COWBOYS, GRAPES AND SOUTHERN CHARM
There’s true Texan hospitality and entertainment in the small northern town of Grapevine.
Clusters of cold, full-bodied, firm grapes lie underfoot. Standing inside an upturned wine barrel, I’m waiting for the countdown to begin pulverising eight kilograms of fruit with my bare feet.
As a novice participant in the GrapeStomp competition, I’m about to stomp into one of the many festivities at the 32nd Annual GrapeFest. The family-friendly festival is held over four days every September in the Historic Main Street of Downtown Grapevine. A perfectly named place to hold the largest wine festival in America’s Southwest.
Located midway between the north Texas cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, Grapevine is a city many have flown into, possibly without realising. The city’s boundaries lie within the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) — something I appreciated, when I made my way from DFW to Grapevine’s Main Street. Within ten-minutes I was transported from the confines of a busy airport terminal to strolling along a quiet footpath. The stress-free quick journey felt surreal, as if I’d stepped into Doctor Who’s TARDIS time machine and had been teleported into a new world called Grapevine.
FOR THE HISTORY LOVER Prior to 1844, the Grape Vine Prairie in North Texas had been a meeting place for Native Americans passing through the region. Texas President Sam Houston (1793–1863) opened the area to settlers when met with the leaders of 10 Native American Nations in 1843 at Grape Vine Springs and signed a ‘Peace Treaty.’ The first settlement was named Grape Vine for the wild mustang grapes growing in the area and its proximity to the Prairie. The agriculture based-community expanded when the Cotton Belt Rail Line built in 1888, added a Depot in the town. The name altered to Grapevine in 1914. Fast forward to 2018, the original town consisting of a Post Office, Church and School, has grown to a metropolis of nearly 54,000 residents.
FAMILY TIES After picking off the squashed grape remnants from my feet following GrapeStomp (achieving a satisfying third) I explore Main Street. Stretching for almost two kilometres, the street has an eclectic collection of shops, wineries, eateries and numerous historical landmarks. Feeling hungry, I head into
Tolbert’s Restaurant and Chili Parlour. I’m keen to try some of their famous Southwestern cuisine. Owner Kathleen Tolbert has continued the family tradition of Chili parlours begun by her late father, Frank X Tolbert who opened the first Tolbert Chili Parlour in 1976 in Downtown Dallas. Over a bowl of their most popular dish, Tolbert’s Texas Red Chili I chat to local business owner Debi Meek. As a fifth generation Texan and active member of Grapevine’s Historical, Debi is passionate about the area. “Cities in Texas try to duplicate what we have here in Grapevine,