When Wines Win, We Win
SA Stock Show & Rodeo Celebrates Top Tipples
By Nick Blevins
As evening descended on an unseasonably temperate January Wednesday, folks filed into the Shrine Auditorium for the Champion Wine Auction Dinner, presented by the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Wine Committee, in partnership with HEB.
Over 314 wineries and 900 wines duked it out (figuratively speaking) in an international competition hosted here in San Antonio back in September to determine the reigning czars of terroir, earning top spots in a range of superlatives and securing their place in the night’s celebration. Inside a large conference room, the champions all stood proudly behind their bottles as cowboy hats bobbed on champagne tides and cabernet waves from table to table, western wear-clad guests sampling the winningest wines from the vintners themselves.
Once the place was properly packed, the crystalline chime of utensil on glass drew all eyes toward the front, whereupon wine committee chairperson Gloria Ramirez began the award ceremony. The winners, selected from a field of competitors spanning the entire globe, each took to the stage to say a few words, give their appreciation, and accept their distinctly San Antonian award — a pair of silver and black leather spurs.
Following the ceremony, the function moved to an adjacent, aesthetically-lit grand hall where dinner awaited. Along the perimeter of the room, guests had their photos taken in front of a large floral backdrop, topped off their refreshments, or purchased a bottle (or two) of their favorite spirit from the evening. A silent auction loomed mere feet away, including a surprising breadth of options for vino-loving visitors to peruse, like jewelry of varying color and heft, western-themed paintings for the cowpoke in your life, and of course, wine, wine, wine.
Didn’t get to try the wines? Fret not, friend, for you have options aplenty: the winners featured in the championship auction will be available at the rodeo, at the refreshingly named Wine Garden. Many will also be available for purchase at select HEB locations.
The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo is just one month away, February 12 - March 1. Whether you’re going for the cows, the cowboys, or an internationally acclaimed fine wine, you can find it here.
