Culinaria is back for a four-day Tasting Texas Wine + Food Festival, October 27-30, in partnership with Visit San Antonio (VSA) and the iconic James Beard Foundation (JBF). Culinaria welcomes renowned and up-and-coming Texas chefs as well as national all-stars focusing on platforms that will showcase their diversity of culinary talent and heritage at events ranging from walk-around tastings, intimate dinners, outdoor lunches, hands-on workshops, educational panels, and more. (Culinaria, 2022)

Festival attendees can customize their gastronomic experience by choosing between all-inclusive festival packages or a-la-carte event options starting at $100. Sportscaster and former San Antonio Spur Sean Elliott and his wife Claudia Zapata Elliott co-chair Culinaria host committee, an elevated sponsor package of $5,000 that includes recognition as an official host of Culinaria Tasting Texas Wine + Food Festival and VIP access to events. Culinaria Tasting Texas Wine + Food Festival will showcase James Beard Award Winners, nominees, and other titans of the food and beverage industry including:

GUEST CHEFS

• Rick Bayless, past winner of Bravo’s Top Chef Masters, host of “Mexico, One Plate at a Time” highly-rated Public Television series, and owner of Frontera Grill. See Chef Bayless in action at Agave, Saturday evening and at The Collective Grand Tasting on Sunday.
• Alex Raij, Txikito, New York
• Michelle Wallace, Gaitlins BBQ Houston
• Tony Luhrman, El Topo Houston
• Hugo Ortega, H Town Restaurant Group, Houston
• Ruben Ortega, H Town Restaurant Group, Houston
• Bobby Matos, State of Grace, Houston
• Alex Au-Yeung, Phat Eatery, Katy, TX
• Keisha Griggs, Ate Kitchen, Houston
• Emiliano Marentes, Elemi, El Paso
• Karla Espinoza, Mad Houston, Houston

LOCAL SAN ANTONIO CHEFS

• Jason Dady, Dady Restaurants
• Jeff Balfour, Southerleigh Hospitality
• John Brand, Hotel Emma
• Laurént Rea, Mon Chou Chou
• Kristina Zhao, Dashi
• PJ Edwards, Meadow
• Geronimo Lopez, Botika
• Elizabeth Johnson, Pharm Table
• Esaul Ramos, 2M Smokehouse
• Andres Farias, Mokara
• Stéphane Leopoldo, Signature Restaurant
• Camille De Los Reyes, Sari Sari

Visit Culinaria online for more information, including a complete list of chefs.

TASTING TEXAS EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

• The Collective Grand Tasting: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, noon to 6p.m., Travis Park
  • The Collective is an expanded Grand Tasting event located at Travis Park featuring more than 100 chefs, restaurants, hundreds of beverage brands, Texas Wine Garden, live fire activations, cooking demonstrations, educational seminars, mercantile market, and more.

• Southern Hospitality: Friday, 7p.m. to 9p.m., Pearl Brewery
  • Mashup of food and beverage celebrating the “Y’all Means All” culture of

Texas. From biscuits and gravy to hearty enchiladas and, of course, top-shelf cocktails, in a walk-around tasting event granting guest all-access to a front row seat of hospitality the Texas way.

• Celebrate Agave: Saturday, 7p.m to 9p.m., Travis Park
  • Aged, sipped, neat, or mixed, this walk-around tasting event celebrates all things agave and the cuisines that embrace it.

• Lunches and Dinners: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
  • Festival goers will have exclusive access to unique chef collaborations at dinner and lunch events held at varying locations across the city.

• Seminars and Workshops: Thursday, Friday, Saturday, times and locations vary
• With a theme to satisfy every interest, attendees will be able to sign up for seminars and workshops across a range of topics, including hands-on, small-group activities—from crafting cocktails and smoking meat—to panel discussions on women in the beverage industry, and concise eating and drinking.

TICKET PACKAGES

• Super VIP – $1,025
• Choice of one dinner on Thursday night plus Southern Hospitality, VIP Access to all three days of The Collective, Celebrate Agave, VIP Parties and VIP Only Seminars.
• The Weekender – $600
• General Admission to The Collective (all three days), Celebrate Agave and Southern Hospitality/
• Just the Collective – $300
• All three days of The Collective. Enjoy this all-inclusive and immersive experience. All food and beverage are included. You’ll only need one ticket to enjoy it all.
• Individual Tickets – starting at $100

“Culinaria is a lover of all things wine and food. We curate experiences for those who love to enjoy amazing pairings, in all forms. We can’t wait to welcome locals and visitors to the great city of San Antonio to experience the confluence of culture found across the culinary landscape.” – Suzanne Taranto-Etheredge, President and CEO, Culinaria.

Culinaria is an independent, not-for-profit organization, committed to promoting San Antonio as a premier food and wine destination, while fostering community growth and enrichment within the city we call home. For the past 22 years, Culinaria has been promoting locally sourced food and wine experiences in the San Antonio region through community events and culinary education opportunities, including Restaurant Weeks, a festival, and many others. Proceeds from events directly support this mission, enabling Culinaria to be a largely self-sustaining organization