Lavender season is coming soon in the Texas Hill Country .

Becker Vineyards hosts its 15^th Annual Lavender Festival, April 27 and 28.

This favorite spring-season Hill Country event will feature speakers and vendors promoting lavender cooking education as well as herb-related products.  There will also be gardening tips, cooking demonstrations, wine tasting, and lavender luncheons.  Business hours are Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday, noon – 5 p.m.  The event is complimentary; parking is $5.

The event will offer plenty to eat, with  Stout Pizza and Clear River Pecan Company.  Choose gift items from more than 36 vendors selling lavender products, gardening related items and more.

The popular Lavender Luncheons will be cater on Saturday by Rails, A Café at The Depot in Kerrville.  The Sunday luncheon caterer is Alfred’s Catering, in Austin.

For menus to the Lavender Luncheons on Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28, go Becker Vineyard’s news and events page, and click under the events on the calender.

Both luncheons begin at 12:30 p.m. and are $65 plus tax, per person.  Reservations required; purchase those on-line at Becker Vineyards or call or 830-644-2681 x 230.

Culinary students from the Art Institute of San Antonio will conduct some of the lavender cooking demonstrations as will local chefs. (Note: Speaker presentations and cooking demonstrations are subject to change.)

Chris Perrenoud, lavender manager, creates and produces various lavender products which will be for sale to the public during the festival.  She makes beautiful lavender sachets, scented wands, lavender bundles, soaps, potpourris, lotions and more.

More information will be available over the next few weeks leading up to the festival.  Visit Becker Vineyards for more information on the upcoming Lavender Festival or call 830-644-2681 x 302.

The Hill Top Café and Becker Vineyards invite you to join them at a vintner dinner Sunday, January 27.  The four-course dinner, created by Hill Top chef Martin Hobson and  Brenda Nicholas, owner and culinary director, kicks off with a wine reception beginning at 5 p.m.  Johnny and Brenda Nicholas, Hill Top Café proprietors, and Dr. Richard and Bunny Becker, Becker Vineyards proprietors, will be present to meet and greet guests.

Hill Top Café, 10661 North US Hwy 87, Fredericksburg, Texas: $75 per person, plus tax and tip.  Seating is limited; please make reservations at the Hill Top Café:  830-997-8922. Directions:  Hill Top Café is north of Fredericksburg at 10661 North U.S. Hwy 87.

About Becker wines at Hill Top Vintner Dinner

While Becker Vineyards owns three different vineyards, they also purchase additional grapes from several grape growers.  Three of the five wines being served at the vintner dinner will include the Provencal (a dry rose’ made from Mourvedre), Reserve Merlot, and Raven (a blend of 75 percent Malbec and 25 percent Petit Verdot) are made with grapes grown by Drew and Laura Tallent of Tallent Vineyards in Mason, Texas.

The Hill Top Cafe presents the following dinner, prepared around the Becker wines that will be served that night.

Reception

Becker Vineyards Provencal 2012

Appetizer

Heart of Winter Roasted Vegetables Bisque

Parsnip, Turnip and Carrots caramelized with a dry Sherry and topped with Chives.

Becker Vineyards Viognier 2012

Salad

Warm Crab Louie Salad

Served over grilled Belgian Endive and Avocado Slices.

Becker Vineyards Raven 2010

Entrée 

Niman Ranch Pork Tender Short Loin Wellington

Topped with Duck Liver Pate baked en Croute with Bearnaise Sauce and Brown Butter Asparagus and served with Roasted Red Potatoes and Julienned Winter Vegetables.

Becker Vineyards Reserve Merlot 2011

Dessert 

Heavenly Dark Chocolate-Hazelnut Mousse, Crème Anglaise and Raspberries

Becker Vineyards Riesling 2012

Big orange pumpkins mean fall is here.

If launching pumpkins into the air using a medieval weapon of war sounds like fun, then Becker Vineyards is where you’ll want to be next weekend.

This is the second annual Pumpkin Chunkin,’ which will take place at Becker Vineyards, near Stonewall, starting at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 10.

There is no entry charge; food and music are also on the bill.

