Forget the bluebonnets and the azaleas; I know spring has sprung in the Lone Star State when the first wine and food festivals begin. That’s when wine and food enthusiasts like me, keep their calendars handy.

Savor Dallas, which kicked off its 10th anniversary this week at the 66-acre Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens “Dallas Blooms,” leads the pack of viticulture and epicurean festivals.

The festivals, some laid back and some formal, offer something for everyone. But in reviewing seven annual Texas food and wine festivals, I discovered that each one is different and unique in its own way.

Houston's Food and Wine Festival. Photo Steven David

Savor Dallas

Take Savor Dallas, which began Thursday and ends Saturday. It’s unique because in addition to the Dallas Arboretum, attendees get a chance to sip and stroll amid the architectural splendor of the world class Dallas Arts District.

Here, the Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center, Meyerson Symphony Center, the Crow Collection of Asian Art, Winspear Opera House, and landmark Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral form stellar backdrops for showcasing haute cuisine prepared by the city’s best chefs and best Dallas restaurants.

“When we started this all those years ago, our mission was pretty straightforward. We wanted support the city we love, and give upscale food and wine lovers the kind of experience they deserve,” said Jim White, who founded Savor Dallas with his wife, Vicki Briley-White, in 2004.

In addition to Thursday’s first event, “Savor the Arboretum,” other venues include the Omni Dallas Hotel and Resorts and the adjacent Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. During the three-day festival, guests will indulge on craft beer, spirits, and more than 400 premium wines. Saturday’s daytime activities include a winemaker tasting panel and modern mixology seminar.

While Savor Dallas draws some 5,000 people annually, it’s not the largest nor the oldest food and wine event in Texas. But this festival-a favorite with visual arts lovers-may be one of the most affordable. Individual tickets run $20 to $150. A weekend pass is $375. An added plus is an engraved  wineglass guests keep as a souvenir. For tickets visit www.savordallas.com

“It all started with the city of Grapevine; they started GrapeFest nearly 30 years ago. Now there are so many food and wine festivals in Texas each weekend, that it’s hard to decide which one to participate in,” said Paul Bonarrigo, who with his wife, Merrill, founded Messina Hof Winery in 1977 in Bryan, Texas. The winery is one of seven Texas wineries showcased at Savor Dallas this year.

Fort Worth’s Food and Wine Festival

The proliferation of wine and food events is one reason that yet another Texas metropolis is saddling up to ride the festival circuit. Fort Worth’s Inaugural Food and Wine Festival debuts March 27 and runs to March 30.

Bourbon Quail Tacos from Reata restaurant exec chef Juan Rodriguez.  It's a dish that will be offered at the Fort Worth Food and Wine Festival kickoff party at Billy Bob's

Fort Worth is the real McCoy when it comes to genuine Western culture. Cowboys still roam the historic Stockyards during a daily cattle drive. In fact, this is one of the festival’s unique venues at a kick-off party Thursday at the most famous honky tonk in the world, Billy Bob’s Texas.

Twelve of the city’s finest chefs, including celebrity chef Tim Love of Lonesome Dove and Iron Chef America television fame, will prepare delicious bites paired with Texas-made craft beer, wines, and spirits. While there won’t be any bull riding this time, there will be live music.

“I’m very excited that we’re finally having our own food and wine festival. Fort Worth has a lot of great chefs, and this city is moving up on the culinary scene nationwide,” said Juan Rodriguez, Reata restaurant executive chef and sous chef for Love during the Iron Chef America competition.
Other venues during the four-day event include the Renaissance Worthington Hotel, where Friday evening’s Grand Tasting features over 100 wineries, local craft breweries and distilleries, and delectable cuisine.

Juan Rodriguez, former Iron Chef participant, has been Fort Worth's Reata restaurant executive chef since 2012.

Guest chefs are: John Tesar of Spoon, Tom Perini of Perini Ranch Steakhouse and James Beard Award nominee for “Best Chef: Southwest,” Matt McCallister of FT33. Tickets range from $50 to $500. Visit www.fortworthfoodandwinefestival.com

Hit the trail for “Burgers, Brews and Blues” at Edwards Ranch on Saturday evening. Saturday and Sunday brunch is a fabulous “Sip and Savor” event at the Renaissance Worthington Hotel. Sunday’s finale is “Meals on Wheels” at the Coyote Drive-In, where famous North Texas food trucks offer quirky comfort food-fare.

