The 11th Annual Sugar Land Wine & Food Affair is back with a slew of events sure to tickle your taste buds and whet your whistle. As always, the event, which organizers describe as a "celebration of all that is good, gooey, sweet, savory, bubbly, hoppy and simply irresistible," will feature numerous food and wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, seminars, cookbook signings and a bartending competition.
Check out the schedule of events, and get your tickets fast. The kickoff dinner is already sold out, but there are plenty of other opportunities to sip and sup in Sugar Land.
Wednesday, April 23
Judgment of Paris Kickoff Dinner Museum of Natural Science Sugar Land
From 6 to 9:30 p.m., guests can relive the famous/infamous wine tasting held in Paris in 1976 at which California wines beat out French wines in a blind taste test, shocking the world and establishing the United States as a major wine maker. Guests will be treated to a five-course meal and blind tastes of French and Californian wines, and they, along with the judges, will ultimately decide once again who wins: France or California. Unfortunately, tickets for this event are already sold out, but we'll be there covering it, so you can read all about it on the Eating...Our Words blog the next morning.
Thursday, April 24
On the Rocks Bartender's Challenge Sugar Land Regional Airport
Five of Houston's best mixologists are showing off their gin skills by making cocktails using Hendrick's Gin from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Anson Aviation hangar. Luis Villegas of El Big Bad, Leslie Ross of Triniti, Nathan Reffell of Lei Low, Sheridan Fay of El Big Bad and Blake Jorgensen of Prohibition Craft of Cocktails will be competing against each other for $1,000. The event will be hosted by alcohol writer David Alan, also known as the "Tipsy Texan," and judged by Nick Babcock, the Houston mixologist for Republic National Distributing Company; Kris von Dopek, a Hendrick's Gin ambassador; Katherine Whaley of KHOU; Marcy de Luna of CultureMap; and Kehlen Selph, winner of last year's challenge. The winning drink will be declared the official cocktail of the Sugar Land Wine & Food Affair and will be served at several events later during the week. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased online.
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