From 1 p.m. – 4 p.m., Doug Moreland will play music near the winery veranda and continue launching pumpkins between songs.  Originally from the mountains of west Texas, Moreland settled down in Austin at the turn of the millennium as a fiddler, songwriter, and woodcarver.  In January 2012, he released “The Flying Armadillos,” the eighth of his independent albums.

Moreland received a Will Rogers Cowboy Award for Western Music Male Performer of the Year from the Academy of Western Artists. He received an Entertainer of the Year award from the Texas Music Awards. Doug also appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno with his former companion Holly-peño, a black and white McNab dog.  For more information, please visit here.

In addition to being the featured musician at this event, Moreland built the trebuchet being used for Pumpkin Chunkin’.

This is a miniature trebuchet, built for the desktop – but you get the picture.

A trebuchet is a type of catapult that works by using the energy of a raised counterweight to throw the projectile. Initially, the sling, which has a pouch containing the projectile, is placed in a trough below the axle, which supports the beam. Upon releasing the trigger, the sling and the beam swing around toward the vertical position, where one end of the sling releases, opening the pouch and propelling the projectile towards the target.

The trebuchet did not become obsolete until the 15th century, well after the introduction of gunpowder, which appeared in Europe in second half of 13th century

Stout Pizza is the food concession for Saturday’s event.  Artisan cheeses, sausages, and gourmet crackers will also be for sale.

Pumpkin Chunkin’ is a complimentary event; no reservations are required.  And there is no cover charge to hear Doug Moreland and The Flying Armadillos.

Becker Vineyards is located 11 miles east of Fredericksburg off U.S. Highway 290 at Jenschke Lane.  For more information contact 830-644-2681.

Rosés of all hues.

STONEWALL — Things were pretty in pink Saturday as Becker Vineyards hosted its annual Rambling Rosé panel.

The two sold-out sessions, sponsored by Culinaria, featured a half-dozen rosés from France, Texas and California that the panelists tasted blindly while discussing the wines and their fondness for rosé with those in attendance.

The growing popularity of rosé could be seen by the number of attendees who admitted that they had bottles of the summertime favorite at home. Several years ago, very few raised their hands when asked if they drank rosé; this year, more than a dozen hands shot into the air at the same question.

What’s the appeal?

In Texas, the eternal summer with days topping 100 for great stretches is a starter. As Richard Becker told the gathering, rosé is one of the two wines that the French served iced down (Champagne is the other). That means, dry, icy rosé is a great way to chill out.

Richard Becker inspects recently harvested grapes.

It’s also a great food wine, whether you’re serving seafood, a steak or roast chicken. As moderator Steven Krueger, sommelier for the Westin La Cantera, pointed out, it’s the perfect Thanksgiving wine, because it is so versatile.

This was brought home by a lamb dish with a spicy mustard, micro herbs and deconstructed peas and carrots, all prepared by chef John Brand of Las Canarias and Ostra.

Of the rosés sampled, four were from France, including the brightly acidic Jean-Luc Colombo Cape Bleue Rosé, the subtle Whispering Angel from Chateau d’Esclans, the Syrah-based Sybel from Yves Cuilleron, and the grenache-based Le Poussin. California was the home of the “deeper rosé “(meaning almost red) from IM, or Isabel Mondavi, which had a touch of residual sugar.

The fresh and vibrant Becker Vineyards Provençal ably demonstrated what Texas can bring to rosé.

Among the other panelists were Woody de Luna of Vintages 2.0, artist and wine lover Harold Wood, Becker Vineyards’ new winemaker Jonathan Leahy and myself.

Chef John Brand (left) and sous chef Gene Moss.

And the message of it all: Go out and grab a rosé. Find out for yourself why this is such a rewarding, refreshing wine.

Visitors to the winery, and they were out in throngs Saturday, also got to see the grapes come in as harvest time is underway. The volume is much greater this year than last year, when the drought affected vineyards across the state. But this a similarity between the two harvests: Last year’s grapes had concentrated flavor, and so do this year’s grapes, Becker said.

Richard and Bunny Becker are also putting the finishing touches on a new private tasting area that’s underneath the main tasting room. The former barrel room has a lengthy table for tastings or dinners. There’s also an area that houses a library of the winery’s age-worthy wines, a few of which date back to the winery’s early days.

