Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ Combined Award-Winning Wines with Gourmet Dishes at the Rodeo Uncorked!® Roundup & Best Bites Competition
Photo credit: Cassaro Wines
Yesterday, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo hosted a destination for local food and wine enthusiasts during the Rodeo Uncorked! Roundup & Best Bites Competition. The annual competition paired signature dishes from Houston-area culinary institutions with nearly 500 award-winning wines from the 2022 Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition, including the Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion. Nearly 100 of the area’s top restaurants competed in this year’s event. See winners by category below:
Outstanding Showmanship Award
- 1st Place: Eculent
- 2nd Place: Texas Harvest
People’s Choice Award
- 1st Place: Cotton Culinary: Figgy Piggy
- 2nd Place: Guard & Grace, A Modern Steakhouse: Oak grilled Creekstone Farms Prime New York Strip with loaded baked potato
Tasty Tradition Award
- 1st Place: Joyce’s Seafood & Steaks: White chocolate bread pudding
- 2nd Place: Taste of Texas Restaurant: Certified Angus Beef tenderloin and Megan’s mac & cheese
Trailblazer Appetizer Award
- 1st Place: Omni Houston: Pork belly skewer, Moroccan BBQ, Carrot Puree, Chicharrone
- 2nd Place: Songkran Thai Kitchen: Thai Steak Salad (Neu Nam Tok)
- 3rd Place: Revival Market: Cauliflower Crositini – cauliflower hummus, homemade giardiniera, za’atar, chives
Lone Star Entrée Award
- 1st Place: Killen’s Tex Mex: Brisket suadero taco with black garlic salsa guacamole and queso fresco, and charro beans with jalapeno sausage
- 2nd Place: Gus’ Fried Chicken: Fried Chicken Wing
- 3rd Place: Russo’s Italian Kitchen: Lobster maestro – lobster essence, bianco, talegio, capelietti, maine lobster, smoked pecan
Two-Steppin’ Dessert Award
- 1st Place: Egghaus Gourmet: Texas Pecan Croissant
- 2nd Place: Ragin Cajun: Bread pudding with rum sauce
- 3rd Place: Ashley Cakes: Carrot Cake
Rookie Award
Craft Creamery: R-C Ranch Wagyu Brisket Ice Cream Sandwich
Trail Boss Food Truck Award
Cruisin Sushi: Cruisin Special Roll – fried roll inside chicken, zucchini, carrots, Monterrey cheese, Tampico, cream cheese and avocado, drizzled with homemade spicy mayo and eel sauce (homemade soy and jalapeno sauce on the side).
During the event, nearly 500 award-winning wines from the 2022 Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition were paired with gourmet dishes. The 19th annual wine competition was held in honor of Charles M. “Bear” Dalton, founding member of the annual wine competition, as well as the Rodeo’s wine committees. The competition featured 2,862 entries from 17 countries, including France, Spain, Italy, Israel, Peru, Argentina and South Africa. Of those entries, 480 entries were from Texas wineries, and 203 entries came from this year’s featured region, Washington State, an established wine-growing region with a reputation for excellence in wine production.
The 2022 Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition champions included:
- Grand Champion Best of Show – J. Lohr Vineyards Cuvee PAU Red, Paso Robles, 2017
- Reserve Grand Champion Best of Show – Nice Winery Cabernet Franc, Paicines, 2018
- Top Red Wine – Three Sticks Pinot Noir, Gap’s Crown Vineyard, Sonoma Coast, 2019
- Top White Wine – Ruffino Italian Orvieto Classico DOC, 2020
- Top Sparkling Wine – Meiomi Sparkling Rosé, North Coast, 2020
- Top Dessert Wine – Pillitteri Estates Winery Vidal Icewine, Niagara On The Lake VQA, 2019
- Top Value Wine – Apothic Merlot, California, 2019
- Top Wine Company – E&J Gallo Winery
- Top Region Wine Company – Ste Michelle Wine Estates
- Top Region Wine – Revelry Vintners Limited Edition Reveler Red, Columbia Valley, 2018
- Top All-Around Winery – J. Lohr Vineyards
- Top Texas Winery – Becker Vineyards
- Top Texas Wine – Hye Meadow Winery Boooom Red, Texas High Plains, 2017
Award-winning wines from the annual competition will be auctioned at the Rodeo Uncorked! Champion Wine Auction & Dinner on Sunday, Feb. 27.
A selection of the champion wines will be available for purchase, by the glass and bottle, in the Champion Wine Garden, presented by Frost Bank. The Champion Wine Garden, located in Carruth Plaza, is open throughout the Rodeo, Feb. 28 – March 20. Daily hours are Mondays through Thursdays, 4 to 11 p.m.; Fridays, 2 p.m. to midnight; Saturdays, 11 a.m. to midnight; and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Enjoy live music daily beginning at 4 p.m. on weekdays, 11 a.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. on Sundays.
For more information about the Champion Wine Garden, visit rodeohouston.com/Visit-the-Rodeo/Attractions-Activities/Wine-Garden.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo promotes agriculture by hosting an annual, family-friendly experience that educates and entertains the public, supports Texas youth, showcases Western heritage and provides year-round educational support within the community. Since its beginning in 1932, the Rodeo has committed more than $550 million to the youth of Texas and education. The 2022 Rodeo is scheduled for Feb. 28 – March 20. The 2022 World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest, presented by Cotton Holdings, is scheduled for Feb. 24 – 26. For more information, visit rodeohouston.com and connect with #RODEOHOUSTON online via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for all the latest news.
Now, on with the Rodeo, if you can stay on your ride!
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