About Perspective Cellars

Hopefully, you’ll enjoy this labor of love that I have worked hard to bring to life.

Having worked hard for 20 years in a professional career in Austin, circumstances left us in an unplanned position to shift gears and change careers.  It was nearly 15 years ago, I stirred my passion for wine when a friend introduced me to The Traveling Vineyard.  As a wine consultant, I orchestrated in-home wine tasting parties for friends and their guests. Through the educational materials provided for the boutique wines we represented, I learned a great deal about wine and my interest grew with each tasting I provided.  I developed a knack for pairing food with wines, and this added an extra layer of intrigue to the parties.  At this same time, my husband, Benjy, began to expand his palate and his desire to learn about wine.  We began to spend much of our vacation time visiting wine regions around the country.  I even challenged myself by taking the test to be certified as a Sommelier in 2011.  I continued to provide wine tastings for my friends, but without any formal affiliation.  I even ventured into making wine at home, and am quite proud of the Montepulciano I bottled in my downtown Austin condo in 2014, which was still flavorful when opened in 2018.  To be honest, the Trebbiano I tried, did not hold up as well.

As life has thrown us a curve ball, we are making wine of grape juice and decided to move forward with my new business, focused on a passion we have cultivated over the years. Having spent many family weekends in Fredericksburg, this area felt the perfect place to plant our roots for the future.  I hope to engage wine enthusiasts who live in the area and are looking for an avenue to expand their wine knowledge.  The downtown location will also allow for easy access by tourists and downtown shoppers, and we will offer a high-end tasting experience for these visitors.  The added travel planning services can help wine enthusiasts around the country, even if they are not near the tasting room.  And not only will be plan intriguing trips for small groups that offer VIP experiences, but I can also tap into our contacts at wineries around the world and can align private travel for you.

This unique wine emersion experience with Perspective Cellars will entice any wine enthusiast.

The location of the tasting room is a well known historic home on Main Street.  247 E. Main Street, Fredericksburg, Texas is a typical early Fredericksburg home built in 1866 by Carl Basse. The home became the property of the Henke family in 1873. Heinrich Henke, an early settler of the area and a Confederate freighter, had a butcher counter on front porch of the home, with  meat processing done in back yard.  There the horses that pulled a meat vending cart were stabled.

A shop was later built on a foundation of stone walls surrounding the lot. Henke and his wife Dorothea (nee Weirich) added the long dining room and kitchen with sloped roof to accommodate their twelve children. Many of their furnishings are preserved by Udo Henke, a descendant. In a small room to the rear of the front bedroom, on Feb. 24, 1885, their daughter, Anna Henke Nimitz, gave birth to Chester William Nimitz, destined to command the greatest naval armada in history. A 1905 honor graduate of the U. S. Naval Academy, Nimitz was chief of staff to commander, Atlantic Submarine Fleet, W.W.I.  Nimitz was installed first naval ROTC unit in U. S. Navy, 1926; selected commander in chief Pacific Fleet after attack on Pearl Harbor; appointed fleet admiral, U. S. Navy, 1944. As representative of the U.S., he signed Japanese surrender documents on his flagship, USS Missouri, Sept. 2, 1945 in Tokoyo Bay.  Admiral Nimitz died in San Francisco on Feb. 20, 1966.

I am honored to be a part of preserving this historic home and hope the furnishings and care I give to the space will be appreciated not only by wine enthusiasts, but also by history buffs who want to visit this beautiful home.