Come to Austin (Live Music Capital of the World) for one day or all five for the Saveur Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival. Current schedule not available, yet. Check out last year's events at http://www.texaswineandfood.org/event.htm

This post is for connoisseur groups or individuals wishing to attend the Rare & Fine Wine Auction, Saturday April 3, 2004 at the Four Seasons. We got involved years ago. Our group would donate a lot to the auction,buy a table at the auction, buy a lot or two, then consume our finds at our next gathering.

You can sign up for the auction when the 2004 events are posted. If you are interested in reserving a table(for 10)prior to the official opening or in donating a lot($500 or greater value) to the wine auction, please contact stipton@austin.rr.com

Yeah, right.

Joe

Hey WIML, I rolled my eyes when I first heard about this, too, because I thought it was just about wine made in Texas. I was invited to the auction, and while it is a charitable event, so nothing is being given away (I thought the reserves on some were a bit high) the wines being auctioned ranged from a mag of 82 Cheval Blanc, a '61 Palmer (started at $700; went for around $1,100), and lots and lots of Calif wine, some of which was donated by the wineries. I scored a mixed case of mostly 97 Calif reds, all signed by the winemakers, like a Seghesio Chianti Station Sangiovese, and a DM of Acacia Beckstoffer Pinot (from the winery), all for under $400.

Let me know if you come down to Austin. Maybe we can get a group together for an off line.

The auction was fun. There was actually very little Texas wine on the block.

remind us in march!

Chris

You can check the full event schedule at the Saveur website, now. On-line registration begins February 23rd. My offer was to allow you to reserve a table/seats at the auction before available to the general public and sold out.

If you contact me directly, I have a limited number of last year's catalogue I can send you for a teaser. This year, auction lots less than $500 in value go into the simultaneous silent auction. There should be about 300 lots of a wide range of values. Most of the wines come directly from the wineries, importers or private collections, not otherwise available retail. The value is set by published market data.

I've been to the festival several times before. It is an incredible event. What's the theme this year?

With Coleman Andrews/Saveur Magazine at the helm this year, the focus, like the magazine, is on on regionalism in food, wine, spirits and music. The official theme is "Farm to Market, Coast to Coast". Many of the great international winemakers are represented, just no boring panel discussions stacked with aging winemakers beating the "terrior" horse to death this year. More events (and more like parties), more music, 37 guest chefs, more culinary events than before and focus on the new breed of sommeliers (You know, where bourbon and tequila fit into the landscape).

Reminder that the online registration for the Saveur Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival begins Monday February 23rd. Check out the Schedule at the website, now. http://www.texaswineandfood.org/index.html

Hardly any time for an independent offline. But why would you want to?

Rooms a blocked at the Four Seasons, but the new Hilton and Hampton Inn are about a block away. All offsite events have busses available.

If '45 Lafite, '00 Latour, all '82 or '95 First Growths, all '99 Guigal La La's, Romanee-Conti, La Tache, Richbourg, Beaucastel, Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, Pahlmeyer, Kistler, Harlan, Sine Que Non, Insignia, Vega Sicilia, Pesquera, Gaja, Solaia, Solengo, Integrity, Torbreck, Grange, and Henry's Drive piques your interest, then check out the draft listing of all lots available. To be updated in a day or two. winefoodfoundation.org