Viva Fresh to add winery tour to annual event
The Texas International Produce Association will hold its inaugural Viva Fresh Winery Tour in nearby Grapevine during this year’s Viva Fresh Expo, going on April 21-23. Sponsored by Sunfed and Lakeway, the tour, set for April 21, will serve as an alternative to Viva’s annual golf outing.
“We are extremely proud of what we’ve built through Viva Fresh since 2015, but we understand we need to continuously be pushing ourselves to look at the show with a fresh perspective,” Dante Galeazzi, CEO and president of TIPA, said in a news release. “We know there is demand for networking opportunities aside from golf on Thursday, and a wine tasting felt like the perfect addition to our Viva Fresh lineup. We are incredibly excited to kick that off this year in Grapevine.”
Already showing a strong buyer presence with early bird signups, this expo is bound to be the new trendsetting networking event, said the Mission, Texas-based association. Buses for the wine tour will leave the Gaylord Texan Resort at noon and will return participants by 6 p.m.
Texas is the fifth largest wine-producing state in the U.S., and Grapevine is reportedly named after the wild mustang grapes that grew on the Grape Vine Prairie. Grapevine is also home to Texas’ Urban Wine Trail, as well as the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association and the Grape Fest wine festival, held annually in September.
The Viva Fresh wine tour includes visits to four winery tasting rooms in downtown Grapevine:
- Messina Hof Grapevine Winery. This winery opened in late 2014 and features more than 50 wines from 28 different varietals.
- Delaney Vineyards. This winery offers a variety of red, white and rose wines.
- Cross Timbers Winery. With a unique wine tasting experience, this winery features 11 varietals grown in the High Plains.
- Landon Winery. Here, visitors will learn how stainless-steel tanks and American and French oak barrels add to the complexity of the Landon winemaking process.
Viva Fresh attendees can sign up for the winery tour during online registration or by contacting TIPA at (956) 581-8632. Participation is limited to small groups, so interested parties should register quickly before the event sells out, said organizers.
The Viva Fresh Produce Expo was established in 2015 by TIPA in order to “create meaningful networking and educational opportunities for its members while shining a light on the importance of the Rio Grande Valley as an emerging trade corridor and production zone for healthy and nutritious fruits and vegetables available all year long,” said Viva Fresh.
Founded in 1942, TIPA promotes, advocates, educates and represents the nearly $10 billion in fresh produce that is either grown in the state or calls Texas the first point of U.S. arrival for North American distribution.
