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GrapeFest® (L to R): Rob Sexton, Flight Centre, Pippa Van, Travel Partners, Kate Wienburg, Canuckiwi, Rebecca McKittrick, Spoke To A Bloke, Jordan Carpenter, Helloworld TravelGrapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau recently hosted a successful familiarisation trip for several Australian-based and international travel professionals to attend its annual calendar highlight, GrapeFest® – A Texas Wine Experience – now in its 38th year. Jordan Carpenter of Helloworld Travel, Rob Sexton of Flight Centre, and Pippa Van of Travel Partners, hosted by Canuckiwi’s Kate Wienburg, spent five days attending the festival and exploring further afield in Grapevine, Texas.

Following an arrival welcome dinner at Bonnie & Clyde’s Hideout at Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Hotel and Conference Centre, the adventure officially kicked off the following morning at Grapevine’s Historic Main Street District for a walking tour, enjoying local experiences along the way at the Vetro Glassblowing Studio & Fine Art Gallery and a mimosa on the Grapevine Vintage Railroad, succeeded by an afternoon at Messina Hof Winery – the most awarded Texas winery. Later that day, the group toured the beautiful Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Centre by Marriott, rounding up the day with dinner at Rock & Brews for a classic American meal accompanied by live music.

On day two, Historic Nash Farm was the morning highlight, an interpretive experience offering a glimpse into the region’s early agricultural heritage in the late 19th century. Next up, a little competition was on the cards at Chicken N Pickle for a game of pickleball followed by lunch. A visit to Texas isn’t complete without visiting its impressive cattle stockyards, with the group traveling to the historic Stockyards for its afternoon cattle drive and a nod to its early western heritage. The afternoon included a Riedel wine glass tasting followed by dinner at the stylish boutique hotel, Hotel Vin in the heart of town.

The following day, the morning was spent exploring the immersive, cultural experience of Meow Wolf – The Real Unreal, with its large-scale interactive art installations. For lunch, slow smoked Texan meats were the star, with brisket and ribs enjoyed at Meat U Anywhere at Grapevine Mills. In the afternoon, it was a celebratory few hours enjoyed at GrapeFest® – A Texas Wine Experience. For four days Grapevine’s Historic Main Street closes down to traffic for the Largest Wine Festival in the Southwest. There’s a variety of wine experiences, live music, food, shopping and even family-friendly activities. Besides celebrating Texas wines, the event also holds an International Wine Experience- this year featuring wineries from Barossa, South Australia, which is also one of Grapevine’s Sister Cities.

On the last morning of the group’s Grapevine experience, it was a last whirl around GrapeFest®, taking part in its hands-on Wine and Food Pairing Seminar, and celebrating the winner of the VIP People’s Choice Wine Tasting Classic.

Heather Egan, Director of Leisure and International Sales at Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau, said “I love introducing people to Grapevine. It’s impossible not to fall in love with my town, and GrapeFest® is a great time to experience the warm hospitality of our destination.”

“This famil was a perfect introduction for our visiting travel trade VIPs to really get a sense of our destination, meet our local operators and experience some of our incredible bookable experiences. We love welcoming Australians and New Zealanders in particular who share a kindred spirit with us Texans, and we look forward to continuing to strengthen our relationship with this key market; particularly with the recent announcements of more direct flights to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport with several international airlines.”

Stay tuned for ‘Part Two’ as the group traveled on to Nevada, for another action-packed five days experiencing the best of Reno and Lake Tahoe.