We had a great time today tooling around the Hill Country. My wife, Lori, and her mom (we lovingly refer to her as Ma-Ma) and myself jumped in the car for a spontaneous afternoon up north; which, for us, means anything north of Boerne. One of our stops included Becker Vineyards, about 14 miles east of Fredericksburg on Highway 290. Having seen their web site before departing, we were amazed at how beautiful the place was. The grounds were pristine, the architecture so inviting, and the staff so incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. Â After a fun tasting we opted for a glass of the Viognier, which we enjoyed out on the expansive porch. They have a B&B, too, and I can just imagine that it would be a peaceful stay.

We chose Becker out of the five vineyards on this stretch of 290 because I readily found that they were open on Sunday on their web site. Still, the site itself left a lot to be desired in terms of professionalism. How much more effective it would be to convey the feelings invoked when you first drive onto the estate.