TexSom Around the Corner!

We are gearing up for the 7th Annual Texas Sommelier Conference on August 13-15 at the Four Seasons Resort and Club in Las Colinas, Dallas. Be prepared for two full days of wine seminars led by the world's top experts, followed by a grand tasting of more than 150 world-class wines and small bites by Executive Chef Christof Syre.

Behind the scenes of the conference, the annual Texas' Best Sommelier competition will be taking place, with the winner announced at the Grand Tasting on Monday evening. Each year the winner of the competition is awarded scholarships for professional certification courses.

If you haven't registered for this one-of-a-kind conference be sure to do so soon - tickets are selling fast. http://www.texsom.com/

New Lots Announced for the 26th Annual Rare & Fine Wine Auction!

The excitement is building as we ramp up to the 26th Annual Rare & Fine Wine Auction!  We're happy to announce some more exceptional items that will be up for auction at this always-outstanding event!

• “A Seat at The Table” - 16 of the rarest wines from 8 Auction Committee Members’ personal collections, Chef Mark Paul of Wink, and a beautiful Lady Bird Lake view. Only 8 seats will be on the auction block for this incredible wine experience.
• Chuck Wagner’s Caymus Special Selection has been the benchmark California cabernet for over 3 decades, and we have a Salmanazar (9 liters) of the 2008 Caymus SS Cabernet Sauvignon! That’s a case of Caymus in 1 bottle!  $3,500 Estimated Value
• 2 Nights for 2 people in Siena, Italy at the San Felice Holiday House Le Bonce with a tour of the winery and a personal tasting. This wonderful package comes with a 5 liter of 2006 San Felice Chianti Classico to get in the spirit!

Don't miss out on the opportunity to place the winning bid on these impressive lots.  Reserve your seat today to be part of an evening full of festivities, food, and of course, wine!

Rare & Fine Wine Auction Tickets Available For Purchase!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

The Four Seasons Hotel Austin
$250 per person / $2,500 table (of 12)

Join us for one of our signature events - the 26th Annual Rare & Fine Wine Auction! Festivities begin at 6pm with a champagne reception and silent auction debut. At 7pm, guests are treated to an array of fine wines as well as a decadent buffet of heavy hors d’oeuvres prepared by Executive Chef Elmar Prambs of the Four Seasons Hotel. Then the fun begins!! Starting at 7:30pm, the boisterous, fast-paced and always competitive Auction will begin with more than 100 exceptionally rare and collectable wine lots up for bid.

Featured Lots for 2011:

• 3 bottles (.750 liter) of 2007 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon in the wooden box, 100 point rating by Robert Parker; $7,500 Estimated Value
• The wine dinner in the Larry Peel Wine Cellar is always a success and is back on the auction block this year. Winners of that lot are treated to a dinner prepared by Executive Chef Elmar Prambs of the Four Seasons, paired with fine wine from Peel’s Cellar while surrounded by over 5,000 bottles of rare and fine wine in the rustic yet charming cellar; $4,000 Estimated Value
• One Imperial (6 liter bottle) 2007 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon, 98+ rating by Robert Parker; $2,500 Estimated Value

Join us for an incredible and memorable evening...

Featured Lots for the 26th Annual Rare & Fine Wine Auction

The 26th Annual Rare & Fine Wine Auction is really living up to its reputation this year! The Foundation is proud to present three bottles of the 2007 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Savignon. Screaming Eagle is the finest & rarest collectible collectible Cult Cabernet in the world. Only a few precious bottles exist and are selling as high as $3,500 in some parts of the country. Robert Parker rated it 100 points and calls it "the most profound Screaming Eagle since the 2002 and 1997". A bottle of the 2007 Screaming Eagle is a must-have for the wine collector.

Also on the Auction block is a Private Wine Tasting for 6 at Joseph Phelps Vineyards. Six guests will enjoy a unique visit to the Joselph Phelps Vineyards for a private, high-end tasting (typically reserved for Phelps preferred members). The tasting will feature a selection of their current releases including their flagship wine, Insignia. Since the release of the 1990 vintage, Insignia has been produced estate-grown grapes from two of the most desirable sources for Cabernet Savignon, Rutherford Bench and the Stags Leap District.

Join us on Saturday, April 16th to see these items (and many other greats) up for Auction!