Charming Gruene, TX

Vanessa and I at the Gristmill

I lived and worked in Austin, TX for almost 6 years before deciding to move back to Florida and embark on the traveling physical therapist life.  In my time here I was able to go to several of the small towns and wineries surrounding the area in the hill country but never made it down to the town of Gruene (pronounced Green) located south of Austin between San Marcos and New Braunfels.  So when returning to Austin to visit friends and family, my amazing friend Vanessa and I decided to get out of town for a day and do a little wine tasting at some of the many wineries dotted around the area and ended up in the small, charming town of Gruene for the day. 

Gruene water tower

Our first stop was the winery, Winery on the Gruene, nestled right in the middle of the town and easy walking distance to all the attractions in the town.  They had one of the largest varieties of fruit wines that I have ever seen and seeing as I like my wines light and fruity, it was a perfect stop for me.  My two favorites were the seasonal Cranapple Chardonnay with a light crisp flavor and the super sweet Strawberry Riesling that makes you want to sit outside on the back patio and sip with a good friend over some good conversation.  My suitcase will be flying back a bit heavier with the bottles of wine I intend to tuck in there on the way home.

Just up the street from the winery is the famous Gruene Hall.  It is the oldest continually running dance hall in Texas and still draws some well known names to perform there including the Los Lonely Boys who were performing that evening and Lyle Lovett will be there in a couple of nights.  We ate at the Gristmill restaurant located just behind the hall, known for its big patio overlooking the river and beautiful trees draping along the sitting area.  The onion rings held true to the "Everything's bigger in Texas" idea and the cheeseburger was the perfect thing to enjoy sitting on a patio.  We lucked out with the weather as Texas can get very hot but the beginning of November was cloudy but comfortable and perfect for sitting outside.

 Oldest continually running dance hall in Texas

There are several little shops and an old general store in the town that are fun to walk through with many Texas and lake themed items to purchase.  Our final stop for the day was the Grapevine.  Another winery in town that lets you sample wines from several different Texas vineyard and has great outdoor seating with wine barrels as tables to enjoy your glass of wine and do a little people watching. 

I know charming is an often overused term to describe a town but at the same time it is the perfect word to describe the town of Gruene.  It's small town at its best and I am happy I finally got to spend an afternoon there.  Getting to spend it with a good friend who is always up for a new adventure and can tell what you are thinking with one look was definitely the cherry on top.