The winery started 20 years ago, as one of the Beckers’ sons, Joe, said. He was on hand to offer a few stories of how his mother and he planted the first vineyards around the property back in 1992, though the first wine wasn’t bottled for another three years.

Now the winery bottles more than 100,000 cases a year in a variety of styles, such as Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as grapes relatively new to Texas, including Barbera and Tempranillo.

Workers feed grapes into the crusher destemmer.

Rambling Rosé

In the hottest part of the summer, Culinaria reminds you that a perfect summer wine, especially for Texas’ spicy food, is a great, dry rosé. Rambling Rosé will again be hosted by Becker Vineyards, Saturday, Aug. 11. You’ll participate in a blind tasting of a varied selection of rosés along with a panel who will lead the discussion on the quality of the wines and palate of flavors.

Chef John Brand of Las Canarias at the Omni La Mansion del Rio Hotel and Ostra at Mokara will provide tastes of food that goes well with a cool glass of rosé to complete the day.

There are two sessions: 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The cost is $25 per person. Click here to make your reservations. Becker Vineyards is off Highway 290, near Stonewall, on Jenschke Lane.

Culinaria’s Restaurant Week, Aug. 18-25

Get ready for a week of culinary adventure and exploration! Enjoy a wonderfully crafted, specially priced three-course meal for $15 at lunch or $35 at dinner.

Keep informed by following Culinaria on Twitter @culinariasa, for updates. SavorSA, @mysavorsa will also be tweeting updates as we receive them. Restaurant Week reservations are not required; however making them is a good idea. Make your reservations by calling the participating restaurants.

 Check in frequently at culinariasa.org to view the list of participating locations.

Nairn harvester thrashes its way through the Sauvignon Blanc grapevines at this year’s harvest at Becker Vineyards. (Photo Courtesy Becker Vineyards)

By Nichole Bendele

Becker Vineyards’ general manager says this should be a year of good harvest.

“This year the yields are up.  The vines are loaded with grapes,” said Bret Perreoud, general manager, about this season’s grape harvest. “We are predicted to harvest about 1,000 tons of grapes … similar to 2010.”

Last year Texas encountered a drought year.  Grape tonnage was down across the state not because of lack of watering, but instead from factors like triple-digit numbers for 86 days, birds, raccoons and dust storms.

“Because of drought conditions, there wasn’t enough vegetation to hold the dirt down in the Texas High Plains. Some of the grape growers experienced fierce dust storms which basically sand blasted the grapes off the vines, said Perrenoud.

“Monday morning (July 9) we harvested 3 ½ tons of Sauvignon Blanc from the vineyard in front of the winery,” said Perrenoud.  “But we will officially begin full harvest either July 15 or 16.”

The popular tasting room/gift shop in full swing, at Becker Vineyards

Meanwhile, a new winemaker has joined Becker, while the former consulting winemaker, Russ Smith, has headed for exciting new challenges in Spain.

Smith worked the past 13 years at Becker Vineyards. He recently purchased a vineyard in Spain. The six-acre property is in the Montsant District, about a half-mile from the Priorat region and has 40- and 60-year old Carignan vines.  He will be growing grapes and making wine under his name. He and his wife, Susan, plan to divide their time between Spain and Texas.

Jonathan Leahy joined the Becker Vineyards team last month as winemaker.  Leahy hails from California where he was winemaker at Terroir Napa Valley in St. Helena – a 95,000-case production winery – as well as a consulting winemaker at Inspiration Vineyards in Santa Rosa, CA.

Although Leahy is a native Californian, his family is from Texas.  He has relatives in  Grapevine, Flower Mound, and San Antonio.  His father was in the Air Force, stationed in San Antonio and then transferred to March Air Force Base in Riverside, Calif. where Jonathan was born.

He is excited to be closer to family and to make wine in Texas.  He has been impressed with both the quality of the grapes and as well as the wines in Texas.

The Leahy and Becker team will also be working with the two other vineyards, one in Ballinger and one in Mason, that seem promising this year. The Ballinger vineyard was purchased in 1997; Jesse Pena is the vineyard manager there. “This vineyard has some of the oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vines in the state – 30 years old,” said Perrenoud.

