Get ready for your next new favorite winery, brewery, distillery, dining, events center, and vacation resort destination right outside of downtown Fredericksburg. All-in-one gets it done with exceptional attention to all the details to help you plan your next exciting and tasty getaway or celebration with family and friends. Yes, it really is true. Dreams can come true, and you can find an option serving excellent crafted wines, beer, and spirits in the Hill Country to meet all your guests’ desires. Welcome to Arch Ray Resort. Born out of the vision and desire to provide what the local wine trail and growing area needs next, located at 4160 East Highway 290, Fredericksburg, Texas.
The resort is named in honor of the family members of Stephen and Sally Baxter. Both Archie and Ray represent their family names and also the middle names of their children. A beautiful nod to their legacy. Their newest addition is the Paul Bee distillery with their first bottles produced in September 2023. Those initial bottles were recently released and can be purchased at the resort. They currently offer bourbon, gin, and vodka along with a delightful menu of unique hand-crafted signature cocktails ranging from $16-$18.
As for their Ogle Brewery, they produce eight different beers currently all available onsite and in cans if you wish to come by and do a tasting of either their light or wild flights to try them before you decide which ones you want to take home with you. Those tastings are $10-$12 respectively. Cans have custom-made labels designed with artwork created uniquely for each type of beer.
The Arch Ray Winery produces white, rosé, red, and a sparkling option with flights of four pours from $20-$32. On the evening I visited, I enjoyed their stunning 2021 Pinot Grigio, 2019 Tannat, 2019 Sangiovese, and their 2019 Mourvèdre. They were each well-made and tasted amazing with the appetizers and dinner items sampled. Their estate vineyard is off property that is used for their wines and they also source fruit from the Texas High Plains. They seek to provide Texas wines exclusively as much as possible, depending on Mother Nature’s availability to cooperate during the growing season.
Their 1894 Ranch to Table has an inventive menu featuring items that pair nicely with an assortment of their beverage options and are also sourced locally as much as possible to continue to focus on highlighting the wonderful array of high-quality ingredients that Texas offers. For appetizers, their crispy Brussel sprouts, pizza slices, and Oysters Rockefeller were very satisfying. Their lettuce wraps and 1894 Wagyu-Angus burger with crispy fries were crave worthy and still have me desiring a repeat visit to enjoy again. There was an incredibly tasty seared redfish with mixed grilled vegetables and petite potatoes that rivaled a dish served in one of my favorite restaurants that was once in downtown Austin. For dessert, their soft chewy peanut butter cookie paired with Panna Cotta Macchiato was so utterly decadent. Wow! Their dining scene is so worthy of your time. I highly recommend you stop in and visit to sample the menu yourself and see.
Wagyu-Angus Burger
The tasting room is decorated in high end, comfortable furniture with a nod to the western esthetic without being too country. The space is expansive with very high ceilings and glass walls that allow one to enjoy both the beautiful sunsets to the west and lovely outdoor venue and courtyard space to the east. There are a couple of special event rooms that accommodate large groups wishing to book private celebrations at the resort and both have their own bars within the space. The resort also has an espresso bar in one of the event rooms featuring coffees supplied from local roasters.
If that is not enough, they have a gift shop featuring a number of items from hats, cups, T-shirts, and stickers with their various company and brand logos on them. In addition, there are carefully curated home goods and kitchen and food items to please everyone. They have sought to source local artisans for these items as well. Their prices are reasonable, the products are high quality, and worthy of being on your next holiday or special occasion shopping list.
Lastly, their decision to create a unique membership club allows patrons to sign up and select various membership levels ranging from $40 a month to $480 a year. They offer members the opportunity to receive a couple of tastings a month and the flexibility of also having the funds added to their membership account for them to decide how they wish to use it. Let’s take a moment and let that sink in. You are not required to take so many bottles of whatever, whenever they decide. You choose how you wish to use your membership, allowing you the ultimate flexibility to use this towards wine, spirits, brewery items, or dining. So, unlike anyone else currently in the area, you have maximum control over how you use your investment, and you reap the benefits of enjoying your membership how you like and the flexibility to constantly change things up among their various products and offerings. Sounds like one of the best deals around.
Maximum choice and variety of options while highlighting all things Texas sure does sound exactly like a fabulous destination resort. Their Arch Ray On the River features options for you to purchase your own RV Pad or B&B cabin spot conveniently on neighboring property to the main resort. Units are currently being sold and can be purchased as an investment and can likewise serve as your little piece of the Hill Country.
Outdoor Event Space
If you have not yet stopped in to visit, make plans to do so and let them know that Texas Wine Lover featured details that piqued your interest and desire to stop in and visit. I doubt you will be disappointed. The food is fabulous, the wine is wonderful, the beer is brilliant, and the spirits are sensational. Plus, if you are looking for an interesting way to celebrate the upcoming eclipse in April, they are planning a big event with the Goo Goo Dolls planning to entertain ticketed guests over the weekend prior to the eclipse. Plan your visit and feel free to make reservations ahead of time. You can find out more about them via their website www.archrayresort.com.