The Women’s Fund poured on the charm at its 10th Annual Wine Dinner, trading its usual intimate digs for The Astorian’s lofty glamour and a vibe as effervescent as the night’s first pour. Picture white feathers flirting with candlelight, rosé-hued roses blushing in Revere bowls, and a crowd dressed to toast, taste, and turn up for a cause.
Chairs Vanessa and Chuck Ames led the swirl, sip, and support soirée, where guests kicked things off with passed bites and bubbly from Amy and Rob Pierce and Alexandra Bruskoff. Jackson and Co. served up crispy artichokes, mushroom Wellington, tuna carpaccio, and beef tartare, perfectly paired with cava and casual elegance.
The Madam Zero Champagne Wall added sparkle and suspense, doling out deBoulle gift cards and a private champagne tasting. Meanwhile, the silent auction table buzzed with high-stakes bids for year-long date nights, Zadok's bling, a Chopped-worthy in-home dinner by chef Lena Le, and more.
Dinner dazzled across four courses: Steelhead carpaccio with Meyer lemon sabayon and Texas Vermentino; wild mushroom agnolotti matched with a Russian River Pinot; charcoal-grilled filet cozied up to Tuscan red; and a bittersweet chocolate tart so luxe it got its own sponsor, Armine+Ambrose.
Mid-meal pop-up auctions turned tables into tasting salons with caviar and Burgundies flowing like insider gossip. And when it came time to raise paddles, auctioneer Johnny Holloway of Johnny Bravo Productions kept the energy high and the giving higher. Think Majorca vacations (sold twice), Rockets suite nights, Napa getaways, and a cameo on Chris Shepherd's Eat Like a Local that also sold — you guessed it — twice.
The evening honored the inaugural Toast to Resilience Class. Paulina and Jim McGrath earned the Visionary Spirit Award, Gina Gaston Elie was honored with the Resilient Heart Award, and Chris Shepherd and Lindsey Brown received the Champions of Community Award—each recognized for lifting up Houston’s women and girls with compassion, creativity, and serious clout.
By the end of the night, guests had raised an impressive $485,000. That’s more than double last year's total. With more than 250 oenophiles in attendance, the event proved that good wine and a great cause make for one worthy pairing.
Supporters raising their glasses included Anne and John Clutterbuck, Ashley Sere, Meredith and Ben Marshall, Jessica and Brian Leeke, Brian Faulkner, Caroline and Matt Monday, Lisa and Charlie Meachem, Corbin Young, Craig and Kristin Kellogg, Jordan and Dylan Seff, Lisa Meacham, Kelly and Frank Hogan, George Breen, Megan and Jerry Hughes Jr., Jillian and Yuri Waldo, Erin and Kyle Cummings, Nadia Tajalli, Paula Sutton, Rania Mankarious, Laura Ward, Sarah Barrett, Shellie McBeth, Steve Jetton, Steve Mohtashami, Aliza Dutt, Danny Ward and Nancy Ames, James Calaway, Jody Merritt, Kristen Collins, Kristy Bradshaw, Laura Davenport, Mario Elie, Nene Foxhall, Roxann and Tim Neumann, and Nora Jarrard.