Having attended performances at Bass Performance Hall, it seems surreal to think the stage will be the setting for Saturday’s formal dinner. At “Taste of the World, An Epicurean Stroll through the Arts,” guests will enjoy delicious cuisine and rare wines while entertained by Fort Worth’s best performing artists.

San Antonio’s Culinaria

San Antonio’s Culinaria, which kicks off with a race on Saturday, is one-of-a kind. It combines food and wine with year-round activities. Culinaria sprinted into spring with a 5K wine and beer run Saturday. But its five-day food and wine festival is May 14-18. On Aug. 9, there is a “Ramblin Rose” wine event, and Aug. 16-23 is San Antonio’s Restaurant Week.

The Alamo City, with its historic Spanish missions and iconic Riverwalk, needs no additional props to stage a host of Culinaria events. This unique city is also special among Texas festivals due to its international flare. San Antonio is the No. 1 tourist destination in Texas, so why not spice up our lives by planning a vacation around festival events? Ticket information is at: www.culinariasa.org.

May 14-18 themes for stellar cuisine, paired with wine, beer and tequila include: The Best of Mexico, Becker Vineyards Luncheon, Sabado at Casa Hernan, The Grand Tasting, Burgers, BBQ and Beer, H-E-B Food Truck event, Taste Test Education, and The Dinners. Although its earlier annual event, the Paella Challenge, focused on Spain’s national dish, the global gastronomy continues year round with guest chefs from Mexico participating at the annual May festival.

Culinaria, founded in 2000, is a nonprofit that promotes San Antonio as a premier wine and food destination. It showcases the city’s chefs and restaurants through its ongoing events. It also supports culinary arts education and awards scholarships through its capital fundraising campaign for a future Culinaria Center & Gardens for Food, Nature, Agricultural and Education.

Sugar Land Wine and Food Affair

Sugar Land, south of the city of Houston, will celebrate its 11th anniversary April 23-27. The  Sugar Land Wine and Food Affair is held amid palm-treed boulevards and seasoned with exotic international flare. Guest chefs include those from Mexico during the event’s five-day run. Here again, the wineglass makes a nifty souvenir.

The Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce produces the event in conjunction with the University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management. Festival proceeds benefit a permanent scholarship endowment for Houston’s finest hospitality students.

Festivities start Wednesday, April 23, with themed dinners, wine tastings, seminars, and cooking demonstrations at various venues, including as the Sugar Land Marriott Town Square, Sugar Land Town Square, and historic Imperial Sugar factory with Char House.

One of the big draws this year is the participation of celebrated chefs from Mexico, who will prepare fine Mexican cuisine paired with wines, beer and small-batch tequila. A competition among Houston’s best mixologists for a $1,000 prize, and tequila, beer and wine seminars make this festival more eclectic. Tickets to this one-of-a kind festival range from $40 to $175.

Sugar Land’s “The Judgment of Paris” kick off dinner really caught my attention. Guests will relive a famous 1976 wine tasting in which California wines beat out French wines! The Paris wine tasting made worldwide headlines. This is just one of six tastings, seminars and other events festival goers will enjoy. Visit www.sugarlandwineandfoodaffair.com for ticket information.

Austin Food & Wine Festival

Austin Food & Wine Festival, which begins its three-day run April 25, overlaps Sugar Land’s Wine & Food Affair. It also coincides with Galveston Island’s Food and Wine Festival, April 24-27. But no worries, each festival is different enough that wine lovers have choices.

Austin’s festival, with more than 40 events beneath Texas-sized tents “al fresco” style, is a chef-celebrity-driven affair. In fact, it may be the most expensive festival in Texas. One reason may be the Travel Channel’s Andrew Zimmern, one of the most famous out-of-state guest chefs. Austin only offers two options in the form of passes instead of individual event tickets, so a Taste pass is $250 and a Savor pass is $850. See details at: www.austinfoodandwinefestival.com

Food writers and fans of TV food show will recognize most of the award-winning chefs from across the country. But Texas now boasts its own home-grown celebrity chefs as well. That’s why chefs Tim Love, Tyson Cole, and Jesse Herman teamed with Austin City Limits producer Charlie Jones to create a food and wine smorgasbord of cooking demos, grilling demos, giant fire pits, contests and down home music. One of the highlights is the “Rock Your Taco” competition.

