The crowd enjoys Totally Tejas at Rio Cibolo Ranch.

Smoke infused the warm, muggy air out at Rio Cibolo Ranch Sunday afternoon, as barbecue cookers were fired up across from the main pavilion. Couples with kids, extended families, even a few family dogs, had made their way out to Zeuhl Sunday to enjoy this closing event of Culinaria.

The festival, with a new name and partner, the Valero Texas Open, had performed a quick turnaround from its 2009 festival in November.

“It’s amazing. This was the best festival ever,” said Suzanne Taranto, Culinaria president, as the afternoon drew to a close.  Taranto, along with staff members Ginger McAnear and Christina Higgs, were grateful for the success, but already thinking about new events to launch at Culinaria 2011.

Totally Tejas spreads out around the main pavilion at the ranch. Most of the action was inside, where people sold arts and crafts, and festival goers tasted cheeses and cold cuts from H-E-B, and sampled beers and wines from Texas, as well as wines from other domestic and international wineries. Texas Tide played pop and country tunes, while the barbecue teams outside prepared for the second annual Totally Tejas barbecue competition.

One of the smoked chickens entered in the barbecue contest

Judges (chef Tomme Johnson of The Grill at Leon Springs, Craig Cristopher of Rio Cibolo Ranch, John Griffin and myself) sampled chicken, brisket and ribs, judging on taste and texture. Then, they walked around to check out the barbecue stations and see who looked the best (or acted the most hospitable).

The top awards were presented:

Chicken:

1. FJK Ranch (San Antonio)
2. Smoky Bones
3. Two Bros. BBQ Market

A boy shows his parents a wagonload of cactus at Rio Cibolo Ranch.

Ribs:

1. Smoky Bones (Seguin)
2. BBQ Nation
3. FJK Ranch

Brisket:

1. Smoky Bones
2. Cactus Cookers
3. BBQ Nation and Two Bros. BBQ Market (tie)

Most  hospitable team award winner was Pig Pen Smokers from New Braunfels.

BBQ Nation offers 'cue and cheer at Totally Tejas.

Strolling the grounds of the JW Marriott

Diana Barrios Trevino serves tortilla-wrapped sliders.

Culinaria, the event formerly known as the New World Wine & Food Festival, showed off the manicured lawns of the new JW Marriott Thursday night with a relaxed Burgers,  BBQ, Beer and Texas Spirits.

Hundreds of locals as well as those attending the Valero Texas Open strolled the lush green lawn from booth to booth sampling sliders made of everything from salmon to pork and, yes, beef. The little treats came on a variety of buns and rolls as well as wrapped in tortillas and were served up by an array of restaurants that included Auden’s Kitchen, La Hacienda de los Barrios and the resort itself while Two Bros. BBQ Market and Texas Pride Barbecue dished up some smoked meats.

Texas spirits included Dripping Springs Rum and Republic Tequila, while beers from Real Ale and Alamo showed what area brewers are capable of.

There were also wines, ranging from the summery Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc and the ever-pleasurable Jordan Chardonnay to Bonterra’s organic Cabernet Sauvignon and Ferrari-Carano’s Cab from Alexander Valley for those who prefer reds.

Guests arrive for Burgers, Barbecue, Beer and Texas Spirits

It was a evening made for the open spaces under the Texas sky, a perfect setting for Texas fare, drinks and music, as Robert Earl Keen ended out the evening. His album title, “A Bigger Piece of Sky,” offered an apt description for the setting.

The festival continues Friday with several events, including the Grand Tasting at the Grotto under the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, 200 E. Market St. Tickets are $60. For more information, visit the Culinaria site or check out the SavorSA calendar of events for the weekend.

Sip, Savor and Shop attendees stop to sample spicy sausages at a restaurant station.

The newly named Culinaria, formerly the New World Wine & Food Festival, opened Wednesday night at the Shops at La Cantera.

