Live from the Texas Hill Country: 1st Annual Texas Wine Auction
Raising Funds Benefiting Wellness and Wine Research
Fredericksburg, Texas. April 9, 2022
It is exciting to attend and interview the principles of the inaugural Texas Wine Auction. Modeled after the charity auctions in Napa Valley, attendees [at $250/plate] and I had the opportunity to join participating wineries on Friday night for special events, and then a dinner, live and silent auction on Saturday featuring numerous Texas wines, chef station dinner courses, and live music.
See Q&A with Dave Bryant, Co-founder Texas Wine Auction below.
Rare wines and unusual travel experiences like a helicopter hunting package and Napa Valley VIP excursion were offered in the live and silent auctions. Chef Casey Thompson, Sonoma, Chef Michael Hall, Hill & Vine, Fredericksburg, Chef Todd Duplechan, Lenoir, Austin, Chef Shane Stark, Mongers, Austin, and Chef John Boehm, Otto’s, Fredericksburg, offered dinner courses ranging from Sturgeon Schnitzel to Smoked Akaushi Tri Tip with Hatch Chili Salsa.
Beneficiaries of the Texas Wine Auction include Hill Country Memorial Foundation which will establish a medical mobile unit providing wellness services throughout the Hill Country for underserved populations including employees of restaurants, wineries, vineyards, and other hospitality personnel. In addition, an endowment to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Viticulture & Fruit Lab will help with research and development to further the Texas Wine industry.
Origin of the Texas Wine Auction – Dave Bryant, Co-Founder
“We were inspired by the Napa Valley Vintners. They have thrown a wine auction for years. We wanted to do something in that same vein, but feature Texas. Chris [Brundrett], Valerie Elkins, and I got together and dreamed this up. For the first year, we're really, really excited to support some amazing causes.” – Dave Bryant, Texas Wine Auction, Co-Founder, GM Texas Wine Collective.
Chris Brundrett, CEO, William Chris Vineyards, on the Origins of Texas Wine Auction
“This was a bit of a dream we had about 8 years ago. We saw some other examples of auctions. This started with a desire for a medical/wellness van to provides more services to vineyard, hospitality, and winery workers (along with restaurant workers). As business grow, these services have been really challenging. Out of that came the Texas Wine Auction.” - Chris Brundrett
Q& A with the Co-Founder, Texas Wine Auction, Dave Bryant
Tricia Conover, DipWSET®, Editor, Wine Wanderings
Q: Dave, the Texas wine auction is more than just the auction today. It was the winemaker dinners last night, too. How did you pull up those logistics together?
Dave Bryant, Auction Co-Founder, GM, Texas Wine Collective
A: We dreamed up this idea to give wineries the opportunity to showcase themselves with something that was reflective of their personalities. We had four or five different winemaker dinners [the Friday night before the auction] from different wineries around the Fredericksburg area and beyond. We inspired the wineries and the winemakers to do something special. At Texas Wine Collective last night, we threw an amazing event featuring Chef Casey Thompson and our winery partners, Brennan Vineyards, Lost Oak Winery, and McPherson Cellars. Logistically, there's a lot to pull off with five different dinners on the same night pre auction, but it was amazing. I think we had a great time and all the funds from those individual dinners goes towards the auction [recipients], as well. It helped raise a little bit more money and make it really a full-weekend event.
Tricia Conover
The seabass last night at the Texas Wine Collective dinner was amazing.
Dave Bryant, Auction Co-Founder, GM, Texas Wine Collective
Yes, Casey Thompson is phenomenal. We've known each other forever. She's a Dallas native, and now has a restaurant in Sonoma, California. I talked her into coming out for this event and for such a special cause. She jumped at the opportunity. It was perfect.
Tricia Conover
Q: Dave, Tell me a little bit about the recipients of this charity auction.
Dave Bryant, Auction Co-Founder, GM, Texas Wine Collective
A: We're raising money for two major initiatives. First is to fund the AgriLife Extension, which is through Texas A&M [University], and it's going to fund research and development for the Texas wine industry. This research will focus on researching new AVA’s [American Viticultural Areas], vineyard development, and winemaking. Our goal is to raise money. [For an auction item] we've got a phenomenal “fun in a bottle.” It's 15 liters with wines from 13 different wineries. It was blended by Chris Brundrett [CEO, William Chris Winery] and John Hoefliger [consulting winemaker.]100% of those funds are going to go directly to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. We're also hoping to fund a mobile medical van which will be utilized for preventative care for the surrounding areas focusing on hospitality employees, hotel, winery, and vineyard employees, helping an underserved community. [Hill Country Memorial Foundation which will establish a medical mobile unit providing wellness services throughout the Hill Country for underserved populations.]
Tricia Conover
Q: What are the long-term plans for this event?
Dave Bryant, Auction Co-Founder, GM, Texas Wine Collective
A: Our goal is that this is the first version of [Texas Wine Auction.], We're going to continue to grow it. We want to eventually host a fall event as well as this spring event. We really want to continually raise money and make it a stream of events year-round. We are focused on Texas wine research and understanding how to grow the Texas wine industry to better serve our community. It will really end up being a stream of events.
About Dave Bryant
Dave Bryant is the General Manager of the Texas Wine Collective (formally 4.0 Cellars), in Fredericksburg, TX. Dave leads and motivates the TWC team to successfully represent three Texas wineries (Brennan Vineyards, Lost Oak Winery, and McPherson Cellars).
After spending more than a decade leading luxury wineries in the Napa Valley, he and his family relocated to the Texas Hill Country in 2019.
Dave’s experience includes leadership positions with well-established brands (Alpha Omega Winery, John Anthony Vineyards, Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards) and consulting for smaller start-up brands. Dave’s expertise in strategic planning, winery operations, and proven ability to deliver results, have established his reputation among industry veterans.
Dan Gatlin, Owner, Inwood Estates Vineyards, on His Wine Donation to the Auction
Presenting Sponsor: Friendship Lane Center for Cancer Care: Robert Ebeling III, MD
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