It’s no wonder Butler and Republic Square parks serve as outdoor venues where tents are pitched to accommodate a throng of food and wine lovers. The come-as-you are festival kicks off with a Thursday, April 24 “Feast Under the Stars.” The pre-festival dinner at Butler Park is this year’s new addition to the festivities. Tickets are $185 each and not part of Taste or Savor festival passes.

Galveston Island Food and Wine Festival

Texas can be a steamy place to sip wine outdoors in the spring. But the 5th Annual Galveston Island Food and Wine Festival, April 24-27, is like no other. Galveston’s iconic Seawall Boulevard is one reason. The beach, which sparks vacation ideas, is another. So what’s not to like about a festival that offers, sun, sand and sea as an added bonus?

The Galveston festival starts April 9 with a blind-wine tasting at Bienville Social 323, a private events venue. Participants taste more than 150 wines and pick the top three reds and whites. April 24, La Chaine des Rotisseurs members vote to decide the festival’s Grand Champion wines. Tickets range from $25 to $130 for a package. Detailed information is at: www.galveston.com/foodandwine.

Saturday, April 26, is Galveston’s Grand Tasting, the highlight of the annual festival. Revelers will be given a passport to be stamped by international vintners as they sample wines from all over the world. A popular park at 21st and Market is the setting for folks to sip and swirl amid art exhibits and live music.

Local restaurant chefs will prepare delicious hors d’oeuvres for the event. Tickets include a souvenir wineglass and event program. Purchase tickets as a package, and indulge in Friday’s premium tasting. The festival culminates with an exquisite brunch and champagne event on Sunday. 

Houston’s Wine & Food Week

Houston’s Wine & Food Week is also celebrating its 10th anniversary June 2-8. The region’s largest and most comprehensive epicurean food and wine week attracts more than 10,000 guests and participants annually.

The week long slate of events includes wine education classes, chef demos, cookbook author events, silent auctions and much more. Tickets range from $20 to $250. For ticket information go to: www.wineandfoodweek.com.

Envisioned as more of a “travel, food and wine destination” by founders Constance and Clifton McDerby, Houston’s fun-filled week features more than 500 wines and chef-prepared cuisine from 50 upscale restaurants. The couple created the destination after they relocated to Houston from New Orleans in 2001.

“We thought, ‘this is the fourth largest city in the country, and there’s no food and wine week,’ so we decided to start one. Then when it drew 3,000 people, we realized we were on to something,” said Constance, adding that their experienced New Orleans friends helped them design Houston’s first-ever event.

Now, their company, Food and Vine Productions, produces several festivals, including Haute Wheels Houston THE Food Truck Festival, Zest in the West, Katy Sip & Stroll (April) Brew Masters Craft Beer Festival and Big Brew Houston, their newest. But two-year-old Wine Fair Cy-Fair has taken off like wildfire.

While there will be unique gastronomic experiences throughout Houston, but most of the events take place in The Woodlands. Situated 25 miles north of Houston, this is one of the most upscale suburbs in Texas. The Woodlands is known for its abundant cypress trees, waterway and amenities.

The Marriott Waterway’s “yacht” ensures hotel guests arrive at the three most important events: H-E-B’s “Wine Walk” at Market Street, “Sip, Suds & Sliders” at The Woodland’s Mall, and Saturday’s “Wine Rendezvous Grand Tasting & Chef Showcase.”

Boston’s award-winning celebrity chef, Jose Duarte of Taranta fame, is one of several high profile chefs who travel to Texas each year to participate in Houston’s Wine & Food Week.  

Chef Jose Duarte travels from Boston's Taranta restaurant each year to participate in Houston's annual F&W week.

Aside from the chef-prepared feasts and dozens of wine, spirits and beer festival goers will enjoy, out-of-town and local chefs compete for a $5,000 cash prize in the “Waterford Crystal Chef of Chefs” award. There will also be a “Just Desserts” confectionary competition to crown the king of desserts.

Houston's F&W Grand Tasting. Photo Steven David

In conclusion, I think all these food and wine events are worth the trip, especially because proceeds go toward culinary arts scholarships, local food banks and the local community. So I’ll drink to that any day. Cheers.