Grapevine may be known as the Christmas Capital of Texas from the end of November through December, but for the rest of the year, it makes a strong case for being the wine capital of Dallas-Fort Worth. And this year, the city is celebrating four decades of hosting the largest wine festival in the Southwest.
GrapeFest returns for its 40th anniversary September 17-20, taking over Historic Main Street with plenty of pours, longtime traditions, and a few new experiences to mark the milestone.
“There’s always something new to discover at GrapeFest and with the milestone 40th festival, there’s no exception,” says GrapeFest co-chair Sue Wykes.
Sue and her husband, Mark, are co-chairing the festival’s ruby anniversary after nearly a decade of volunteering in Grapevine. This year’s theme, “Connecting Wine Traditions,” looks beyond Texas, celebrating the global craft of winemaking while highlighting Grapevine’s continued growth as a wine destination.
It’s quite a leap from the first GrapeFest, held in 1987 with just 700 people in attendance. The festival has since grown into a wine-soaked extravaganza welcoming more than 225,000 attendees to Historic Main Street and showcasing hundreds of wines.
A Taste of Wine History
One of this year’s biggest additions reaches back to a pivotal moment in wine history. The Judgement of Paris is GrapeFest’s spin on the historic 1976 blind tasting in which California wines prevailed over their French counterparts. The stunning results became a cornerstone of wine lore, helping overturn the assumption that only Europe could produce world-class wine.
“We’re featuring Napa and French wines in honor of the 50th anniversary of the blind tasting in Paris that shocked the wine world, and at GrapeFest, you’ll be able to taste and see which ones are your favorites,” Sue says.
GrapeFest will put its own twist on the showdown with a blind tasting featuring wines from France, Napa Valley, and Grapevine’s sister cities.
The People’s Choice Wine Tasting Classic gives attendees another seat at the judging table, this time with a 21st-century tech upgrade and a showcase of Texas’ ever-growing wine industry.
“The People’s Choice Wine Tasting Classic is a signature event, and this year we have many new Texas wineries competing. In fact, there will be 42 Texas wineries serving up 150 wines,” Mark says. “At the end of the tasting sessions, you vote for your favorites, and for the first time ever, we’ll have electronic voting, so make sure your phone is charged!”
Participants can choose from 10 ticketed, 90-minute tasting sessions throughout the festival, with the winner announced Sunday at 5 p.m.
All Feet on Deck
Of course, not everything at GrapeFest requires a wine glass. The GrapeStomp may be the festival’s most hands—or rather, feet-on—tradition. The practice dates back centuries, when human feet were used to crush grapes, splitting their skins without damaging the seeds. For four days, GrapeFest turns that old-school winemaking technique into a friendly competition.
Two-person teams stomp 15 pounds of grapes for two minutes, with the winners advancing to compete for the Purple Foot Award in Sunday afternoon’s Grand Champion StompOff.
Another tradition with roots overseas, the Florence Door, returns to the Champagne Terrace. Guests can knock on a small wooden door and receive a glass of bubbly, an experience inspired by Florence’s centuries-old buchette del vino, or wine windows, once used to sell wine directly to passersby.
Beyond the wine-centric attractions, GrapeFest fills Historic Main Street with the trappings of a full-fledged street festival, including fair-style foods, live music across four stages, shopping, a Kidzone, carnival, and midway.
Wine, With a Pour of Education
For anyone interested in learning a little more about what’s in the glass, GrapeFest’s wine seminars offer a deeper dive. This year’s lineup includes the $15 Barossa Premium Wine Experience and Master Class, a $15 Around the World in 60 Minutes with Cabernet Sauvignon session, and a $25 Sauvignon Blanc edition.
There’s even an opportunity to take the tasting off Main Street. On Thursday only, the Grapevine Vintage Railroad hosts the 21-and-up Harvest Wine Train, pairing a train ride with Texas wine tastings. Tickets are sold separately online.
GrapeFest begins at 11 a.m. daily and runs until 10 p.m. Thursday, 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free Thursday and Friday until 5 p.m. After that, tickets are available online for $12 for adults and $6 for seniors and children. A $25 Weekend Pass Pin includes admission all weekend, and children 5 and younger are admitted free.
“We’re celebrating connecting wine traditions, one glass at a time, at this year’s milestone event, and we invite everyone to come out and enjoy some of our favorite GrapeFest traditions, and create some new ones of your own,” Mark says.
Four decades in, GrapeFest has grown considerably from its 700-person debut, but its central premise remains refreshingly simple: taste some wine, learn something along the way, and have a little fun doing it. Whether you’re a longtime festival regular or a first-time sipper, consider this an invitation to raise a glass to 40 years—and perhaps discover a new favorite pour along the way.
GrapeFest, September 17-20, grapevinetexasusa.com/grapefest
