Grapevine is known for, and is named after, the wild mustang grapes that have grown there since before it was settled in 1844. This is a seminal piece of North Texas wine country, right in the Grape Vine Prairie region. In the ‘90s, the city revitalized its historic downtown and started to codify its place as a destination for wine lovers with an urban wine trail of tasting rooms. Main Street is also home to numerous restaurants, the impressively large Hotel Vin, and locally-owned shops. The spring season brings a fresh burst of energy to the town, with festivals, tastings, and outdoor events that showcase Grapevine at its most vibrant.
Spring is ushered in with a time-honored toast at the 34th Annual Spring Wine Trail and Blessing of the Wines & Vines, set for Saturday, April 11 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Historic Main Street. The day begins with a centuries-old blessing led by a priest, followed by the charmingly dubbed “smallest wine parade,” inviting visitors to sip, stroll, and celebrate the season.
The city also hosts Main Street Fest in the spring—this year it is 42 years strong and falls on the weekend of May 15-17. Visitors take to the city’s main thoroughfare for festival foods like corn dogs and funnel cakes, wine and beer tasting, live music on three stages, and a carnival. In the fall, it is home to Grapefest, which is the largest wine festival in the Southwest, with thousands of attendees. Grapevine is also the Christmas capital of Texas, and the city goes all out for the holidays.
Whether it’s your first visit or your 51st, here is a guide to a guaranteed good time in Grapevine.
WINE & DINE
Messina Hof Grapevine
This spot is the big guy in town, from the self-styled first family of wine in Texas who own the most-awarded winery in the state, with tasting room outposts also in College Station, Fredericksburg, and Houston. Its Grapevine location is inside the refurbished Wallis Hotel, with a tasting room that carries a vintage exclusive to the location, has a second-floor balcony for sipping and watching the world go by, and offers flights and tastings that can be hand-selected or come from a curated menu. 201 S. Main St., Grapevine, messinahof.com
Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza
If you haven’t experienced the ricotta-stuffed, star-shaped pizzas at Mister O1, with a fine glass of wine at its Grapevine location is a great place to start. The thin crust pizzas always thrill but for something a little fancier, put together a plate from the burrata bar, which has a selection of cheeses and meats served with rosemary focaccia. The wine list is completely Italian, which is actually unusual in Grapevine, where many local vintners source from within the state or the California coast for grapes.129 S. Main St. #155, Grapevine, mistero1.com
Tolbert’s
If you want to try the platonic ideal of Texas chili from the guy who invented the stuff, Frank X. Tolbert, then this is a must-stop. Tolbert founded the famous Terlingua Chili Cookoff in the ‘60s, which codified the red chili (no beans!) that the state is known for. His chili is still served today by his family at this Grapevine spot, and tastes great as a bowl or in Frito pie. The restaurant offers a full menu, in case you want more than chili, and regularly has live music. 423 S. Main St, Grapevine, tolbertsrestaurant.com
Cave Society
Located in the basement of Hotel Vin, this tasting room was once closed to the public and now offers a limited number of seats each night by reservation only. It offers a world-class tasting room with limited edition bottles and some of the highest rated wines in the world. If you fall in love, you can become a member to get a significant discount on bottles of wine and have your own wine locker. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and this is a fun place to dive in and learn about wine. A visit to Cave Society does require dressing up, and there is a no-photo policy. 215 E Dallas Rd, Grapevine, cavesocietytx.com
Weinstein’s Tasting Room
Found a little off the main drag, in the Old Main Street shopping center, this tasting room is more modern than many of the rustic spots on the historic wine trail. Its curated flights follow suit, offering interesting groupings not based on vineyard, but by vintage. Find yourself falling into a collection of “off the beaten path” reds or hopping on a flight of ports, which almost no one else in town offers. This is also the wine tasting spot to get an education on wine, far deeper and wider than most other places get into. 280 N. Main St., Grapevine, winesteinstastingroom.com
Beth Marie’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream
For a taste of North Texas ice cream, there’s nowhere like Beth Marie’s. The Grapevine location is the local chain’s newest, and the town has gladly welcomed its extensive—and sometimes wacky—flavor offerings. All the old timey flavors are on tap, along with a slew of offerings with silly names, like the dinosaur-themed Tar Pit (Swiss chocolate with brownie pieces and fudge swirl), Bees Nees (honey ice cream), and Salty Dog (caramel ice cream with a caramel and sea salt swirl). It’s a wholesome treat. 419 S. Main St., Grapevine, bethmaries.com
THINGS TO DO
Grape Vine Springs Winery Ghost Tours
It’s one of the smallest tasting rooms on the block, but it may just have the biggest personality. In addition to its fine selection of wines, offered by the glass or in flights, this is also the home of the Grapevine ghost tour of Main Street, which runs on Friday and Saturday nights, and starts with a complimentary glass of wine to prepare you for the big scares the city offers. There are also regular cooking classes, live music, bingo, and trivia nights. grapevinespringswinery.com
Walk the Urban Wine Trail
Can’t settle on just one wine tasting room in historic downtown Grapevine? Visit them all, over the course of a day. The Grapevine Convention and Visitors Bureau compiled a list of all the spots to hit on Main Street that can be dropped into a list and checked out. Give yourself several hours to complete it, and make sure to stop for food along the way. It includes other notable tasting rooms not listed individually in this guide, from Red Dirt Cellars to Landon Winery. Pro-tip: Texas grapes make an excellent Tempranillo blend, so when in doubt, order a glass of that. grapevinetexasusa.com/wine/urban-wine-trail
Grapevine Main Station
The biggest building on Main Street, which anchors the far end of historic downtown, is a massive reimagining of a train station. Enter through Harvest Hall, the food hall facing Main Street, and explore bites from a few favorite North Texas restaurants, including Dock Local and Brisket Rules. There are plenty of wines to enjoy on the massive outdoor patio. If you keep walking, you’ll see the Observation Tower up 150 feet in the air and eventually hit Hotel Vin. grapevinetexasusa.com/grapevine-main-station
Grapevine Vintage Railroad
The train is frequently parked for photo opps, but book a ticket to tour the Grape Vine Prairie via a 1920s-era train. There are options like the jazz wine train trip, where music and local wines come together, and a disco wine train where…well, you get it. In the fall, there’s a harvest wine train tour as well. grapevinetexasusa.com/gvrr
Grapevine Foodie & Wine Tour
Let some pros curate your trip through downtown Grapevine on the much-lauded foodie and winery tour. It includes stops at local barbecue and Tex-Mex spots, along with a variety of taprooms, and ends with dessert in Harvest Hall. It’s a delicious education on the area, and a solid way to hit the highlights with a big, chatty group and some experts on hand to tell you the fun historical facts. foodtoursofamerica.com/grapevine/grapevine-foodie-wine-tour
Make Your Own Wine Glass
Over at Vetro Glassblowers, there’s a stunning art gallery of blown glass pieces, and it offers visitors glassblowing classes — who needs to bring a wine glass when you can make your own? Or perhaps some jewelry or a vase is more your speed. You will have to put your glass of wine down while you do it, however. The gallery is open all the time, but glassblowing classes require a reservation. vetroartglass.com
