Members Only Syrah Happy Hour

We went out on a limb and hosted our first-ever members only wine tasting last night at Marquee Rents. Well, I guess it wasn’t too risky; who doesn’t like wine tastings?! We were greeted with a beautiful set-up in Marquee’s design center, where colorful linens painted the walls and sparkling stemware awaited our wine. We ended up with about 15 different Syrah/Shiraz to taste along with an abundance of yummy bites from our members and Dagar’s Catering. It was interesting to find that some wines were robustly fruit-forward while others were lighter bodied with a softer finish. Everyone had their own favorites but I personally liked the 2005 Tintara Shiraz McLaren Vale, bursting with blue and black fruit and some layers of mushroom and tabacco.

 I’m already looking forward to our next members only wine tasting, wherever it may take us!

Two Events Not To Be Missed!

We have two exciting events in the next few weeks and trust us, these are not to be missed! The first is the Tops in Texas event on Tuesday, February 28th. Chefs Josh Watkins, Paul Peterson and Zack Northcutt will go head to head and be judged by Top Chef contestants Tre Wilcox, Arnold Myint as well as Chefs David Bull and Tyson Cole. All ticket proceeds will benefit The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas! VIP tickets are $85 each (just a few left, seriously) and General Admission is $50 each. Click here for more information.

The next upcoming event is Cowboys + Gauchos on Sunday, March 4th at the Salt Lick Pavilion. Starting at high noon, ticket-holders will be welcomed with the sights, sounds and experiences familiar to both the North American Cowboy and the South American Gaucho – the sight of an open fire with the delicious smells of great BBQ. Chow on the grilled fare before washing down your delicious rations with the fine wines from local Texas vineyards and South American wineries, plus a little local brew too! We’ll have live music and family fun activities (did someone say Photo Booth?!?) sponsored by Yelp! that you won’t want to miss. $40 Foundation Members, $50 General Public, $10 ages 13-20.

Cowboys + Gauchos

Yee-haw and olé! Cowboys + Gauchos will be returning to its frontier at the Salt Lick Pavilion on Sunday, March 4th.  Come experience the food, wine and culture of the North American Cowboy and South American Gaucho. Starting at high Noon, attendees will be welcomed by the smell of meat cooking on an open fire and the sound of fine wine being uncorked. Delicious cuisine will be provided by the following restaurants: Judge’s Hill Restaurant & Bar, Café Josie, Zocalo Café, Auguste Escoffier, Live Oak Barbecue, Wild Bubba’s, and Mmmpanadas.

Accentuating the flavors of the meal, wine will be provided by the following wineries and distributers: Alamosa Wine Cellars, Duchman Family Winery, Fall Creek Vineyards, Casa Lapostolle, Llano Estacado, McPherson Cellars, Spicewood Vineyards, Terrazas de los Andes and a local brew from Thirsty Planet Brewery.

To sweeten the hearts of even the most rugged cowboys and gauchos, dessert will be provided by the gourmet Delysia Chocolatier.

Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy an open fire, live entertainment, and authentic North and South American food and wine.  Purchase your tickets for this can’t miss event before space runs out! Tickets are $40 for Foundation members and $ 50 for general public. Click here to register for the event.

A huge thanks to our sponsors Yelp!, YNN Austin, Acqua Panna and The Salt Lick BBQ for helping make this exciting, tasty, and cultural experience possible.

Film Frenzy!

We had a blast this past weekend participating in the First Annual Reel Change Film Frenzy, brought to life by the Alamo Drafthouse and Lights. Camera. Help.  Ten teams of filmmakers were partnered with ten different nonprofits and tasked with writing, producing, shooting, and editing a short film in under 48 hours.  On Sunday evening, we viewed the final products at the Alamo Drafthouse and a winner was crowned.

 

We were honored to be paired with ONE STORY PRODUCTIONS for our challenge. We began Friday filming at Congress, doing interviews with Sommelier June Rodil and Chef David Bull. Then we headed to the Red Room Lounge at Personalwines.com where we hosted a small get together and interviewed 2011 Scholarship Winner, Renee Morgan and the 2011 TexSom Best Sommelier in Texas winner, Bill Elsey. Filming was not done yet! We headed to Max's Wine Dive to interview the wonderful Chef Erica Beneke. On Saturday, we made our way out to Spicewood Springs Vineyard which provided the perfect backdrop for filming.

 

We are honored to have our video alongside nine other fantastic non-profits! The winner was Austin Bat Cave and fan favorite was Whole Planet. Check out our video titled Eat Well, Drink Better here. Huge thank you to everyone that helped us during our Film Frenzy!

Save-The-Date: 27th Annual Rare & Fine Wine Auction

Mark your calendar now for the Foundation’s event of the year, the 27th Annual Rare & Fine Wine Auction! To be held at the Four Seasons Austin on April 14, 2012, festivities will begin with a champagne reception and silent auction debut. Following, guests will be treated to an array of fine wines as well as a decadent buffet in the ballroom at the Four Seasons Hotel. Then the fun begins! The boisterous, fast-paced and always competitive live auction will feature a multitude of exceptionally rare and collectable wine lots up for bid, in addition to extraordinary dinners, wine trips, and more!