HOUSTON — The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo hosted the 22nd Annual Rodeo Uncorked! Roundup & Best Bites Competition, presented by Nan and Company Properties, and announced the winning foods and restaurants.
This annual competition brought together signature dishes from renowned Houston-area culinary establishments, skillfully paired with an impressive selection of nearly 500 award-winning wines from the 2025 Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition, including the Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion.
Keep up with RodeoHouston content, updates
More than 100 of the region’s premier restaurants competed, creating a flavorful celebration of culinary expression.
2025 BEST BITES WINNERS:
People’s Choice Award
• 1st Place: Cotton Culinary – A Forager’s Feast
• 2nd Place: Davis Street at Hermann Park – Crispy Thai Shrimp
Outstanding Showmanship Award
• 1st Place: SheShe Treats
• 2nd Place: Brothers Produce
Tasty Tradition Award
• 1st Place: Cultivated F&B – Citrus bliss – Pistachio tart with citrus & elderflower cremeux & strawberry macaron
• 2nd Place: Raising Cane’s – Chicken fingers, toast and cane sauce
Trailblazing Appetizer Award
• 1st Place: Robinette & Company Caterers – Sundried tomato spread on cayenne pepper toast topped with candied bacon
• 2nd Place: State Fare Kitchen & Bar – Bayou Melt Slider – Texas-sized bite featuring a smoked brisket patty, melted pepper jack cheese, zesty pico slaw & sweet and spicy jalapeno bacon jam
• 3rd Place: Jamaica Paradise Kitchen – Paradise Bites
Lone Star Entrée Award
Photo Credit: RodeoHouston
• 1st Place: North Italia Braised short rib marsala
• 2nd Place: Merlion Restaurant Shrimp Raad Prick – Shrimp in a delicate Thai basil red curry sauce with cilantro & shallots. Served over jasmine rice.
• 3rd Place: Grace Italian Kitchen Boneless short rib with Pancetta Risotto with molasses bourbon glaze
Two-Steppin’ Dessert Award
• 1st Place: Guzel Cakes – Love you more (Banana pudding cake), Perfect love (strawberry cheesecake), Love on top (vanilla pudding w/cookie butter)
• 2nd Place: Hudson House Zesty – Key lime pie
• 3rd Place: Mostly Chocolate – House-made Turkish pistachio and sesame seed paste folded with crispy phyllo shreds cooked in brown butter
Rookie Award
• The Cheesecake Queen – Key lime mini cheesecakes
The 22nd annual wine competition featured 2,876 entries from 20 countries. In addition, 558 entries came from Texas wineries and 314 entries came from the 2025 featured region, Napa County.
The 2025 Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition champions included:
• Grand Champion Best of Show – Champagne Bollinger Special Cuvée Brut Champagne AOC, NV
• Reserve Grand Champion Best of Show – Markham Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2021
• Top Texas Wine – Peters Prairie Vineyard Barbera, Texas Hill Country, 2019
• Top Red Wine – Barlow Cabernet Sauvignon, Calistoga, 2018
• Top White Wine – Krutz Family Cellars Chardonnay, Soberanes Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, 2022
• Top Sparkling Wine – Champagne Pommery Brut Royal Champagne AOC, NV
• Top Dessert Wine – Llano Estacado Mad Ira’s, Texas High Plains, NV
• Top Region Wine – Valley Floor Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Single Vineyard, Calistoga, 2015
• Top Value Wine – Bogle Cabernet Sauvignon, California, 2021
• Top Wine Company – E & J Gallo Winery
• Top Region Wine Company – Middle Oak Wines
• Top All-Around Winery – Nice Winery
• Top Texas Winery – Kiepersol
Award-winning wines from the annual competition will be auctioned at the Rodeo Uncorked! Champion Wine Auction & Dinner on Sunday, March 2, 2025.
A selection of the champion wines will be available for purchase, by the glass and bottle, in the Champion Wine Garden, presented by Frost. The Champion Wine Garden, located in Carruth Plaza, is open throughout the rodeo, March 4 – March 23. Daily hours are Mondays through Thursdays, 4 to 11 p.m.; Fridays, 2 p.m. to midnight; Saturdays, 11 a.m. to midnight; and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Enjoy live music daily beginning at 1 p.m. on weekdays, 1 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. on Sundays. For more information about the Champion Wine Garden, click here.
READ MORE