“There is extraordinary fruit across the state of Texas,” says Leahy. I tried some great (Texas) wines and then visited the grape growers. They take great care in growing the grapes and are fastidious about their grape culture. It solidified the wine I had tasted in the glass,” he said.  “Texas is poised — a grand boom is about to take place.”

The Mason vineyard was purchased from Beverly Cartwright in February 2011.  Perrenoud mentioned the 12-acre vineyard produces some of the limited production wines only available in the Becker Vineyards tasting room, including the Pinot Grigio, Barbera, Zinfandel, and Albarino.  Clay McCrea, Vineyard Manager (of the Mason vineyard), said, “The Pinot Grigio grapes are ripening up.  We will be about two weeks early for harvest also.”

Becker Vineyards is open 7 days a week, Monday thru Thursday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., and Sunday, Noon – 6 p.m.  For more information visit www.beckervineyards.com or info@beckerwines.com.

Nichole Bendele is Becker public relations director and tasting room coordinator.

One of the Texas Hill Country’s pioneering wineries, Becker Vineyards, has won two gold medals and a silver in the Fifth Annual American Fine Wine Competition.

The winery, located east of Fredericksburg off U.S. Highway 90, won a gold medal with its Chardonnay Reserve Hidden House 2010 and a gold medal for the its Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Canada Family 2009.

The silver medal winner was the Becker Claret 2009, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Malbec.

The American Fine Wine Competition recognizes wineries who grow their grapes in American soil.  AFWC personally invites each participant to be judged by a panel of sommeliers, restaurateurs, wine educators, wine buyers, and wine writers.

“Any medal earned is well deserved and reflects a wine of excellence,” said Shari Gherman, president of AFWC, and Monty Preiser, chief judge. The competition was held earlier this year, and the AFWC gala, which presented wines from the competition, was April 19.

For a complete list of results from this competition, visit the website.

Becker Vineyards is located 11 miles east of Fredericksburg and 3 miles west of Stonewall, off US Hwy 290 at Jenschke Lane.  Business hours are Monday thru Thursday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; and Sunday, Noon – 6 p.m.  Contact:  830-644-2681 or www.beckervineyards.com.

Pair Texas wines with local foods.

The third annual Hill Country Wine & Music Festival, a celebration of Texas wine, music and food that benefits the Texas Center for Wine and Culinary Arts in Fredericksburg, will be held April 26-28.

The three-day festival is held at Wildseed Farms on Highway 290 just east of Fredericksburg.

The event kicks off on Thursday, April 26, with a Texas vintners dinner at the Cabaret Grill.

Friday, April 27, brings an evening of Texas food and wine pairings with authors Terry Thompson-Anderson and Russ Kane, who will be signing copies of their latest books. The cost is $100 a person and includes both books.

Saturday festival highlights include tastings from Torre di Pietra Vineyards, Grape Creek Vineyard, Becker Vineyards, Texas Hills Vineyards, Fall Creek Vineyards, Chisholm Trail Winery, Fredericksburg Winery, Cap Rock Winery, Messina Hof Winery and Sandstone Cellars.

Food artisans and restaurants include CKC Farms, Dos Lunas Cheese, Texas Olive Ranch, Texas Hill Country Olive Company, New Bread Rising, Lick Ice Creams, Zhi Tea, Edis Chocolates, Kerbey Lane Cafe and Navajo Grill.

Music by Trevor La Bonte, John Arthur Martinez and Joel Guzman, Almost Patsy Cline Band and Thomas Michael Riley.

For more information on the festival, click here.

Who can resist bluebonnets?

The bluebonnets are gorgeous this year, thanks to the rain. And the wineries throughout the Hill Country are waiting for you to show up and celebrate. Here are a few events being planned that allow you to mix wine and wildflowers.

The three B’s

The second annual Bluegrass, Bluebonnets and Barbecue at Becker Vineyards takes place March 17-18.

The Wood Street Bloodhounds will play music from 1 to 4 p.m. Riley’s Custom Catering will offer barbecue from noon to 5 or until it is sold out. You can get at two-meat plate with two sides for $12.50 or a barbecue sandwich and chips for $7.50.

