2024 Texas Wine Auction “Celebrating the Stars Deep in the Heart of Texas”
By Wendy Hatfield, WSET, Wine Wanderings Associate Editor
This year I had the pleasure of attending the third annual Texas Wine Auction gala on Saturday, May 4th at the beautiful Carter Creek Winery and Resort in Johnson City. I was fortunate enough to have attended the first Texas Wine Auction when the inaugural event was announced back in 2022. Since then, the Texas Wine Auction Foundation has raised over $500,000 that has been used to celebrate and elevate the Texas wine industry while supporting local health and wellness initiatives for the wellbeing of hospitality workers.
I had an opportunity to speak with Jane Pope, RN and CEO of Create Healthy Foundation, the presenting sponsor this year, to find out just how she got involved and what this cause means to her personally.
“Well I love the passion of this first. And I love that our organization invests in population health and we have invested in the health of the hospitality workers. We've already seen a difference in the cardiovascular health, I just looked at some data around weight loss. So that means a lot to me personally, because it's about our future generations and taking care of our health and prevention. And so I'm very excited to be here”. – Jane Pope, RN and CEO of Create Healthy Foundation
History of Funds Raised, Local Results and Winery Sponsorships
The sold-out gala raised over $215,000, not including additional grant monies received outside of the auction event, which represented an impressive 25% plus growth over last year. Attendance was up by over 50% this year as well. The event was attended by over three hundred guests from all over Texas and as far as Japan. The participating sponsors this year resembled a who’s who in Texas wine and hospitality. William Chris Vineyards, Becker Vineyards, Robert Clay Vineyards, and High Gun Morris Ranch were among the top sponsors of over 35 Texas wineries that participated.
Fun Event Details
The evening kicked off with live music by the Texas Moaners and as guests arrived, they were treated to passed appetizers by Feast & Merriment while enjoying some of the best wines Texas has to offer. A special thanks to Dr. Amit Dhingra, PHD and Head of Horticultural Sciences with Texas A & M, for pouring up samples of a very special 15L format wine, the equivalent of 20 bottles of wine. This large bottle of wine was auctioned off later in the evening for an impressive $14,000, the largest auction item of the night!
“…they invited me to become part of this because, you know in my role as a department head, as well as our department's role to really serve the industry to make sure that we have a really sustainable future and prepare the workforce that will sustain the future”. – Dr. Amit Dhingra, PHD and Head of Horticultural Sciences with Texas A & M.
The silent and live auction items ranged from bottles of wine, unique tasting experiences, dinners, amazing overnight stays, to a Texas High Plains trip in a private airplane with Chris Brundrett, Owner William Chris Wine Co. to harvest grapes! For those not into the auction action, there was also a bottle pull available.
There was certainly no shortage of delicious food! Large platters of food were served family style, which highlighted the skills of the individual chefs and promoted a sense of fellowship at the tables. Thanks to the amazing Chef Austin Simmons of Tris, located in the Woodlands, TX, Chef Mike Hall of Hill and Vine and Chef Sheldon Jolley of Chase’s Place in Fredericksburg, TX. My personal favorite was the tri-tip beef that cut like butter prepared by Chef Austin Simmons of Tris.
It was a fantastic evening of fun and fellowship made possible by the many volunteers, sponsors, and guests who passionately believe in the need for a sustainable Texas wine community.
Wine Wanderings Editorial Calendar 2024
The Fine Champagnes of Billecart-Salmon
Chateau Montelena, and the 1976 Judgement of Paris Revisited
Summer Wine Pairings from Our Favorite Winemakers
Celebrating the Olympics with Rosé
The Martini – What’s New, What’s Old: Classic vs. Modern
Grower Champagnes – Why are They the Darlings of Champagne? (WH)
The Loire Valley: Touring Chateau Chenonceau
Two Surprising Wineries of the Loire Valley: Montdomaine and Ambacia, Ancient Sites with Modern, Organic Approaches
Understanding Right Bank Bordeaux: Pomerol and St. Emilion
Restaurants of Napa Valley
Book Review: Big Macs and Burgundy