2017 Rodeo Uncorked! Roundup and Best Bites Competition

Texas Wine Lover was invited for this coverage. All opinions, experiences, and photographs are entirely our own.

The sold-out 2017 Rodeo Uncorked! Roundup and Best Bites Competition was another success. The event featured winning wines from the 2017 Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition and food from 111 distinguished Houston restaurants, chefs, and caterers.

We already listed all the Texas wineries who won medals in this year’s Houston Rodeo’s wine competition and it was a pleasure to be able to taste some of those winning wines, along with other champion wines from 2,850 entries representing wineries from approximately 20 different countries, including Australia, Austria, France, Italy, Japan, Peru, South Africa, and Spain. These entries included 105 wines from the 2017 featured region of Tuscany and 351 wines from Texas.

We made a point to try and visit every Texas winery table where representatives were, and the photos we took are included are in the gallery. Along with Texas wineries, we also had the chance to taste the Grand Champion Best of Show Arinzano Gran Vino Blanco Chardonnay which was being presented by Manuel Louzada, Director of Winemaking and CEO of Tenute del Mondo.

Other big Texas wine winners previously announced were:

• Reserve Grand Champion Best of Show – Nice Winery Notorious Malbec, Mount Veeder 2013
• Top Texas Wine – Pedernales Cellars Texas High Plains Tempranillo 2014
• Top White Wine – Fall Creek Vineyards Chardonnay, Certenberg Vineyards 2014
• Top Texas Winery – Kiepersol Vineyards & Winery

Since the Rodeo Uncorked! Roundup and Best Bites Competition is not all about wine, there were plenty of bites to enjoy and these are the winners from the night.

Outstanding Showmanship Award

• Grand Champion – Cupcake Kitchen
• Most Creative – Brothers Produce

People’s Choice Award 

• Grand Champion – Killen’s STQ
• Reserve Grand Champion – Royer’s Round Top Café

Tasty Traditions Award 

• Grand Champion – Mostly Chocolate – hazelnut and popecochs, goat cheese
• Reserve Grand Champion – Merlion on 4th – Shrimp Raad Prick

Trailblazing Appetizer/Starter Award

• Grand Champion – Revolve Kitchen + Bar, Hotel Derek – achiote braised pork sliders, jalapeño cabbage slaw, sriracha honey glaze
• Reserve Grand Champion – Snooze: An AM Eatery – OMG French Toast Bites: French baguette with sweet mascarpone, topped with salted caramel and vanilla crème, and finished with strawberries, toasted coconut, and powdered sugar
• Third Place – Cotton Culinary – duck roulade with candied jalapeño, wrapped with smoked hatch bacon

Lone Star Entrée Award 

• Grand Champion – Merlion on 4th – Shrimp Raad Prick
• Reserve Grand Champion – Killen’s STQ – pork belly burnt ends with cherry habanero sauce and a side of creamed corn
• Third Place – Hearsay Gastro Lounge Market Square – Southern-fried Texas quail on 5-year-aged sharp cheddar grits with a Thai chili, bacon, bourbon and butter honey

Two-Steppin’ Dessert Award

• Grand Champion – Mostly Chocolate: hazelnut and popecochs, goat cheese
• Reserve Grand Champion – CRAVE – red velvet mini cupcakes
• Third Place – Brio Tuscan Grille – mascarpone cheesecake

Rookie Award

• Hearsay Gastro Lounge Market Square

All the champion wines will be auctioned at the Rodeo Uncorked! Champion Wine Auction which will be held on Sunday, March 5. If you attend the rodeo, you will be able to taste a selection of the champion wines, by the glass and bottle, in the Champion Wine Garden located in Carruth Plaza. To learn more, visit rodeohouston.com/Visit-the-Show/Attractions-Activities/Wine-Garden.

Enjoy the photos we took during the 2017 Rodeo Uncorked! Roundup and Best Bites Competition!