Texas Hill Country
Food and Wine Festival
March 28
- April 1, 2007
Austin, Texas
Scott Syptak and Chef Doug Atkinson of Latigo Café-Bakery
Culinary professionals and food lovers from around the country gathered in Austin, Texas to participate in the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival, a four day extravaganza that showcases the best chefs, cuisine, and wine that Texas has to offer.
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2007 Dallas Rising Star Chef Lanny Lancarte of Lanny’s Alta Cocina Mexicana
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Over 50 chefs, pastry chefs and sommeliers, including StarChefs.com’s 2007 Dallas Rising Star Chef Lanny Lancarte of Lanny’s Alta Cocina Mexicana, participated in the Stars Across Texas event held at the Austin Hilton. More than 40 varieties of wine and liquor were on hand to accompany the wide range of cuisine.
Fresh local ingredients were a major focal point at the festival, highlighted in From Farm to Table, an event co-produced with the Sustainable Food Center. On Saturday afternoon at the Farmer’s Market in downtown Austin, representatives from 16 Texas farms teamed up with 13 local and national chefs, including guest chef John Ash of John Ash and Company in Santa Rosa, California, to create innovative dishes that utilized their local fresh meat, dairy and produce. Jeff Cox, author of Organic Cooks’ Bible, gave a speech on the merits of cooking with sustainable local ingredients while The Austin Family Jewels band provided entertainment with quintessential folk and bluegrass music.
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Master Sommelier Guy Stout moderates Three Sommeliers Take On Texas
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Executive Chef Mark Dyanandan
of Finn & Porter at the Austin Hilton Hotel
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Seasonal Dish at the Outdoor Fair |
When considering American wines, Texas isn’t necessarily the first place that comes to mind – but the state’s climate and soil are actually ideal for grape-growing, making it fifth largest wine-producing state in the nation. Texas Hill Country hosted several seminars and tastings that celebrated the state’s rapidly growing wine industry. On Saturday, three winners of Texas’ Best Sommelier Competition 2006 gathered at the Four Seasons to host Three Sommeliers Take On Texas. Guy Stout, Texas’ only Master Sommelier, moderated the interactive workshop where Craig Collins and Devon Broglie gave tips on their favorite wines and ideal food parings. Other wine events included a winemakers lunch, a vineyard tour, and a rare and fine wine charity auction.
The festival culminated with the outdoor Sunday Fair, held at San Gabriel Park on the banks of the San Gabriel River. Sponsored by the Texas Beef Council, the event featured a Wines and Vines seminar, a cooking class for kids, live music, and an “Ultimate Backyard” where chefs demonstrated cookout techniques and equipment.
Despite the grand scope of the event, the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival stayed true to its easy-going, hospitable Southern roots. Its events were highly interactive, entertaining and informative, showing that Texas has a lot to offer the culinary community.
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Shrimp Dish from Chef Kent Rathbun at Jasper's
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Larry McGuire of Lambert’s Downtown Barbeque in
Austin at Texas Farm to Table
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