Lively

 Grape:

Texas Blanc du Bois 

Grapes sourced from:

Lolita, Goliad, Monte Alto, Victoria, and/or Industry Texas  

Finish:

Semi-sweet; infused with almond flavor

The Story:

Twenty of Stephen F. Austin's Old 300 colonists boarded the schooner Lively in New Orleans bound for the Colorado River, landing first at the mouth of the Brazos instead and founding the deep water port of Velasco in 1821 before moving inland.  Named for Mexican generals Velasco and Quintana, the area was the site of the first armed conflict with Mexico as a prelude to the revolution leading to Texas Independence and Velasco as the temporary capital.  Fortified by Confederate troops in the Civil War, developers later transformed it into a resort before its destruction by hurricanes.  Though the place names remain, they are surrounded now by Surfside, Freeport, and the Brazosport area.  The almond added to this Texas Blanc du Bois makes it a lively, refreshing drink to toast this rich Gulf Coast history.