The Wine Squared Festival is on to its sophomore year, but don’t expect any kind of slump. The biggest improvement is that it takes place in October, unlike last year’s which was in late May and was unbearably hot. So if you ever feel so inclined to drive the 44 miles to Denton, next Saturday would be the day to do it.

If Grapefest was your litmus test for wine festivals in DFW, go ahead and scratch that and head up to Denton. Brook Ray (the proprietor of Wine2) puts on a festival that has more of an indie vibe to it. That is not to say that it isn’t polished, but rather a lot more refined and considered than something as large as Grapefest.

You really can’t beat an event on the square in Denton. When you need to break from tasting there is so much to do. You can pop into Recycled Books, grab a coffee at Jupiter House, score a cone from Beth Marie’s (which is hands down the best ice cream in the US), get a slice of pizza at J&J’s, down a beer at the Loophole or spend sometime in the endless kitsch at either of the mini malls.

The event kicks off at 2 and goes till 10pm. There will be live music all day from bands such as Bridges and Blinking Lights, Isaac Hoskins Band, Patrick Newkirk, The Hot Rockin Fonzies, Denton County Revelators and more. There will also be raffles and a chance to flex your pallette in a wine tasting contest . You will also be able to pick up a 3 color screenprint designed by yours truly, at the event for $20. It is the image pictured above.

You can get more details at winetimeswine.com. See you there.