Tips for Wine Tasting & our Trip to Fredericksburg Texas
For years I’ve always dreamed about going to Napa. I wanted to be one of the classy girls who was able to sniff, sip and swirl my way through a good glass of wine (and actually know what I’m doing!). Little did I know that Texas has a pretty incredible winery area of its own—the Hill Country of Texas.
Scott and I recently celebrated our five year anniversary and decided to take a road trip down to Fredericksburg, Texas to check out what all the fuss is about. We were not disappointed! We left after work on a Thursday afternoon and drove into the Texas sunset.
We drove straight to dinner and after a quick change of clothing in the car, were ready to eat! Scott made us reservations at The Farm Haus Bistro at Fredericksburg Herb Farm. Check out how quaint and beautiful it was there!
We ordered a bottle of champagne, complete with sliced strawberries which was very reminiscent of our wedding five years prior. We both put our phones away for our two-hour dinner but everything was so delicious—especially the creme brulée.
We stayed at a really sweet little cottage (this one here). They stocked it with everything you need to enjoy a vacation—a fridge full of fresh cream, milk and fruit, a king-size bed, a giant bathtub and a delicious cinnamon crumble cake.
The next morning we went on a wine tour that Scott had booked for us. Ya’ll. If you ever go to Fredericksburg, this is the way to do wine. A limo-bus picked us up at our hotel, then drove us around (along with a few other super awesome new friends) to four wineries where we were able to partake in some gorgeous scenery, take some vineyard tours, and—of course—taste lots of wine! 🙂
I even got to participate in a grape stomp! It was so squishy—all my grapes are being sent to Trader Joes for Two Buck Chuck. Just kidding of course. 🙂 Scott was sweet enough to help me clean up afterwards. It reminded me so much of that old I Love Lucy episode, do you all remember that one?
The next few days were full of impromptu road trips, delicious meals, exciting antique finds (coming soon!), freshly picked fruits from the farms and….more wine!
I went into this trip openly admitting to be a wine novice. As in I drank it, but didn’t really know how to taste it. I learned a lot of interesting tips, and am excited to pass along what I learned to you guys!
- When you first get a glass of wine, start by taking note of the appearance. Swirl your wine in the glass in a circular motion and take note of the color. Also notice if the wine “legs” (the tears/drops of wine that you’ll see inside your glass when you swirl) are thick or thin, or if they are fast or slow. The slower the legs, the higher the alcohol and/or sugar content.
- Now it’s time to smell it. Did you all know that everyone has a dominant nostril? I thought that was really weird until I tried it. To find out, you tilt your head and lower your right nostril to your glass and inhale, then try your left. My left one was way stronger than my right. Using your dominant nostril, take a long, deep breath and close your eyes so you can really pick up on the notes. Does it smell sweet? Citrus-y? Earthy? Floral?
- Finally, time to sip. You need to fully coat your palate, so your first sip will be a little strange. You basically take a small sip and suck in like you are slurping spaghetti. Then swallow. Now your palate is fully coated, so your next sip will be your first true sip. Isn’t that fun?
So that was our road trip and wine adventure. I can’t wait to go back—I loved every minute, especially my time with my sweet husband. It was so nice to get away from all the projects and paint and just enjoy being together. Loved it all. 🙂 Do you all have any wine tips to share? Teach me your ways—I have so much to learn!
Tania Griffis is an accomplished writer, blogger, and interior designer with a Journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma. She started her popular blog, Run to Radiance, in 2011, demonstrating her design expertise through the personal remodeling of six houses to millions of readers across the globe.
Tania also owns The Creative Wheelhouse, a respected ghostwriting agency for bloggers, further showcasing her talent for creating engaging and informative content.
I LOVE this!! We have only stayed in Fredericksburg once, but loved it!! That wine tasting looks divine – you two are both so photogenic. Sounds/looks like the perfect way to spend an anniversary 🙂
That cottage is adorable! And the grape stomp looks like so much fun. I would love to do a wine tasting someday 🙂 Happy belated anniversary!!
So much fun! Tim and I honeymooned in Napa Valley, and we wanted to go back for our 5th anniversary…but it’s just not in the cards for this year. Maybe we’ll just head to the Napa of Texas! 🙂
Isn’t the Fredricksburg Herb Farm fabulous? I’m so glad y’all got to get away and had a great time! 🙂
I never thought of Texas as somewhere with good wine, I’m sure that’s pretty naive of me but I always thought California was really the only place in America that wine was grown. But the this trip makes me want to go see the Farm and try the wine 🙂
Lovely one you are my classy baby.
I love, love that area! I could live there too and be perfectly happy. So glad you had such a wonderful experience! I’m not that knowledgeable about wine…sorry. I can’t drink red due to migraines and that sometimes happens with white. If I could drink more of it I’d learn more about it! 🙂
xo
Pat
What a wonderful, romantic trip! I love the pics. Y’all look like honeymooners! So sweet!!
You two are so adorable, what a great anniversary trip! 🙂
I’ll admit I’ve never tasted a wine that I like. I just don’t like wine. I’ve even gone wine tasting and the person was determined to find something I would like, but failed.
Can’t wait to see your antique finds!
I love every bit of this post! First off, the dresses you wore on your getaway are beautiful! Also, as soon as you said ‘grape stomp, my mind went to that awesome episode of I Love Lucy. What an awesome life experience to have 🙂
So glad you two had an amazing anniversary. You both look so happy – and the restaurant, cottage, and wine tasting looks like such a great way to celebrate your time together!
This would be my perfect weekend! 🙂