Texas Independence Wine Classic This Weekend

A good glass of wine may pair well with a 12-ounce rib-eye, but Refugio wants residents to know it also pairs well with history. The Texas Independence Wine Classic, in its fourth year, kicks off Saturday and runs through the end of Sunday, said Bart Wales, the event's vice chairman. The wine classic celebrates the 178th anniversary of the Battle of Refugio and adds wine tasting to the mix, Wales told the Victoria Advocate.

This year, the classic, which is at Heritage Park, will bring in five wineries from the area - Texas Southwind Vineyard and Winery, Lavaca Bluffs Vineyard, A Wine of Mine, Darcy's Vineyard and Winery and Chisholm TrailWinery. "This year, I think it's going to be magnificent," Wales said. "These last two years, the weather wasn't really nice." For $15, eventgoers can taste wine at each of the five stations. Live music from several bands and a Battle of Refugio re-enactment are also planned, Wales said. Wales, who works with the Refugio County Museum, said the event began as he started seeing an increase in wineries. He wanted to incorporate teaching history with wine, hence the Texas Independence Wine Classic.

With a forecast for nice temperatures during the festival, Wales hopes for a larger turnout. The first year, he said, had a show of about 1,500 people. Weather caused that number to decrease. "We're trying to get this thing started," he said. "I think we've almost got it down.

For more information, call 361-526-5555 or 361-646-9508.