A new wine pairing, of sorts, is in the works in the Texas Hill Country, as husband-and-wife investors are coupling their newly purchased vineyard with a new wedding venue currently under development.
Randy and Carroll Jones purchased the Torre Di Pietra winery and vineyard along U.S. Highway 290 West for $3.8 million from Ken and Jenise Maxwell. Maranda Mobley of Coldwell Banker United Realtors in Austin represented the Joneses in the deal.
The 50-acre property, about 10 miles southeast of Fredericksburg, features a vineyard, tasting room, gift shop, and outdoor pavilion. The couple plans to cultivate about half the total acreage with new vines, which would bring the size of the vineyard to about 50 acres.
“Fredericksburg is well-known for its incredible vineyards, and I saw a great opportunity with the Torre Di Pietra to redevelop and enhance the property,” Randy Jones tells CultureMap.
The winery and vineyard, which will be rebranded as The Cork Haus, will complement a wedding venue that’s set to open in four months along Pfiester Road about six miles southwest of Fredericksburg. The Joneses have invested millions of dollars to transform the property into a rustic complex for wedding receptions.
The Joneses bought the 208-acre La Bonne Vie Ranch in May 2017 with the goal of creating “the best wedding venue in town.” Highlights of the property include a 16-bedroom lodge, seven one-bedroom cabins, an outdoor courtyard, and a library. A home dating back to the 1800s also is on the site. It’s about a 15-minute drive between the winery and wedding venue.
Perhaps the most significant upgrade at the soon-to-be space is a custom-built barn constructed by local artisans to accommodate more than 300 people for wedding receptions.
As the icing on the wedding cake, the Joneses will be making available several of their vintage cars for newlyweds to head off on their honeymoons.
The Cork Haus will join a roster of nearly 60 wedding and reception venues in the Fredericksburg area that are listed on Fredericksburg’s tourism website. According to The Wedding Report, the average wedding in the Fredericksburg area cost $23,400 in 2017.
The wedding business is so big in Fredericksburg and surrounding communities that the Fredericksburg Municipal Court even maintains a webpage dedicated to weddings. For fees running from $50 to $250, Municipal Court judges will officiate at weddings in the area, including ceremonies in nearby Luckenbach and at Enchanted Rock.
Fredericksburg’s tourism website also includes a section devoted to weddings.
“Behind the charming B&Bs, one-of-a-kind boutiques, awe-inspiring scenery, and laid-back charm of Fredericksburg and Gillespie County, you’ll find the ingredients to create the unforgettable, elegant, and romantic storybook wedding you’ve always dreamed of,” the tourism website says.
There are nearly 60 wedding venues in Fredericksburg.
