Vine 2 Wine Events add Flavor to Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo

Adventurous, overwhelmed, enthusiast, price-driven, image seeker, or everyday loyalist; as a wine drinker, do you relate to any of these descriptions? Wine consultant Stephanie Earthman Baird led a group of about 20 wine lovers through a fun and interactive presentation titled simply Wine Personality, presented as part of the Vine 2 Wine events at the annual Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.

By the end of the 90-minute presentation, participants had identified their wine drinking personalities and tasted four wines. The wines, strategically chosen by Stephanie, included a white wine from Portugal and California, and a red from Portugal and California. The tasting included a food pairing to further enhance understanding of flavors and aromas. I identified as a wine enthusiast which made sense as I loved the two Portuguese wines included in the tasting.

Now in its third year, Vine 2 Wine offers a variety of hands-on activities and wine tasting opportunities at this annual event.

Here’s an overview of the events I attended this year so you can mark your calendar for 2021.

Wine Camp – Wine Camp included educational seminars and interactive sessions offering participants the opportunity to learn about wine in a fun way. Classes were limited to 40 people on a first come first serve basis and led by wine industry leaders.

Sip and Shop – Sip and Shop included a tasting of two wines from eight wineries with the purchase of a $20 ticket and admission to the grounds. Sip and Shop wineries were comprised of 90% Texas wines and one California wine each week.

At each of the eight stations scattered throughout the Dickies Arena and the Go Texas Market, there was either a representative from the winery or in many cases, the winemaker or vineyard manager was present.

Sip and Shop was a fantastic way to learn firsthand about Texas wines and wineries. The wineries present were chosen based on their history of participation, and in conjunction with BRIT (Botanical Research Institute of Texas). Some of the winners of the Texas Sustainable Winemaking contest also presented their wines. You can read more information about the contest and winners here.

Bubbles & Bites – Bubbles & Bites, now in its second year, is a brunch event with fifteen area restaurants participating. Central Market donated sparkling wines from around the world.

All of the Vine 2 Wine events were coordinated by a group of consultants headed by Houstonian Stephanie Earthman Baird whose list of accolades and credentials in the wine world is as long as Texas is wide. Stay tuned and bookmark your calendar for 2021 as each year the wine-sipping opportunities are only getting better.

Many thanks to the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo for the opportunity to attend the Vine 2 Wine events.

Penny Sadler is a travel and wine writer based in Dallas, Texas. As a wine enthusiast, she has explored wine caves in Provence, picked grapes in Barolo and Napa Valley, and hosts wine adventures for fellow enthusiasts. You can follow her at Adventures of a Carry-On.