Largest Wine Festival in the Southwest U.S. – September 16, 17, 18 and 19 – Highlights Wines from Texas, South Australia’s Barossa Valley and California’s Napa Valley
GRAPEVINE, TEXAS (UPDATED September 3, 2021) – Celebrate wine at the 35th Annual GrapeFest – A Texas Wine Experience, presented by Bank of the West, September 16, 17, 18 and 19. Visit the Liberty Park Plaza to experience a “Taste of Two Valleys” with unique and exquisite wines from South Australia’s Barossa Valley and California’s Napa Valley, sponsored by Gaylord Texan. Enjoy live music during this one-of-a-kind, separate ticketed event.
Explore the wines of South Australia’s Barossa Valley which is home to more than 500 grape growing families, many with the sixth generation still working the same plot of land as their ancestors. These families supply quality grapes to over 170 wine companies. Wine has been a way of life in Barossa since the 1840s, and the region incorporates both Barossa Valley and Eden Valley, making it one of the only areas in Australia to have neighboring warm and cool climate growing conditions. With such a diversity of growing conditions and soil types across both valleys, and vineyards that have been tended by hand for many generations. GrapeFest guests will be certain to find a favorite Barossa Valley wine at this year’s event. Participating wineries from South Australia’s Barossa Valley include Yalumba, Chateau Tanunda, Torbreck Vitners, Langmeil Winery and Heathvale Wines.
Mark Rashap, Certified Wine Educator (CWE) and Regional Sales Manager for Broadbent Selections, has worked in practically every sector of the wine industry and will be one of GrapeFest’s authorities on South Australia’s Barossa Valley wines. He has studied wine business in Argentina, winemaking and brokering wine in Washington State and has been trained through the Barossa Wine School’s wine education program. He has gained national experience in wine training with The Society of Wine Educators. He keeps his finger on the pulse of the international wine scene and finds teaching the curious and thirsty public to be a gratifying aspect of working in the wine industry. He is continuously writing, giving classes and webinars, as well as sharing information on his podcast, “Another Bottle Down,” aired on KOOP 97.1 in his hometown of Austin, Texas.
Wine expert Walden Pemantle, Manager of the Texas Wine School, will also be talking about South Australia’s Barossa Valley wines as well as wines from California’s Napa Valley region and Texas wines. His passion for wines began in the kitchens of Philadelphia and continued to flourish in Houston, Texas, where he taught a 15-week wine basics course while attending Rice University. Pemantle also studied in Rutgers University’s food science department to learn about the microbiology of cheese and wine. He has passed the Wine and Spirits Education Trust’s Advanced level certification with distinction, the Italian Wine Scholar program with highest honors and the Certified Sommelier exam with the Court of Master Sommeliers.
The wines of California’s Napa Valley will also be offered at the Liberty Park Plaza “Taste of Two Valleys” wine experience. Known for its hundreds of hillside vineyards, Napa Valley is home to more than 475 wineries and more than 40 different grape varieties. At only 30 miles long and five miles wide at its widest point, the Napa Valley is a unique winegrowing region with a complex tapestry of vineyard locations. The valley’s topography and soil diversity changes as you travel through its diverse terrain which ranges from estuarine flats and gentle hills to the sheer walls of the Palisades at the foot of Mount St. Helena to the forested Mayacamas Mountains. Due to its unique geographic position between the cold Pacific Ocean and the warm Central Valley, a wide variety of climatic conditions exist within this small, contiguous area that are perfectly suited to producing a great variety of world-class wine grapes. Its unique attributes mean distinctiveness in every glass. Participating California Napa Valley wineries include Bootleg, Trefethen, The Hess Collection, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and Kerr Cellars.
Wine aficionado Kelli Kuehne from Kerr Cellars will be on hand to share information and educate visitors about their wide variety of wines.
South Australia’s Barossa Valley Wines Include:
- Yalumba – Y Series Cabernet Sauvignon
- Yalumba – Y Series Viognier
- Chateau Tanunda – Triathlon Red Blend (Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot) (2019) • Chateau Tanunda – Grand Barossa Shiraz (2019)
- Torbreck Vintners – Woodcutter’s Shiraz (2019)
- Torbreck Vintners – Cuvée Juveniles (Grenache, Shiraz, Mataro) (2018)
- Langmeil – Spring Fever Chardonnay (2019)
- Langmeil – Three Gardens SMG (Shiraz, Mataro, Shiraz) (2017)
- Heathvale Vineyard – ‘The Encounter’ Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon (2018)
- Heathvale Vineyard – ‘The Reward’ Barossa Shiraz (2018)
- Elderton Wines – Cabernet
- Elderton Wines – E Series Shiraz Cabernet
California Napa Valley Wines Include:
- Kerr Cellars – Curvature Cabernet Sauvignon (2017)
- Rombauer Vineyards – Rombauer Sauvignon Blanc (2020)
- Chateau Montelena – Estate Zinfandel (2018)
- Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars – KARIA Chardonnay (2019)
- The Hess Collection – Napa Valley Allomi Cabernet Sauvignon (2018)
- The Hess Collection – Napa Valley Chardonnay (2018)
- Trefethen – Dry Riesling (2020)
- Freemark Abbey – Napa Valley Merlot (2017)
- Freemark Abbey – Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc (2020)
- Bootleg – Red Blend (Merlot, Petit Sirah, Syrah) (2016)
ABOUT GRAPEFEST – TEXAS WINE. COME AND TASTE IT!
GrapeFest is a celebration of Texas wines. Home to more than 400 wineries and 4,400 acres of vineyards producing nearly three million gallons of Texas wine each year, Texas is the fifth-largest wine producing state in the United States. Grapevine is home to the Texas Wine & Grape Growers Association and Texas’ premier Urban Wine Trail, featuring a variety of award-winning winery tasting rooms.
The 35th Annual GrapeFest opens on Thursday, September 16 at 11 a.m. Admission for everyone is free all day on Thursday. Festival hours are Thursday, September 16 from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Friday, September 17 from 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.; Saturday, September 18 from 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.; and Sunday September 19 from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Admission prices are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors (62+) and children (6-12). Admission is free for children 5 and under. For more information, call the Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau at 817-410-3185 or visit GrapeFest.com.
ABOUT BANK OF THE WEST
Bank of the West is proud to be an Independent Community Bank, headquartered in Grapevine and serving North Texas for more than three decades, helping to create flourishing communities by putting your dollars to work LOCALLY…with decisions made LOCALLY. Bank of the West, Member FDIC, is the Presenting Sponsor of the 35th Annual GrapeFest – A Texas Wine Experience.
ABOUT GRAPEVINE, TEXAS
Historic Grapevine, Texas, centrally located between Fort Worth and Dallas, is the premier go-to destination when planning a getaway or vacation in North Texas! Step back in time on Historic Downtown Main Street with a collection of charming boutiques, art galleries and bistros and cafes. Enjoy fantastic hotels and resorts, great attractions for the entire family, a wide variety of outdoor recreational activities, exquisite winery tasting rooms, world-class shopping and much more. For more information, visit GrapevineTexasUSA.com.
