Recap of the 2023 Texas Wine Auction

The second annual Texas Wine Auction was held on Saturday, April 29th, at the Vista Oaks event center outside Fredericksburg. We had such a great time at the auction, and it was fantastic to see the outpouring of support.

The event raised $245,134 towards the efforts to raise money for grape growing research in Texas and health care services for hospitality workers in the hill country. About 225 guests supported the causes, and 30 wineries provided wines and auction items. The event was made possible with the help of over 20 volunteers and eight chefs who provided a memorable night.

The dinner portion of the event was unique as it was a competition among the eight participating chefs. The competition was fierce and fun all at the same time! The winning chef was Chef Austin Simmons from Tris, and while the competition was fierce, this was the dish I personally voted for.

Runner-up favorites were local Chef Mike Hall of Hill & Vine and Houston’s Chef Rosh. It should be noted that the chefs donated their time and their food which went a long way toward making the event super successful! So here are kudos to all the great bites by Chef Angie Ragan of Salt by Angie, private Chef Krystyna Cibelli-Pettus, Chef Evan Michels of Side Street Hospitality, Chef Matt Church of Food Church, and Chef Luis Villalva of Come Taco.

The silent auction items were really fun, and the lively live auction items ensured big funds for the evening. Dr. Ebeling, who was the Presenting Sponsor for the event, won the top bid on the 15L bottle auctioned off during the evening. In addition to adding this bottle to his collection, he will get to participate in the blending session of the bottle that will be part of the 2024 auction. Other top auction items included the trip to Napa Valley, which was the largest donation of the night. Staycations, unique dinners, and a beautiful set of hand-forged chef pans from 3 Nail Ironware were also big draws for the night.

A generous matching donation by an unnamed donor rounded out the night. I had a blast, and it was so fun to see all of the involvement by the local wine industry and consumers alike. We can’t wait to see what next year brings, and the date for the 2024 auction should be announced by the end of June.