Santé

This November, you can pop (big) bottles in Houston to toast women winemakers

When it's time to celebrate something, celebrate big. We're talking 3-liter bottles of wine big, and that's what the Bordeaux wine region is sending to Texas in honor of its women winemakers.

These rare double magnums will be poured by the glass at select local restaurants and wine bars beginning the first week of November.

"The people of Bordeaux have always been our most dynamic force and source of innovation," says Bernard Farges, president of the Bordeaux Wine Council. "It is exciting to showcase the collective talent of the many women winemakers who are contributing so much to enrich our region."

Texas is a new addition to this second-annual event, which launched in 2020 in New York City.

"We are honored to work together with our wineries and importers to support our hospitality partners in Texas through these challenging times, and are tremendously grateful for the outpouring of support we have already received," Farges says.

In Houston, Vins de Bordeaux hosted a kick-off party at CRU Food & Wine Bar on October 26. The soiree let guests taste 18 3-liter bottles from 12 different all-women producers and winemakers.

Beginning November 1, all Houstonians can taste these wines for themselves at CRU Food and Wine Bar, Pappas Bros Houston, and River Oaks Country Club.

The participating women winemakers and châteaux representatives from Bordeaux represent the rich diversity of their region and are presenting a selection of wines that span renowned reds to dry and sweet whites. The featured wineries this November in Texas include:

Château Biac (Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux), Youmna Asseily, owner
Citran (Bordeaux Supérieur), Sophia Sanchez, general manager
Château Haut Mazières (Bordeaux), Gwen Corre, export manager
Château La Freynelle (Bordeaux blanc), Véronique Barthe, owner and winemaker
Château La Rame Bordeaux & Bordeaux blanc), Angelique Armand, winemaker
Château Larrivaux (Haut-Médoc), Bérangère Tesseron, owner and winemaker
Château Rol Valentin (Saint-Émilion Grand Cru), Alexandra Robin, owner and winemaker
Château Simon (Sauternes, Graves), Pauline Dufour, owner and winemaker
Château Thieuley (Bordeaux rouge & Bordeaux blanc), Marie Courselle, owner and winemaker
Clarence Dillon/Clarendelle (Bordeaux rouge & Bordeaux blanc), Erika Smatana, export manager USA
Les Vignerons Reunis De Monsegur (Bordeaux), Valérie Gosselin Conche, commercial director

Make your reservations now at the participating restaurants, and get ready to toast these remarkable women.

Celebrate these wonderful women of wine.

Women winemakers of Bordeaux group photo

Photo courtesy of Vins de Bordeaux

Celebrate these wonderful women of wine.

the spirit of camaraderie

Houston chef with Michelin-star cred opening new Heights restaurant

Houston chef with Michelin-star cred opening new Heights restaurant

By any measure, 2024 has been an excellent year for new restaurants with any number of prominent arrivals that have quickly drawn attention. But in the spirit of Jed Bartlet, the fictional president at the heart of early aughts television drama The West Wing, the time has come to ask, “What’s next,” by starting to look towards the restaurants opening in 2025.

One early contender for next year’s best new restaurant will be Camaraderie. Coming to the Heights early next year (608 W. 11th St.), Camaraderie is the first solo project from chef Shawn Gawle. Best known locally as the executive pastry chef for Goodnight Hospitality — where he won Pastry Chef of the Year in the 2023 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards — Gawle played a significant role at some of America’s best restaurants prior to moving to Houston.

After beginning his career at his father’s deli in Boston and attending culinary school, Gawle worked at Michelin-starred restaurants across the country. He’s served as a pastry chef at Chicago’s acclaimed seafood restaurant L20 shortly before it earned three stars, and at Veritas in New York when it earned one. During his time in San Francisco, he worked at both Saison and Quince when they moved up from two stars to three stars.

All those experiences will inform his restaurant in the Heights. Gawle’s announcement doesn’t provide about what kind of food Camaraderie will serve, but it does go into quite a bit of detail about the ethos with which he intends to operate his “fine-casual neighborhood restaurant.” For example, the restaurant’s employees will receive the same hourly wage, with tips distributed equally between cooks and servers.

“Connecting with people brings me joy, whether through the intimate experience of sharing food or the rewarding process of mentorship, I thrive on these interactions,” Gawle said in a statement. “Opening Camaraderie represents my vision of creating a welcoming culture where I can help others grow and share my passion for hospitality. My goal is to make people happy, not just through great food, but by fostering genuine connections within a vibrant community.”

Houston-based Schaum Architects is designing the restaurant. It will feature an open kitchen and, as illustrated in the rendering above, a covered patio.

Expect more details, including staff announcements and menu details, as the “early 2025” opening date draws closer.

Shawn Gawle Camaraderie

Photo by Arturo Olmos

Chef Shawn Gawle brings an impressive resume to Camaraderie.

camaraderie chefs news-you-can-eat openings shawn gawle the-heights

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