The Fredericksburg Food & Wine Festival kicks off Festival Weekend tonight in the Texas Hill Country. Saturday’s lineup includes a James Beard Award-winning chef from Austin roasting a whole hog on Main Street. He’s sharing the street with dozens of Texas winemakers.
The festival is a nonprofit program of the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce Events Foundation. Its mission is to celebrate and support the people behind Hill Country food and wine. Festival Weekend in historic downtown Fredericksburg is its centerpiece.
More Than 35 Wineries at Saturday’s Grand Tasting
Saturday’s Grand Tasting runs from 1 to 5 p.m. at Marktplatz on Main Street. More than 35 wineries pour there, and they’re part of more than 75 culinary and beverage partners across the weekend. The festival has brought together Hill Country winemakers and chefs for more than 30 years.
4 Events Over 4 Days
Festival Weekend runs Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 22 to 25, with four ticketed events:
- Thursday evening: Opening Night at Contigo Ranch.
- Friday evening: the Street Dinner, which serves more than 200 guests at a long table down the center of downtown.
- Saturday afternoon: the Grand Tasting at Marktplatz.
- Sunday morning: the Waterfront Brunch at Fischer & Wieser Farmstead.
Winemakers Pour Their Own Hill Country Wines
This year’s lineup includes Becker Vineyards, William Chris Vineyards, Grape Creek Vineyards and Heath Sparkling Wines. Most of the pouring wineries are in the Texas Hill Country AVA, according to the festival. The winemakers pour the wines they made.
The AVA has limestone and granite soils, plus hot days and cool nights at elevations between 1,300 and 2,000 feet. The festival says those conditions suit grapes such as Grenache, Syrah, Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc. It describes the weekend as a draw for travelers seeking the flavors of Texas wine country.
A Whole Hog and Hometown Kitchens
Jesse Griffiths of Dai Due in Austin, a James Beard Award-winning chef, headlines the food lineup. He’s roasting a whole hog at the Grand Tasting with Mill Scale, according to the festival’s ticket page. The Grand Tasting also hosts live demonstrations on a culinary demo stage.
Pitmaster Lance Eaker of Eaker Barbecue joins more than 20 chefs, restaurants and artisans. Fredericksburg kitchens on the list include Cabernet Grill and Otto’s German Bistro.
Plan Time for the Tasting Rooms
All four events are open only to guests 21 and older. Many of the pouring wineries keep tasting rooms along the U.S. 290 corridor, where more than 50 sit within a short drive of Marktplatz, according to the festival. The festival also runs event series in the spring and summer.