This weekend marks the 6th annual Wine and Food Week throughout Houston and the Woodlands. If you are looking for a fun road trip this weekend – consider this (and have no fear…most events occur indoors, so Houston’s heat won’t wear you down, but the excitement of a week long event devoted to wine and the culinary arts in Houston will lift you up.)
I have loved the food scene in Houston since I was a little girl. From classics like Tony’s , the original Nifa’s, the birth place of the Pappas and Landry’s chains, to some of the best Tex-Mex food at the sadly now closed Felix on Montrose, and Vietnamese at Mai’s off of downtown, I have grown up appreciating this foodie town. This weekend you can get a peak in to why Houstonian’s love great food and wine at this 6th annual event.
With over 500 wineries participating in 40 events throughout the week, this intends to be a great festival.
A few key events to look for include the HEB Wine Walk on Market Street in The Woodlands on Thursday night featuring 40 different wine tasting stations, live music and chef demonstrations.
The Sips, Suds and Sliders event takes place Friday night and will include 25 Texas wines, including Messina Hof, Fall Creek Vineyards and Llano Estacado, and 25 specialty beers, including St. Arnold’s Brewery, and a Texas size slider challenge where Houston Community College culinary students will test their grilling skills when paired with professional chefs vying for the People’s Choice Shining Slider Award.
The big event of the weekend will take place Saturday night. The Wine Rendezvous Grand Tasting & TEXAS MONHTLY Chef Showcase will feature 50 chefs competing in a completely “green” event, creating dishes from sustainable ingredients to win a $5,000 prize.
Another one to keep on your radar if you can attend this great event is the Ladies of the Vine Luncheon, featuring some prominent women wine makers and experts in Texas and beyond. The founder of Wine and Food week, Constance McDerby will join this panel, along with Sharon Fenchak from Biltmore Estates in NorthCarolina. I had an opportunity to visit with Sharon last night and taste some of the outstanding wine she is creating at Biltmoreand I think you will be impressed with both what she has to say, and the wine she is pouring. This luncheon takes place on Friday.
