rodeo's record-breaking wine

Rap mogul 50 Cent and big-spending Houstonians lasso record-setting night at Rodeo Uncorked! wine competition

2023 Rodeo wine auction 50 cent curtis jackson

50 Cent purchased the Reserve Grand Champion wine.

Courtesy of RodeoHouston

Hip-hop superstar 50 Cent (née, Curtis Jackson) loves the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Uncorked! Champion Wine Auction. Not only did the Houston-based musician and entrepreneur emerge as one of the top bidders at the event, which took place Sunday, February 26, he also produced the top winner in the Rodeo’s Uncorked! International Wine Competition.

As CultureMap has previously reported, the hip-hop mogul produced the competition’s Grand Champion Best of Show, Le Chemin du Roi Brut, Champagne AOC, NV. Seven Houstonians — Julie and Alan Kent, Randa and Ray Gilliam, Andrea and Bruce Bryant, and John M. Cotterell — spent a rodeo record $325,000 to purchase the award-winning bottle.

2023 Rodeo wine auction 50 cent curtis jackson The winner bidders spent a Rodeo record $325,000.Courtesy of RodeoHouston

This year’s win built on the winery’s Chemin Du Roi Brut, Champagne AOC, Nevada, that took home the Reserve Grand Champion Best of Show prize in 2021.

In addition to taking the top winning wine, 50 Cent also purchased the 2023 Reserve Grand Champion Best of Show, Bernhardt Winery Antiquity Chardonnay Reserve, Danube Plain, 2020, for $165,000. Last year, the performer purchased the 2022 Top Texas Wine, a 2017 Hye Meadow Winery Boooom Red (Texas High Plains).

Overall, the 2023 Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition included 3,071 entries from 18 countries, including Argentina, Bulgaria, France, Israel, Italy, South Africa and Spain. Texas wineries contributed 531 of those entries, and Australia, this year’s featured region, produced 160 entries.

Less wealthy rodeo attendees can still taste more than 75 of the award-winning wines at the Champion Wine Garden. Open daily throughout the rodeo’s run of February 28 - March 19, wine lovers may make reservations from a table for two up to a tent for 150.

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sustainability minded

World Cup's 14-mile Green Corridor will leave a lasting impact on Houston

Photo by Cindy Torres

Volunteers are making improvments to the Columbia Tap Trail in Third Ward.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 Houston Host Committee announced new details about the massive Green Corridor project this week, including the many improvements that will outlast the iconic sporting event taking place in Houston later this summer.

The Green Corridor will be a 14-mile long verdant artery connecting multiple major landmarks in Houston through safe, walkable paths that include shade trees and other improvements. First conceived in 2024 by the Sustainability Subcommittee led by Elizabeth Carlson, it will unite East Downtown, Downtown, Midtown, the Museum District, and Third Ward through hike and bike trail as well as METRO Rail stops. Though the Green Corridor is beginning its life as a showcase for the city to visitors attending the FIFA World Cup June 14 - July 4, it will remain a permanent installation for Houstonians to travel the city without cars.

Management of the project is being handled by Impact Houston 26, a portion of the Host Committee empowered by the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority’s Sports Authority Foundation to promote long-term benefits to the city after the World Cup. Funding partners include private corporations as well as civic organizations such as the City of Sugar Land and Rice University.

“The Green Corridor reflects what Impact Houston 26 is all about, using the FIFA World Cup as a catalyst to deliver lasting environmental benefits for our city,” Carlson said in a statement. “Through Impact Houston’s pillar on sustainability, we’re able to collaborate with local stakeholders to create not just demonstrations of resilience and innovation but education and engagement in the community, a meaningful legacy long after 2026.”

The corridor will provide access to both Houston Stadium (also known as NRG Stadium) and the FIFA Fan Festival, as well as improve existing paths like the Columbia Tap Trail in Third Ward. These improvements include the installation of shade structures, native plantings, expanding the tree canopy, air quality monitoring devices, and water and bike repair stations.

Impact Houston 26 is also working with local institutions like the Houston Zoo, Greentown Labs, and Discovery Green to install various educational materials along the Green Corridor. More information about this will be published later in the Spring.

Below is a breakdown of other improvements planned or completed as part of the Green Corridor.

Downtown Houston Main Street Promenade: Four permanent shade structures, native plants, and expanding the tree canopy by 154% to be implemented by May 2026. Further shade structures and plantings planned for Texas Avenue.
East Downtown Management District: Native tree plantings and landscaping in and around the FIFA Fan Festival site to improve first/last mile connectivity around the Green Corridor.
Columbia Tap Trail: Installation of 325 solar lights.
Stadium Park/Astrodome and TMC/Dryden plus Fannin South Transit Center: Various landscaping and safety enhancements.
Midtown Houston: $1.5 million in landscaping and beautification along the Red Line, including over 80 trees, native plantings, water stations, waste receptacles, crosswalk improvements, and public art installations.

The Green Corridor is only one of the World Cup Host Committee's sustainability initiatives. In January, it announced the "New Year, New Hou" program that certifies hospitality businesses such as restaurants and hotels with one of three certifications.

Houston will host seven matches from June 14 - July 4, including teams from Germany, the Netherlands, and Portugal.

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