As wine sellers and restaurateurs  put finishing touches on their stations, fired up the chafing dishes and iced down the drinks, festival-goers began to stream in.

“It’s crazy,” said Christina Higgs, a Culinaria staffer. “But we knew it would be, it’ll be fine.”

This event premiered at November’s New World Wine & Food Festival, but the festival staff had to do a quick turnaround to stage it again just six months later.  In addition to the new name and date, the festival now has a new partner in the Valero Texas Open.

Those who attended Sip, Savor and Shop received wine glasses and sampled such fare as spicy sausages from Maggiano’s Italian restaurant. Also this evening at the Shops was the VIP Bubbles & Cocktails Event at Tiffany & Co.

Tomorrow evening’s choices are between winemaker dinners and the always popular Burgers, BBQ, Beer and Texas Spirits at the JW Marriott. 

Look for a full schedule of events at the Culinaria website.

Name change to 'Culinaria' also features a new look for the New World Wine & Food Festival.

Some new events at Culinaria (formerly called the New World Wine & Food Festival) will be on the schedule of the five-day food, wine and spirits event which begins today.

In addition to the new name, of course, Culinaria is happening in the spring, now, instead of the fall.  And it has a new partner — the Valero Texas Open.

One new event is the Bloody Mary Brunch, which is on Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Citrus at the Hotel Valencia downtown. There are two seatings, one at 11 a.m. and one at 1 p.m. The cost is $40. This event is sponsored by Grey Goose Vodka, and attendees get to learn how to make “The World’s Best Bloody Mary”.

There’s also a new twist on a past favorite event. In addition to burgers and beer at the JW Marriott Thursday night, festival-goers can dine on barbecue and sample some Texas spirits. This event, Burgers, BBQ, Beer & Texas Spirits is from 6-9 p.m. and costs $35. (Check ahead — this is a popular event and could sell out.)

Craft beer and Texas produced spirits will be available for sampling. Mixologists and master distillers from Treaty Oak Texas Rum and Dripping Springs Texas Vodka will speak about their brands and craftsmanship and taste what makes them so special. At 8 p.m.at the Valero Texas music pavilion, Robert Earl Keen will perform. The package price for a day of golf at the Valero Texas Open, Burgers, BBQ, Beer & Texas Spirits with Robert Earl Keen is $55.

For more information on festival events, the New World Wine & Food Festival site, nwwff.org is still the place to look, for the time being.  SavorSA also lists the events in our Upcoming Events section.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday announced the New World Wine & Food Festival's joining of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Suzanne Taranto, executive director of the NWWFF, stands next to Hispanic Chamber of Commerce member Joshua Hernandez. Chef Johnny Hernandez is far right and chef Jason Dady, a board member of the NWWFF, is in back, center.

The New World Wine & Food Festival was introduced as a new member of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Thursday evening.  The ribbon-cutting ceremony at Restaurant Insignia, downtown at the Fairmount Hotel, was light hearted. But the two entities made serious statements of dedication to supporting cultural and artistic endeavors in San Antonio.

Suzanne Taranto, executive director of the NWWFF, did the ribbon-cutting honors with an enormous pair of scissors, while HCC president and CEO Ramiro Cavazos, other officers and members of the chamber looked on.

Taranto also presented HCC member, chef Johnny Hernandez, with a San Pasqual Award for his contribution to the community and his willingness to help and promote others in the trade. Hernandez, who soon will open his new restaurant, La Gloria, on the grounds of the Pearl Brewery, is also chairman of the Best of Mexico event at the NWWFF.

The festival is May 12-16. For more information go to www.nwwff.org.

Geography and climate played major roles in making this red wine.

The New World Wine & Food Festival is gearing up for May 12-16. This new spring date is set to coincide with the Valero Texas Open, a new partner for the festival.

The  latest additions to the schedule of events are two wine seminars to be held in the afternoon of May 15 at the Hilton Palacio del Rio, 200 S. Alamo St., downtown.

