JeriLynne Clifford and her husband Scot moved to Fredericksburg in 2019 after a long season of raising six kids in Massachusetts.
“We loved the sun, German heritage, history and wine culture in Fredericksburg,” Clifford said.
The Cliffords decided to plant their roots here and continue exploring, sipping, tasting and cooking up new plans as residents in this little burg.
Cooking has always been an important familial event for Clifford, whose grandmother and aunt left an indelible impression on her growing up in a German and Southern Virginian household, merging different recipes.
In 2001, Clifford was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Her greatest fear was soothed by looking at her family’s recipes. “I was determined I was going to pass on my family recipes so that my children did not eat McDonalds every day,” Clifford said. “So, I began teaching them all how to cook.”
From meatballs to Dutch horns, Clifford found comfort in cooking with her children as it fulfilled a sense of purpose and control, at a time when she had none. Cooking, gathering and sharing moments with her family in the past, and during her battle with cancer, formulated a new adventure for the Cliffords in Fredericksburg.
“I wanted to write something that was a friend," Clifford said. "A kitchen companion - something that was helpful and not intimidating.” Meanwhile, her son, a Michelin star winning chef, cheered her along the way and her editor, Anna, pushed her to write a cookbook.
This was precisely her plan as she set out to enroll in cooking courses abroad and research all she could. This was the methodical map she used to complete her cookbook goal when tragedy struck yet again.
In 2023, while in Italy at a coveted cooking school, the Cliffords’ house was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. She lost everything, including her family recipes. With this tragedy, Clifford shared that coming home was sad but also remembered that her community was there to help them rebuild. “A rising tide lifts all ships,” is how Clifford relays it.
Her family soon moved into a small cabin without a kitchen while her home was rebuilt.
Despite these obstacles, JeriLynne did not give up on her dream of publishing and sharing her cookbook. Despite having no kitchen, she continued to find creative ways to achieve her goal. Her husband reminded her, “Cooking always gives back.”
As of 2025, JeriLynne, despite all of the challenges, has now published her first cookbook. “The Vineyard Table” was written as she relied on her community vintners, growers and wineries, and merged a lifetime of her own recipes. The most beautiful part of this story is the Cliffords found their home in Fredericksburg and are so grateful for those who supported them through the tragedies.
JeriLynne commented that not one winery said no to her request for involvement with her cookbook. “They all asked, ‘How can we help? Do you need a kitchen?,’” JeriLynne conveyed. “Not one winery asked what was in it for them.”
“The Vineyard Table” is a remarkable cookbook highlighting some of the best Texas Hill Country wines paired with lush recipes. The family food treasures pay homage to her heritage.
JeriLynne has created a kitchen companion indeed. It invites the readers into her practical and no-nonsense way of putting simple ingredients together to share with others. These are the building blocks for overcoming obstacles and hosting loved ones, truly the things JeriLynne values most in her life. She is honored to share these tips, tricks and wine pairings with her new readers.
“The Vineyard Table” is a remarkable cookbook highlighting some of the best Texas Hill Country wines paired with lush recipes. The family food treasures pay homage to her heritage.