, Duchman Family Winery, and Vogel Orchard were all part of our fantastic weekend. We stayed at the fabulous Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa near Johnson City as our base.
Coordinates Vineyards
After operating a tasting room on Main Street for two-and-a-half years, Austin Kerr and his brother Mahlon opened a second tasting room on Highway 290 in nearby Hye, Texas. The brothers bought a hundred year old farmhouse that had been renovated and used as an AirBnB. They moved it away from the highway, and made the structure the home of their new tasting room. The gorgeous home features the tasting room, several comfortable seating areas including a private room for up to twelve people, clean bathrooms, and outdoor porches and a balcony overlooking the vineyard. Austin even has his guitar in one room, standing by for impromptu performances by visitors (ask Austin about some of the special guest performers).
The recently planted grapes form the vineyard in front of the house. Several picnic tables are available throughout the grounds. Eight inviting white Adirondack chairs circle around an amazing fire pit under the relaxing shade of giant oak trees. This outdoor space would be perfect for outdoor events, live music, or just sitting back and relaxing with your favorite beverage.
Outstanding South African and Texas Wines
Our tasting consisted of several very nice wines from South Africa and Texas. When Austin was working overseas in Taiwan, he made some good contacts with several South African wineries. When it came time to open a tasting room, these contacts proved invaluable. These high-quality South African wines, along with some other select wines, make for a winning lineup at Coordinates. Austin started us off with a wonderful sparkling Brut, made with 100% Sauvignon Blanc. With traces of citrus and dried herbs, this sparkling white was a winner with our group.
The Reserve Pinotage is the wine that started it all. This beauty from South Africa is Coordinates’ number one seller. Their 2020 Reserve Pinotage from Paarl has layers of blackberries, black currant, and dark chocolate with cedar undertones. Twelve months in French oak lends gentle tannins with lingering black plum and vanilla flavors. Words I heard to describe the Reserve Pinotage include leathery, smokey, meaty, and BBQ. We also enjoyed the Unoaked Chardonnay, aged in stainless steel. This crisp white with hints of apple was perfect for the hot Texas weather. Picpoul is a Texas wine made with a southern French grape variety that is light and refreshing, with notes of pear and green apple. Known for its acidic sharpness, Pique-poul translates literally as “stings the lip”. So pucker up and try this Picpoul for a tingly surprise.
The Story Behind the Name Coordinates
The unusual name of Coordinates comes from the time Austin was wandering through South Africa looking for a sixth-generation family vineyard. Hopelessly lost, they called the vineyard and the winemaker replied, “When you’re this far off the beaten track, you just have to go by the coordinates.” According to Austin, “We bring this philosophy to Coordinates Vineyards. Finding places so remote, unique and wonderfully special, that you just can’t get there without the coordinates. Luckily for you, we’re doing all the work. Come relax in our covered outdoor grape arbor and explore our world of wine.”
Coordinates Vineyards’ original tasting room is located at 417 E Main Street in downtown Fredericksburg in a historic blacksmith building. The convenient location on Main Street is just a block from the fabulous Admiral Nimitz National Museum of the Pacific War, next to the OroBianco Italian Creamery and across the street from Brooke’s Bubble Bar. Together, the tasting room on Main Street and the new location in Hyde offer great options to visitors to enjoy their fabulous wines.
Pedernales Cellars in Stonewall
Pedernales Cellars is in tiny Stonewall, just ten minutes east of Fredericksburg. The first grapes were planted by Larry and Jeanine Kulken, who met as scientists during the Apollo 11 Mission in Houston. In fact, a favorite wine was name Over The Moon Rosé in their honor. Originally, the Kulkens focused on growing grapes to sell to other wineries. In 2005, Larry and Jeanine’s children, Julie and David, began making plans to produce their own wines. The following decades have shown a continuous evolution as Pedernales Cellars grew and expanded its offerings. David works as the winemaker, and Julie led the hospitality, marketing, design, and business aspects of the winery.
As we drove onto the property, six giant yucca blooms welcomed us at the front entrance. From the side patio, guests get a panoramic view of the Texas Hill Country, just a few of the expansive acreage of Pedernales Cellars. On this warm summer afternoon, we chose to sit in the cool air conditioning of the indoor tasting room. Julie, who has a PhD is Philosophy and a CSET III certification, greeted us and led us through an entertaining tour and tasting of the winery.
Among our first wines, Julie served us the refreshing Viognier Reserve, which won the 2012 Grand Gold medal. Later, we sampled the Tempranillo Reserve, my favorite of the day. The blend of Tempranillo, Alicante, Cinsault, and Graciano bring out notes of Black Cherries, Brown Sugar, Caramel, Fig, and Chocolate. The winemakers are constantly experimenting with different combinations and processes, and were on target with this vintage of Tempranillo. The great wines and spectacular views in the heart of the Texas Hill Country make Pedernales Cellars a must see when visiting the area.
Duchman Family Winery in Driftwood
Drs. Lisa and Stan Duchman founded Duchman Family Winery in 2004 in the small town of Driftwood. They loved Italian grape varieties, and the weather patterns in the Texas High Plains AVA were very similar to areas of Italy. Therefore, they decided to source grapes from the high plains to make wines like Vermentino, Sangiovese, and Dolcetto.
This beautiful destination was listed by HGTV as one of the 20 most picturesque wineries in the country. The impressive main building houses the tasting room and the large barrel room with its wine-making equipment. The grounds hold many picnic tables, chairs, and corn hole boards in the shade beneath massive oaks. Our server was Todd, a very friendly and knowledgeable man who was working his last weekend at Duchman before moving to Arizona. He led us through a fun tasting, starting with the flavorful Vermentino.
My favorite was their best selling, award winning 2018 Montepulciano Blend. As their catalog says, “Montepulciano has been in the Duchman portfolio almost from day one, and it remains one of the most popular wines in our lineup. Duchman Montepulciano fills the senses with aromas of dried flowers, dark fruit and a delicate peppery spice. Rich flavors of blackberry, black cherry and plum please the palate. The balanced acidity of this wine pairs nicely with savory dishes.”
Vogel Orchard Peaches
In addition to the many wonderful wineries, the area is known for their plump, flavorful peaches. Vogel Orchard is a family-owned peach farm and retail market just two miles west of Stonewall. Fredericksburg is a short ten-minute drive continuing west. Vogel grows twenty different varieties, with each having a different projected harvest date. By growing this many varieties, they generally have fresh peaches from mid-May until the end of July. Vogel also grows plums, blackberries, and pears in season. In addition, family and staff make preserves, jellies, cobblers, and homemade ice cream.
Vogel Orchard is a fun stop during a day of visiting wineries, country roads, and downtown Fredericksburg. The day after we got home, I ate two of the peaches at breakfast, and used another one in a smoothie for lunch. So good!
Visit the Texas Hill Country for Great Wine, Peaches, and Fun Times
The Texas Hill Country has so much to offer. In addition to wonderful wineries and peach orchards, the hill country has fun rivers and lakes for water activities, fabulous dining options, and the friendliest folks. Small towns like Fredericksburg, Hyde, and Johnson City roll out the red carpet throughout the year. Come see for yourself!
I was hosted by Coordinates Vineyards, Pedernales Cellars, and Duchman Family Winery. All opinions are my own.