The wine seminars are described below. For a complete schedule of events and ticket information visit www.nwwff.org.

Napa Valley Rocks
1 p.m., Hilton Palacio del Rio, $35 per person
Napa Valley Rocks will dig into what makes the Napa Valley America’s premier winegrowing region. You’ll explore the unique geological formation of the valley, why it is the ideal climate to grow grapes, historical milestones, and the tradition of leadership that is continued today.

Mastering Wine Aromas & the Aroma ‘Wheel of Fortune’
3 p.m., Hilton Palacio del Rio, $35 per person
Wine is experienced through different senses — sight, aroma, and taste. But more than 90 percent of our sensory perception of it derives from its aroma. This presentation familiarizes participants with common wine aromas while presenting a thought- provoking and fun competition. Participants learn how to define wine aromas, understand “off” aromas (faults), and develop an aroma vocabulary to identify and discuss wines and their characteristic aromas (e.g., what does a great Cabernet Sauvignon smell like?).

San Antonio’s New World Wine & Food Festival will be moving its festival date to May of next year, says president and CEO, Suzanne Taranto.

This time period coincides and partners with The Valero Texas Open.

“Our new date and subsequent partnership will allow us to offer multi-faceted outreach to sponsors, visitors, chefs, wineries and more, with incredible potential for growth and expansion,” she said.

More information about the partnership and dates will be announced. The New World Wine & Food Festival just celebrated its 10th anniversary in November.

The day drew to a close at Rio Cibolo Ranch, where the final event of this year’s New World Wine & Food Festival took place on Sunday. Rain had been forecast but never materialized. A first-ever Texas Regional Barbeque Showdown was fun for the SavorSA judges who participated. But, it was a real treat for people who sampled the peppery pork ribs, succulent chicken and flavorful brisket outside at the smokers all afternoon.

This popular event was as well-attended as ever. And, in fact the  festival was a success — even in this year with an economy in the doldrums.

Brandon Garza cutting ribs for the Beko 1 Team

“We had more people at the festival than we expected this year,” said festival president and CEO, Suzanne Taranto. “Everything has been so great.  Saturday night at the New World Grand Tasting the chefs really stepped up their game. On Friday, the Black Tie was sold out. The (new) Bubbles Event on Thursday was crazy;  people just about killed us to get tickets,” she said, joking. The event, at the top of the Watermark Hotel, marked the anniversary of the festival.

While barbecue, music from Texas Tide and hayrides were big attractions outdoors at Totally Tejas, inside, in the sprawling pavilion, there was more. The fare ranged from salami, cheese and prosciutto to sushi, wild mushroom tarts, from H-E-B,  Shypoke Eggs from Timbo’s, pulled pork and  crab cakes.  Wines poured were from Texas to New Zealand and all parts in between. Vodka with muddled berries was a big draw, as were icy bottles of St. Arnold beer and root beer.

Best Ribs: Wack 'Em & Stack 'Em

Best Chicken: Beko 1 (Ben E. Keith Foods)

Best Brisket: Two Bros. BBQ

Late in the afternoon, the winners of the Texas Regional Barbeque Showdown were announced. This contest pitted San Antonio restaurants against amateur barbecue teams.  The winners were Wack ‘Em & Stack ‘Em, getting top prize for their ribs; Beko 1 (Ben E. Keith Foods) took first prize for barbecued chicken. San Antonio restaurateur Jason Dady (Two Bros. BBQ) took top honors for his team’s brisket.

Lori Baca (left) and Susan Houser

What makes a Grand Tasting grand? Is it the steelhead trout and olives marinated in Tito’s Vodka from Las Canarias? Is it the Brown Estate Zinfandel that kept evolving the glass into something richer and finer with each sip? How about a bacon-wrapped quail’s leg from Fig Tree Restaurant? Or a cocktail from Bohanan’s made with Maker’s Mark and ginger beer?

