It’s Go Texan month, so soon, we will see trail riders pass through Conroe on their journey to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Yes, everything is bigger in Texas as this is the world's largest rodeo and livestock show, with over two million visitors and raising tens of millions of dollars for scholarships, junior show exhibitors, educational program grants, and graduate assistantships.
The show is a huge deal, but did you know HLSR also hosts an extensive international wine competition? Early in my career as a wine sales rep, I loved rodeo season because I always sold a ton of extra wine along the rural trail routes. “What do a bunch of cowboys and girls know about wine?” you ask.
Well, they know quite a lot. The wine judging panel is made up of sommeliers & wine professionals with centuries of combined wine experience, and they take this judging very seriously. This year they tasted over 3,000 wines from 18 countries, including over 500 entries from Texas.
What’s nice about this judging is that it’s not just about the money. There are a ton of great wine values on their final medal and awards list. The challenge is finding these wines. The judging took place last November, so retailers and restaurateurs have been buying them up for months.
My mission was to find some of these wines at our local retailers in the Conroe area, and I did have a little luck. Some of my notables are listed below, but one thing I love to see about this competition is the amount of Texas wines that get tasted and awarded.
Becker Vineyards of Fredericksburg won Top All-Around Winery and Top Texas Wine with Barbera. Messina H of Winery of Bryan won Top Texas Winery. I was especially excited to see that Antiquity Chardonnay from little ole Bernhardt Winery in Plantersville won Reserve Grand Champion Best of Show. That’s the 2nd best wine of all those tasted. Unfortunately, this is one that is very hard to find. I found shelf tags for it but no bottles.
Here are a few things I like that I was also able to find at our area HEBs.
Catena Zapata Malbec is my favorite producer out of Argentina.
Pinot Gris from A to Z Wineworks is out of Oregon. It’s the same grape as Pinot Grigio. The cooler Oregon climate makes it very elegant in style.
Becker Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. Becker does Cabernet well, and this is a nice wine.
Josh Prosecco is a very nice alternative to all the mass-produced Proseccos out there. Yes, Josh Cellars is out of California, but they source their Prosecco from the Prosecco region in Veneto, Italy.
Risata Moscato d’Asti, rated as the Top Value Wine, is an elegantly sweet frizzante (lightly sparkling) wine.
I wish I could list all my favs, but below are the links to the event overview and winner’s list for you to explore yourself.
If you are willing to venture downtown, award-winning wines from the competition will be paired with gourmet dishes at the 2023 Rodeo Uncorked! Roundup & Best Bites Competition, Feb. 19, and will be sold at the 2023 Champion Wine Auction & Dinner, Feb. 26. A selection of the Class Champion, Reserve Class Champions, and medal-winning wines will also be available for purchase in the Rodeo Uncorked! Champion Wine Garden, presented by Frost Bank, during the 2023 Rodeo, scheduled for Feb. 28 – March 19.
For more information on Rodeo Uncorked! events, visit rodeohouston.com/wine
Mike Kelton is a 32-year wine veteran working in both the distributor & importer/supplier sectors of the wine industry. He resides in Conroe and owns several restaurants in Montgomery County, including Hunger Crush Café, Treehouse Café, and Sweet Paris Creperie & Cafe.