Food + Beverage

The Wandering Winemaker

Inside the evolving career of Texas winemaker Claire Richardson Article by Amie Nemec | Photography by Erica Falbaum Claire Richardson doesn’t want to be known as a great female winemaker. She wants to be known as a great winemaker, period. In a Texas wine industry still evolving and expanding, her influence is becoming difficult to ignore. Winemaker Richardson’s path into wine began with a love of food, wine and travel, eventually leading her to William Chris Vineyards in 2018. There...

Travel

From Rome to Fredericksburg

An Italian restaurateur brings Roman hospitality, community and the spirit of home to Fredericksburg Article by Caroline Heiberg | Photography by Ava Snoozy Inside Bottega Salaria, Roman hospitality is a way of life. For owner Valerio Lombardozzi, the restaurant is not simply about serving Italian food in Fredericksburg, but recreating the atmosphere, connection and sense of community he grew up with outside Rome. From the menu and imported tile to the outdoor gathering spaces, nearly every...

Arts + Culture

Little Town, Big Art

An artful route through Hill Country galleries Article and Photography by Amy Tucker Rural areas are rarely associated with contemporary galleries or museum-level collections, yet some of the most significant art spaces are found far from major metropolises. Tucked into small towns and serene river communities, these Hill Country galleries and museums are bringing internationally recognized artists, major collections and ambitious exhibitions into unexpected corners of Central Texas. Those...

Event Planning + Services

A Wilder Gathering

Seasons event venue at The Preserve reimagines Hill Country gatherings Article by Caroline Heiberg | Photography by Danielle Lochte The drive from Fredericksburg into The Preserve feels like crossing into another ecosystem entirely. Cedar, oak and Hill Country brush give way to magnolia trees lining the entrance, their dense green canopies softening the landscape. Native to parts of Southeast Asia, the magnolias subtly signal a shift; southeast Asian elephants may be waiting to greet guests...

Food + Beverage

Peach Perfect

Peak peach season meets buttery cast-iron baking in this classic dessert from Chef Leo Article and Photography by Every summer, roadside peach stands begin appearing across Fredericksburg and the Hill Country, one of Texas' sweetest traditions. Known for their juicy texture and balanced sweetness, Fredericksburg peaches are at their best during the heat of the summer. The roadside stands fill up, the orchards buzz with families and pickers and the scent of ripe peaches hangs heavy in the warm...

Life + Culture

Alan Kirchoff Introduces Bariay 1492

The smoke that stays Article by Amy Tucker There's a ritual that happens on Friday afternoons in Fredericksburg. It doesn't have a formal name on a sign anywhere. Someone texts the group, people show up, and for a couple of hours the week exhales. Phones are set aside. Conversations take their place.    Alan Kirchoff started it alone. Just a man and a cigar on a Friday, making space to think. Then a friend joined. Then another. Now there are dozens: industry transplants and longtime locals...

Arts + Culture

Texas Treasure Sale

Keeping the legacy of the Texas Longhorn alive Article by Brent Ryan Burgess For men, there are few things more iconic than the idea of the American cowboy. John Hever, founder of Texas Treasure Sale, a premier Texas Longhorn cattle sale, encompasses that spirit. And though Texas ranching has changed, the legacy of the Texas Longhorn carries on.    Texas Longhorn cattle are a true symbol of the Lone Star State. But the origins of the breed tell a richer story. “They didn’t originate here,”...

Life + Culture

Gallant Gentlemen and Cowboy Culture

Dan Garrison shares the traditions carried on by friend Russell Hartmann Article by Dan Garrison Although I’m 61, I still don’t feel grown up. Yet every time I work closely with Garrison Brothers’ All-Around Cowboy Russell Hartmann, I find myself saying, “If I ever grow up, I want to be like that man.”    Russell is 6’8”, built like a linebacker and easily ten years my senior. If he’s ever been tired, felt pain or sadness, I’ve never seen anything on his weathered handsome face but a warm...

Local Services

Blue Ribbon Fits Fredericksburg

Greg Hayes and family found and build local screen printing and embroidery Article and Photography by Brent Ryan Burgess We live in an era where discussions on careers are accompanied by terms such as fulfillment, destiny and happiness. For men especially, work life often involves a need to build something of lasting purpose and value. Greg Hayes originally sought that in construction, but wanting something more, he found his purpose in building Blue Ribbon Co., Fredericksburg’s premier screen...

Arts + Culture

Painting Big

Lee Casbeer paints still frames of a living story Article by Amy Tucker Before language, there were images, marks on stone, gestures across surfaces carrying meaning when words could not. In the work of muralist Lee Casbeer, that lineage persists as a living practice, his walls holding memory and asking a community to see itself, past and present, within a shared frame.    Casbeer’s murals unfold like cinematic stills, figures leaning into one another, gestures mid-action, light falling...