Famed Texas wine region is named No. 8 on Lonely Planet’s “Best in the U.S.” list and “unmissable in 2017.”
The Texas Hill Country’s wine region may not be as well-known as Napa Valley or Sonoma, but the small market has been generating a lot of buzz lately, grabbing the attention of Lonely Planet’s experts.
Every year, the Lonely Planet team searches out unique hidden gems. From sweeping mountain ranges and tropical coastlines to dazzling cities and popular nightlife, their lists comprise some of the most prestigious and most underrated places. This year, making “The Best in the U.S.” list at No. 8 is the Texas Hill Country and its ever-growing winery scene.
At the epicenter of the thriving wine scene is the historic Germanic enclave of Fredericksburg, where you can find some of the best varietals in America outside of the West Coast from more than 40 wineries and wine-tasting areas, a walkable urban wine trail, and more than a dozen wine-tour companies. Running between Fredericksburg and Johnson City is Wine Road 290, which Lonely Planet lauded for its “remarkable range of Malbecs, Cabernets and Tempranillos served up in state-of-the-art tasting rooms.”
“The scenic beauty and the big, starry skies of the Texas Hill Country have been a favorite of Texan travelers for decades,” says Ernie Loeffler, president and CEO of the Fredericksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau, in a press release. “Now the culinary hot spots, the museums and heritage sites, the nationally recognized art galleries, the upscale shopping, the burgeoning Texas wine industry and the live music scene of Fredericksburg are being discovered by visitors from across the U.S. and the world. We are delighted that Lonely Planet selected the Texas Hill Country as one of the top ten exciting places to visit in 2017 and look forward to extending our Texan hospitality to visitors!”