Austinist Spring Road Trip: Wine Tasting in Hill Country

Ninety miles out west of Austin, nearing Fredricksburg, Austinist pulled over for our first rest stop at Becker Vineyards. This modest vineyard is situated just east of several larger wineries, headquartered in a renovated German limestone barn. Next to the tasting center are roughly twenty acres of vines both front and behind, producing over 11 grape varietals. The winemaker aspires to produce wines in the style of the Bordeaux and Rhone regions in France, and judging from their innumerable medals and trophies displayed it seems these efforts are well-received.

We sampled a few of their basic reds, including an '03 Merlot ($16) and '02 Zinfandel ($18). The former is aged in French oak and might pair well with duck or cornish game hen, but alone we found it almost overbearingly fruity. The latter is a freshman effort for Becker, and with its 15% blend of Syrah ( not grown here, we assume ) it shows promise of developing into a strong red with future vintages.

We were duly impressed with the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve ($22), aged in American oak. This limited-production wine had strong undertones of cocoa and cinnamon, and would probably pair well with a buffalo or ostrich steak.

Becker Vineyards also produces exceptional Merlot jelly and Chardonnay jelly, as well as a Dijon-style "Texas Iconoclast Wine Mustard". Don't overlook these if you happen in for a tasting.

The tasting room is open Monday-Thursday 10-5, Friday-Saturday 10-6, and Sundays 12-6.