More than 40 restaurants and over 300 beverages filled the grounds of The Woodlands Resort on Saturday, Oct. 24, for the 22nd Annual H-E-B Wine Walk, Hello Woodlands reported.
The event marked the second consecutive year at the resort venue. It featured live music on two stages, a VIP lounge inside the resort and themed zones including a beer garden, dessert area and bubbles bar. This year's Wine & Food Week carried a "Going Places" theme, with the walk serving as the season's closing event.
Constance McDerby and her Food & Vine Time Productions team organized the walk. Columnist Ruben Borjas Jr. wrote in Montgomery County News that the wooded resort setting gave the event "a more rustic feel allowing for an extra layer of relaxation …"
Local restaurants brought standout dishes. Babin's, on I-45, served a shrimp, crab and avocado cocktail drizzled with jalapeño ranch and lime juice. Back Table Kitchen & Bar in The Woodlands offered brisket arepas on jalapeño flatbread with pineapple chipotle barbecue sauce and pickled onions.
Thistle Draftshop and its speakeasy, The Blind Finch, drew attention with a black garlic herb cheddar biscuit. Chef Trenis Shields and Mary Thorn topped the biscuit with crispy prosciutto, chili marmalade, edible tangerine marigold petals and microgreens, according to Borjas.
H-E-B's own booth paired an El Pastor paella with a cucumber-lime-mint agua fresca garnished with a Tajín-dusted cucumber slice. Mocktails from Big Hat rounded out the non-wine options.
Wine selections ranged from Texas to Italy. Bernhardt Winery sales director Robyn Arcia poured a new sparkling brut rosé called Aristocrat from the Plantersville winery's Antiquity collection. Becker Vineyards of Fredericksburg brought a Saignée Rosé blending Counoise, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tannat and Syrah grapes. Italian brand Cavit offered a Select Pinot Noir.
Proceeds from Wine & Food Week support charitable organizations including the Montgomery County Food Bank, New Danville and The Woodlands Arts Council. New Danville serves adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Shang & Byron provided live music across two stages. A VIP upgrade gave guests access to premium wines, an extra hour and elevated food inside the resort.
The Woodlands Arts Council's next major event, the Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival, runs April 9-11, 2027, along the Waterway.
