Whole Foods Market has released its official announcement for the opening date of the second store location in San Antonio. It will be Sept. 18, at the Vineyard Shopping Center on Blanco Road.  The store will be about 37,000 square feet in size and will employ 150 team members.

The new store will offer shoppers the essential Whole Foods Market experience, with a variety of natural, local and organic foods in an environment to accommodate every member of the family and a diverse range of lifestyles.  The store will feature chef-prepared foods including some tried and true favorites like pizza, tacos and barbecue. The Vineyard location will also feature Bar Blanco, an in-store bar with beer and wine on tap.  In line with the company’s core value of caring about its communities and the environment, the new Whole Foods will offer complimentary electric vehicle charging stations and will have indoor and outdoor seating areas.

These days, the town of Fredericksburg and the surrounding Hill County area are known for producing some of Texas’ finest wines. The folks at Pedernales Brewing Co. are hoping to broaden that picture.

The brewery, which opened in March, has introduced four beers to the market so far, two in two different lines,  and a little something to please all tastes.

The Lobo line, with the wolf on its labels, includes:

• Lobo Texas Lager is billed as a 1910 Pre-Prohibition Lager and is made from a recipe that dates actually to 1907.
• Lobo Negro is a dark lager, or “dunkel,” which comes from a recipe that dates back to Germany in the 1950s.

The Classic line currently features:

• The India Pale Ale, which is made in the American style.
• The Hefe-Weizen, which is said to be unfiltered in the traditional German style (and is the only one of the four I haven’t tried).

All are made in keeping with traditional recipes, because one of the brewery’s founders, Lee Hereford, was looking for an old-fashioned beer that, when you finished your first, all you wanted was another.

So, he and his crew “are taking great recipes and we’re bringing them back,” says Hereford, who once owned a Hill Country winery called Wimberely Valley Wines. “We’re not trying to get out on the cutting edge with the weirdest beers of the decade.”

So, don’t expect a choc-van-straw porter or a brussels sprouts stout any time soon.

Yet making a century-old beer recipe work today is not as easy as it may seem. Brewmaster Peter McFarlane admits on the company’s website that he’s tinkered with the recipe for the Hefe-Weizen for several years.

There’s also a question of getting just the right Hill Country well water for the Texas Lager, the appropriate “dry malting” for the IPA and cold enough temperatures in the Texas heat for the dark lager.

The efforts have been worth it, based on a recent sampling. The Texas Lager was a pleasant, refreshing drink, smooth, but not so polished that it’s lost a cleansing bitter finish. The Lobo Negro managed to hit the right notes of cocoa and malt and was sweet enough to go nicely as a topping for Blue Bell’s vanilla ice cream.

My favorite, though, was the IPA with its hoppy bitterness mixed with a pleasant toffee-like sweetness and an herbal touch. It’s perfect for spicy foods or just something  bold to stand up to its layers of flavors. I had it with ribs at Tycoon Flats.

You can find Pedernales’ offerings at a variety of places around town, including the Alon H-E-B and Green Fields Market as well as Barriba Cantina, Chama Gaucha, the Friendly Spot and Myron’s Prime Steakhouse. You’ll also find it throughout the Hill Country; I saw it at the Silver K Cafe in Johnson City this past weekend. Click on the website above to find a full list of people selling this solid new addition to the burgeoning Texas beer scene.

Chris Cook and the team at Oro in the Emily Morgan Hotel, 705 E. Houston St., will showcase the wines of Wente Vineyards on Friday, Aug. 24.

The Califnoria winery is known for its Chardonnay clone as well as its lush reds. Winery spokesman Tom Campese will be on hand to discuss the wines.

The menu begins with pear, mango, pineapple and pico de gallo with a crisp tortilla and the 2000 Morning Fog Chardonnay, followed by Anise-scented Grilled Prime Filet with pickled beet and roasted corn plus the 2010 Livermore Valley The Spur.

A Pan-seared Diver Scallop with South Texas Kimchee and the 2011 Livermore Valley The Whip will be served before Coffee- and Clove-scented Australian Lamb Loin and the 2009 Charles Wetmore Cabernet Sauvignon. Dinner closes with Tahitian Vanilla Bean Streusel Apple and 2010 Riva Ranch Chardonnay.

The dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. with a reception and the meal at 7 p.m. The price is $69.95 a person plus tax and tip. Complimentary valet parking and discounted room rates available. Call (210) 225-5100 for reservations.