Grapevine, Texas: Good Taste Among the Grapes

Photos and article by Eleanor S. Morris

GRAPEVINE, Texas - Deep in the heart of Texas's grape country, where thenative Mustang grape thrives, the town of Grapevine more than lives up to its name. Not only are there six wineries producing fine wines from local grapes and offering tastings to visitors, Grapevine lays claim to throwing the largest wine festival in the whole Southwest.

Every year the GrapeFest is held in September in the town's Historic Main Street District. But if you can't make the celebration (more about it later), this charming town has more than grapes to offer. That the town has a heart is revealed by the War Memorial outside the old Grapevine Cotton Belt Railroad Depot. No cold stone monument this; 'tis a statue of a soldier returned from the wars, embracing his beloved. The Depot, part of the Grapevine Heritage Center, was built in 1901.

Now restored to its original appearance, it houses the Grapevine Historical Museum. You'll see exhibits such as dinosaur footprints, lifted from nearby Lake Grapevine. While in the center, visit the Grapevine Blacksmith Shop, the Bragg Tenant Farmer's House and the Section Foreman's House, with woodcarvers, quilters, and other artisans, show off their work. The Grapevine Farmer's Market there has home-grown fruits and vegetables for sale Wednesdays and Saturdays from May to November.

Stroll along the Historic Downtown District, where time turns back to small-town Texas with turn-of-the-century buildings. Grapevine has at least 75 restored historic buildings, all listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Heritage Walking Tour (brochure available at the Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau) will guide you to art galleries and antique shops, restaurants and tea rooms, as well as the Classic Revival architecture of the Tarrant County State Bank and other points of antique interest.

The tour makes a complete loop around the downtown area, so walkers can begin at any point along the map. You'll see things like the Grapevine Caboose, built in 1909 to served as the town's first jail. The Torian Log Cabin, pre-Civil War, is the oldest structure in Grapevine (moved to Liberty Park and reconstructed during the U. S. Bicentennial).

Stop for an old-fashioned chocolate soda or a shake perched atop a stool at the City Drug's soda fountain. (During the Depression milkshakes cost a nickel!) Down the street, the Palace Theater, circa 1940, now owned by the Grapevine Heritage Foundation, is restored as home to the performing arts, including the Grapevine Opry. Luminaries Willie Nelson and the Judds have performed here, and the show goes on with budding country and western stars. From the Depot you can take an 1896 steam train, the Tarantula, from Grapevine to the nearby Fort Worth historic Stockyards. The 21-mile ride lasts 75 minutes each way, and snacks and soft drinks are available on board. This town of about 30,000 people has a multitude of good places to eat. Jave Junction is a fun place for breakfast, lunch, desserts and coffee, and tearooms such as Simple Pleasures offer just that, a pleasant refreshment stop along the Heritage Walking Tour.

The GrapeFest, benefiting the Grapevine Heritage Foundation, welcomes more than 100,000 people to such goings-on as the Champagne Cork Shoot-Off. Competitors shake champagne bottles with wild abandon, hoping to break either state or world records. (Texas's current record is 128 feet, 5 inches; the world record is 177 feet, 9 inches.) No less abandoned is the GrapeStomp, with teams competing for the coveted Purple Foot Award. A Tennis Classic, a Vintage and
Classic Car Show, the Texas Wine Tribute Gala featuring awarding-winning Texas wines served with a five-course gala meal, and more--the festival goes on and on. But if you can't make the festival, come any time. In addition to the aforementioned attractions, Grapevine's six winery/tasting rooms are always a treat. Cap*Rock Winery is located right in the Historic Main Street District; Delaney Winery & Vineyards are on a ten-acre vineyard; Homestead Winery & Tasting Room is in a renovated cottage in the Historic District; La Buena Vida Vineyards are on College Street off Main; North Star Winery is near the Cotton Belt Depot.

As for La Bodega Winery & Tasting Room, if you fly into the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on your way to Grapevine (or anywhere else, for that matter), you can find them at Terminal A, Gate A15, as the first-ever winery tasting room located in a major U.S. airport.

For more information contact the Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau, One Liberty Plaza, Grapevine, TX 76051, 817/410-3185 and 800/457-6338. Fax: 817/410-3038; http://www.ci.grapevine.tx.us. Also the Grapevine Visitors Information Center, 701 S. Main, 817/424-0561 or 817/410- 8136.

Copyright Eleanor S. Morris