To the hundreds of people who filled the Grotto beneath the Convention Center Saturday evening for the New World Wine & Food Festival’s Grand Tasting, the answer could have been any of the above.

Throngs filled the vast space along the River Walk to sample smoked halibut chowder from the upcoming Auden’s Kitchen or mussels from Citrus, sip Saint Arnold’s beer or rose from Pedernales Cellars in Stonewall. Each bite seemed to be more satisfying than the one that preceded it.

Bacon-wrapped quail’s leg from Fig Tree Restaurant.

Wildfish offered up a sashimi slice of Hebi, also known as Hawaiian spearfish, with a dollop of wasabi, while Lux Bakery tempted people with its pan dulces. At the same time, Bulgarian wines were poured alongside Scharffenberger sparkling wines.

Jason Dady offered a five-course meal, one dish from each of his restaurants, starting with a shrimp appetizer from Bin 555 and moving on to a Purple Cow (Blue Bell Vanilla with grape soda and whipped cream) from Two Bros. BBQ Market for dessert.

Though the array of food spread itself from the Grill at Leon Springs’ sliders to a leek and mushroom tart from the Peach Café in Boerne, the most common ingredient of the night seemed to be duck.

Kirby’s offered duck confit with a raspberry sauce while Acenar piled duck on a corn chip. Boudro’s offered duck carnitas on a taco, and Tong’s Thai offered duck with an Asian Twist. Francesca’s at Sunset served duck pot pies and captured more than a few hearts.

“The duck pot pie – that was the best,” said Michelle Robinson, who was attending the event for the first time. One of her favorite wines of the evening was Rivero Gonzalez from Mexico, which was a shame, she added, because “it’s not in the States yet.”

Jennifer Walker, a friend of Robinson’s visiting from the Cincinnati area, agreed that the duck pot pie was the best bite of the evening. But she had to admit that “it was all good.”

Her favorite wine was Becker Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve.

Walker’s husband, Mark, also fell for the duck pot pie, but equally good to him was the pomegranate-rhubarb macaroon filled with foie gras that Dady served from the Lodge Restaurant of Castle Hills.

The couple had chosen to visit this weekend because of the Grand Tasting, and they enjoyed it so much they plan to come back next year, Mark Walker said.

The New World Wine & Food Festival concludes today with Totally Tejas at Rio Cibolo Ranch. For details, click here.

Intermittent showers couldn’t dampen spirits Sunday at Sip, Savor & Shop, the opening event of the 10th anniversary of the New World Wine & Food Festival.

Guests strolled through the new section of the Shops at La Cantera where fashion shows, food and fine wines were served up while the stores offered discounts and makeovers.

Wines ranged from Domaine de la Gardine and Franciscan Magnificat to Texas’ best from Becker Vineyards, Llano Estacado and Messina Hof. Restaurants and caterers, including Kona Grill, Grimaldi’s, Mariposa at Nieman Marcus, El Papalote, Così and the RK Group, served up a host of dishes including tacos norteños,  tuna tartare, bacon-wrapped chicken bites and pizza.

Towards the end of one shower, a rainbow arched briefly over the Shops at La Cantera, and the sight of it made the raindrops inconsequential.

SavorSA was also on hand offering tastes of holiday Cran-Raspberry Sauce (for the recipe, click here), an easy-to-make relish that’s great with Thanksgiving turkey or poured on top of ice cream. As the afternoon progressed, more ideas on how to make and serve the sauce evolved. Pour it over cream cheese or alongside baked Brie for an easy appetizer. Serve it with pork tenderloin, pork chops or roast chicken. Add jalapeños or serranos for a kick, or stir in pecan pieces for a welcome textural addition.

The New World Wine & Food Festival continues at 7 p.m. Tuesday with Burgers & Beer at Bin 555. For a full schedule, click here.