The vineyard is located off Jenschke Road in Stonewall. Saturday hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday is noon-6 p.m. Visit www.beckervineyards.com or call (830) 644-2681, ext. 302.

Wine and wildflowers, a perfect pair.

Head to the Hills

The Wine & Wildflower Trail through the Hill Country will be April 13-22 and will feature 33 wineries this year.

Tickets cost $40 per couple and $25 per person. Tickets include:

• 1-3 complimentary tastes of wine at each winery
• 15 percent discount on 3 bottle purchases at each winery
• One bluebonnet gift bag per ticket
• One rain gauge per ticket
• One wildflower seed packet per ticket

For a list of participating wineries and more information, click here.

WOW’s wildflowers

The Way Out Wineries, those in the more northern part of the Hill Country, in towns such as Lampasas and Comanche, will celebrate the wildflower season April 13-15. For tickets and participating wineries, click here.

The hustle of the holiday season is over, but that doesn’t mean you have to stay home. Several Hill Country wineries are offering events to tempt your taste buds.

Jazz at Chisholm Trail

Chisholm Trail Winery,  2367 Usener Road, Fredericksburg, is offering two events in January.  On Jan. 14, the winery will hold its annual Jazz in January event. The George Eychner Quartet will perform from 2 to 5 p.m. Listen to the smooth jazz while having some wine and lunch from the winery’s restaurant, the Oval Oven, featuring wood-fired gourmet pizza.

On Jan. 21, Chisholm Trail will be part of the Wine Road 290 Port and Pairings Event. Complimentary samples of Bourbon Orange Pecan Pie from the Fredericksburg Pie Company will be paired with the winery’s Port-style dessert wine, Almagres. The Oval Oven will also be open during normal winery hours.

For more information on Chisholm Trail, click here or call 830-990-2675. For more on the Wine Road 290 schedule, click here.

Winery U at Dry Comal Creek

The fourth annual Winery U at Dry Comal Creek Vineyards, 1741 Herbelin Road, New Braunfels, begins Jan. 14.

Sessions are held once a month on Saturday mornings, with each class focusing on a different aspect of wine “in as non-pretentious a way as allowed by law,” says instructor David King, who holds the Certified Specialist of Wine certificate from the Society of Wine Educators.  “We keep it fun and entertaining, because when you come right down to it, wine should be fun and entertaining. I talk for a while, and then we taste wine. Or in the case of the Food and Wine Pairings class, I talk very little and we eat and drink at lot.”

Here’s the lineup for the 2012 classes, subject to the water rising in the Dry Comal Creek:

• Jan. 14: Introduction to Wine
• Feb. 11: Texas Wines
• March 13: Decoding the Wine Label
• April 7: Growing Grapes and Making Wine
• May 19: Wines of France
• June 9: The Black Spanish Grape
• July 21: Sensory Evaluation
• Aug. 18: Wines of Spain and Italy
• Sept. 15: Sauvignon Blanc
• Oct. 20: Food and Wine Pairings
• Nov. 10: Wines of the Southern Hemisphere
• Dec. 8: Cabernet Sauvignon

Classes are $30 each, or $25 if four or more are purchased at once. For information and registration, click here.

Hill Top hosts Becker dinner

Hill Top Cafe, 10661 U.S. Highway 87, Fredericksburg, is hosting Richard and Bunny Becker at a dinner featuring a collection of Becker Vineyards wines from the Tallent vineyard and from Mason County. The dinner begins at 5 p.m. Jan. 29.

Reception wines include the 2011 Provençal and 2010 Reserve Grenache, followed by a first course of  Moroccan Red Lentil and Lamb Bessara with the 2010 Raven. Winter Salad with Bartlett Pears, Prosciutto and Fresh Texas Goat Cheese will be paired with the 2010 Albariño, followed by  Steamed Gulf Prawns with Sweet Ginger, Curry and Scallions and the 2011 Pinot Grigio.  Braised Texas Dry-aged Beef Short Ribs in Puff Pastry with Winter Vegetables and the 2009 Raven will be served before a dessert of El Rey Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Cake with Chantilly Cream and Becker Vineyards’ 2010 Vintage Port.

The cost is $75 a person plus tax and tip. Call 830-997-8922 or email reservation@hilltopcafe.com.