Delaney Vineyards in Grapevine hosts annual Blessing of the Vines

Wine and history aficionados gathered Saturday at Delaney Vineyards in Grapevine for the 23nd Annual Blessing of the Vines and its companion, the New Vintage Wine and Gallery Trail.

It was a daylong toast to the good life.

Visitors took part in a procession, led by a mariachi band, that finished at the far end of the vineyard where everyone experienced a centuries-old European blessing performed by a priest to ensure a bountiful harvest, savory grapes and robust wine.

The Rev. Ken Robinson from Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Muenster continued the tradition he began when he was at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Grapevine, where he was assigned from 1997 to 2007. He has missed a few years due to scheduling conflicts.

His mission was twofold: to offer a tailor-made vine blessing adapted from the church’s Book of Blessings and to offer a special blessing for the new wines.

“I use the harvest blessing and make the changes necessary to bless the fields and vines,” the priest from the Fort Worth Diocese said, noting that the Book of Blessings can be adapted to “the blessing of just about everything.”

“We perform the blessing as a social outreach,” Robinson said, who plans to perform the annual blessing “from now until the Lord returns.”

After the Blessing of the Vines, the celebration continued on the New Vintage Wine and Gallery Trail where participants tasted a variety of wines at Grapevine’s winery tasting rooms and enjoyed works of art throughout the city.

This story was originally published April 14, 2015 at 9:51 AM with the headline "Delaney Vineyards in Grapevine hosts annual Blessing of the Vines."