The Vineyard at Florence: A Nearby Retreat from the 21st Century
By Fred Afflerbach | Photos by Fred Afflerbach and courtesy of The Vineyard at Florence
Your inbox is overflowing. Your iPhone is pinging nonstop. Interstate 35 is a parking lot. If this sounds like your daily routine, the antidote to another hectic workweek could be closer than you think. Unplug, unwind and uncork at The Vineyard at Florence, just a short detour off the freeway down a sleepy, back road. This 680-acre retreat is where the Texas Hill Country and Italian wine country meld into one serene landscape. With rows and rows of lush grapevines, a winery and a tasting room (built with 170-year-old reclaimed barn wood) and four guest cottages—The Vineyard welcomes visitors with open arms and cool, shady porches.
“This is like if Texas and Italy had a baby,” says Clarissa Sarino, as she and her husband, Roland, sip glasses of Lenoir. “We love the Italian vibe. When you’re out here, you can just escape from reality. Sometimes I come here by myself—I sit and have a glass of wine. Sometimes my husband knows I’m here, sometimes he doesn’t!” she laughs. “I come out here for a mental-health break. You can just check out for as long as you like.”
I visited The Vineyard on a warm June morning. After turning off Farm Road 487, I shut down my engine. The two loudest sounds I encounter? Songbirds and a riding mower. Then, the soft patter of footsteps. Two overnight guests jog by and disappear down the road. A man driving a pickup truck slows down to wave. After only a few minutes on site, I believe my blood pressure has already dropped a few points.
Inside the tasting room, I shared my first impression with sales manager Stacy Harris. She wasn’t surprised.
Apparently, this rural respite has infatuated many folks like me. “There is just a vibe about the property when you come up the driveway. It melts away the stresses of the city and day-to-day life,” Harris says. “It’s so easy to grab an Adirondack chair, put your feet up, sip a glass of wine and just enjoy the sounds of the birds. It’s so peaceful—it tends to slow your pulse without you even realizing it.”
Guest cottages at The Vineyard feature several floor plans, from 500- to 800-square-foot suites, and one with an outdoor shower. (A five-bedroom house is also available for rent.) All suites open to a covered back porch with views of the vineyard and beyond. No power lines, high-rise apartments or freeway overpasses interrupt your view of the big Texas sky. And speaking of the firmament, each room comes with a tablet that helps you identify various constellations. Harris explains that the stars out here are spectacular because there is little light pollution compared to the city.
Overnight guests can ride mountain bikes or hike a network of trails that circumnavigate the property. Harris says you can get as lost as you want without fear of being unable to find your way back. And when it’s too hot to go outside, you can work out in an air-conditioned gym or swim in a saltwater pool.
The interactive winery tour begins everyday at 3pm. Winemakers are happy to share as much technical information as you can absorb. The Vineyard at one time made wine from grapes only grown on site. But with such great choices produced by Texas vineyards in the High Plains, Harris says they now incorporate other varieties. Today, The Vineyard produces four different types of wine—Cabernet, Lenoir, Norton and Blanc du Bois—all available for sampling and purchase. And they also offer some specially selected wines from California.
Taking a farm-to-table approach, The Vineyard kitchen serves three meals a day, using as many locally grown ingredients as possible. Of special note is the pizza, with all ingredients and crust made on site, baked in an outdoor oven. Executive Sous-Chef Brenn uses a Tuscan and Italian approach with a little Texas style thrown in. If you visit this fall, you can check out their 16 new raised-bed garden plots overflowing with herbs and seasonal vegetables. “We try to take a green approach to everything we do,” Harris comments, “and that’s a big part of unplugging, relaxing and unwinding.”
The Vineyard accommodates wedding parties from 50 to 250 guests. So if, after the wedding, or your visit, you find that you don’t want to leave, you could make The Vineyard your permanent home. Large lots for building custom homes are for sale. And sometimes one of the existing residences pops up on the market. That’s one of the many unique features the vineyard offers, Harris says. “We’re the only vineyard in the state where you can come for the day, come for the night or stay for a lifetime.”
IF YOU GO
The Vineyard sits between Jarrell and Florence on FM 487. Children are welcome, but dogs may visit the courtyard during the day only. TheVineyardAtFlorence.com
