Wine and Food Week’s Platinum Wine Vault 2025, at Bayway Cadillac of The Woodlands

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- Woodlands Wine & Food Week Founder Constance McDerby, always takes September by storm with her annual ‘Platinum Wine Vault’ event at Bayway Cadillac of The Woodlands. Bayway owners Darryl & Linda Wischnewsky graciously provided their showroom floor this past Friday for an incredible evening of H-E-B wines and food provided by a number of restaurants. Yearly H-E-B graciously sponsors the Wine & Food Week events all over The Woodlands, and they not only bring the vino, but they open their kitchens for tasty creations dreamed up by their in-house chefs. Hundreds of visitors to the showroom were treated to a special night with countless wines and select treats from some of the best restaurants in The Woodlands and beyond.

Wine and Food enthusiasts come from all over the region to take advantage of an enormous selection of wines with stations that specialize in Pinot Noir, Merlot, Red, Rosé, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc., along with a dessert wine station, paired with some nice sweet selections just feet away. And again this year, Sorriso, brought their own house-made Limoncello, this year accompanied by souvenir bottles of the golden lemony liquid.

There were a few restaurants that changed from last year, and the dishes this year ranged from multi-hour marinade filets and American Wagyu, to fruit inspired dishes, charcuterie, baklava, escargot, plus others. Of course all booths with savory or sweet bites had a wine station right next door, and it was fun to sip and taste, and vice versa. The guests are always interesting, from local business owners, to The Woodlands Township Directors and Candidates. For those that pay attention to small military medal replicas on lapels, you might have seen a Bronze Star award from a Vietnam Veteran, or a service medal from a Gulf War Veteran. All the ladies were exquisitely dressed, and virtually everyone had a story to tell.

Phat Eatery on Buckthorne had a lovely Kerabu Medley Salad with Lemon Grass Chicken, which was a colorful and vibrant and a tangy Malaysian inspired salad. Its bright colors paired well with a 2024 Chateau de L'Orangerie Blanc Bourdeaux, which had a beautifully pale yellow gold hue, with a fruity nose, expressive with hints of lemon, grapefruit, and peach. On the palate, its lighter weight allows the fruit to tickle a bit, bringing on a finish that was dry but really brought out the fruit’s aromatics. It was fun going back from bite to sip examining how the dish, with the fruit and chicken was influenced, increasing the sweetness of its glaze, while taming the crisper taste of the wine.

‘rise’ surprised with its Escargot en bouchée, with its buttery and savory mollusk bedded in a pastry shell, which no doubt brought anyone back to, for those who experienced it, their Paris days; with a great deal of sentimental reprise. Kudos go out to ‘rise’ culinary manager Cameron Achee for his crafty concoction. H-E-B chefs rocked again, this time with a simple Charcuterie cup that went in all directions with cheeses, grapes, ham, salami, nuts, an olive or two, and a swirly pastry stick. Then they sealed the deal with their Peach and Almond Baklava, which had guests with proper senses reaching for a nearby rosé. Ah, bliss.

Several beef offerings that were off the charts this year. Del Frisco’s Grille’s award winning Chef Edgar Morales, offered a Purple Mash crowned with a Filet Tenderloin w/Red wine demiglace. It was an experience to say the least. Thankfully there were dryer reds nearby to appreciate the sweetness of the meat, that was almost a dessert. Sal e Brasa Brazilian Steakhouse brought American Wagyu to the game, which topped their Brazilian Dutch Oven Shepherd’s Pie. The Wagyu was incredible, with guests literally tasting the Mozart and absorbing the massages that those special animals were offered during their precious lives in the meat. And it’s incredible, the soft bites are not influenced by any marinade, with the meat going straight to the grill with just a little influence of seasoning. The nearby Cabernet Sauvignons were a savior to the trading states of bliss between the sweet meat and the softened sips influenced from the grace of the Wagyu.

Alchemy Bake Lab’s sweet gems again provided a proper ending to the festivities. Their Buttercream Brownies, Brown Butter Rice Crispy Treats, and Chocolate Chip Cookie filled with British Buttercream topped with Sea Salt, really knocked socks off. And when paired with Bernhardt Winery’s Tawny Reserve? Well, you might as well have taken one of Dr Timothy Leary’s little influencing sugar cubes, it was thank mindblowing.

As Constance McDerby’s Wine & Food Week, nears the end of its now legal 21st year, she and her team are on automatic when it comes to providing absolute top notch enjoyment amongst the Wine Lovers and Foodies in the area. And there is still one more event to go, with the Wine Walk next month. See you at The Woodlands Resort!!

Alcohol Disclaimer: This column is intended for entertainment purposes only. Please drink responsibly, not just for yourself, but for others around you.

The 21st annual H-E-B Wine Walk! will be October 4 at The Woodlands Resort, 4-7pm.

For info and tickets: tickets.wineandfoodweek.com/p/buy-tickets

Ruben can be reached at: ruben@montgomerycountynews.net

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