Decanted donations

Chris Shepherd's nonprofit raises $700,000 for hospitality workers at wine-fueled bash

Southern Smoke Foundation hosts swanky gala for food and beverage worker relief.

A night of fine foods and wine for a good cause

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

The wine auction hosted by the Southern Smoke Foundation in Houston raised $700,000 for food and beverage workers on Saturday, April 20.

Top chefs and over 50 winemakers were present at the El Dorado ballroom for the inaugural Southern Smoke Decanted event. The goal? To raise funds for the betterment of food and beverage workers of America. Founded by James Beard Award winner Chris Shepherd and his wife Lindsey Brown in 2015, the nonprofit provides a safety net for hospitality workers by providing emergency grants and facilitating mental health care. Since then, they have distributed millions of dollars for disaster relief, mental health support, and scholarships for people of color in wine-related fields.

“Decanted brought Texas’s wine lovers together to support a great cause — aiding F+B workers in crisis across the country,” executive director Lindsey Brown said in a statement. “We are grateful for their support and to all our partners who helped make 2024 the inaugural year.”

The evening started off with some of Houston’s most notable chefs serving snacks, including Bobby Matos (La Lucha), Anita Jaisinghani (Pondicheri), Yotam Dolev (Hamsa), Victoria Elizondo (Cochinita & Co), Shaun King (Hai Hospitality), Marie Riddle (Bludorn), and Van Teamer (Pudgy's Fine Cookies). Attendees sipped on wines from all over the country and Spain before raising their paddles at the auction.

Prizes up for bid included a lot of First Growth Bordeaux including a 6-Liter Chateau Haut-Brion; a dinner at Chris Shepherd’s home with Top Chef judge Gail Simmons, and winemakers Jasmine Hirsch and Michael Cruse; and a trip to the heart of the French Wine Country. The auction itself was sponsored by Lexus.

The Southern Smoke Foundation was originally formed when sommelier Antonio Gianola was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. To acknowledge that legacy, the event raised $36,000 for the MS Society.

“The MS Society was the beneficiary of the Southern Smoke Festival back in 2015 and 2016 before we shifted our focus to crisis relief for the food and beverage industry,” said Brown. “We donate back to the MS Society every year — we have to remember where we came from!”

Another $19,000 was raised for The Root Fund, which funds education opportunities to communities of color. The rest of the money raised goes into the foundation's general fund. Their next event, Respect the Rosé: Run for the Rosé, will take place on Saturday, June 29 at Brennan’s of Houston in Midtown, with a multi-course dinner and, obviously, more wine.

The 220 attendeeds included a number of notable names, including master sommelier Paul Roberts, Chuck and Vanessa Ames, Chris and Kristy Bradshaw, Ben and Meredith Marshall, Amanda McMillian and Ben Holloway, Mitchell George and Stanley Curtis, and Karen and Kevin McCarthey. Southern Smoke Foundation board members were also in attendance, including president Dr. Kevin Gee and his wife Brandi Montgomery, Ben Fink and wife Jennifer, LeighAnn Bakunas, master sommelier June Rodil, and Immediate past president Petter Pettersen and wife Mari Mena.

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

The event raised $700,000 for the Southern Smoke Foundation.

chefs fundraisers southern smoke foundation wine

Interfaith Blessings

A brand new name sets the tone for Houston nonprofit's gala

Photo by Hung L. Truong

Henry Florsheim, Rep Gene Wu, Miya Shay, Charlene Chuang, Sheroo Mukhtiar, Nihala Zakaria, and Shaukat Zakaria.

The annual IM Houston Tapestry Gala, aptly themed "A Brand New Day," marked a bold new chapter for the organization formerly known as Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston, now under the leadership of Sheroo Mukhtiar.

Rather than opening with fanfare, the night began with intentional calm: Mellow music courtesy of Divisi Strings, a gallery of art created by youth in the IM Houston Refugee Program, and a parked Meals on Wheels truck.

The organization's impact was made visible — up close and personal. Event chairs Miya Shay and Rep. Gene Wu and Nihala and Shaukat Zakaria had something to do with that.

Emcee Ernie Manouse of Houston Public Media guided the evening, inviting Sonya Vial of presenting sponsor Shell USA, Inc. to reflect on IM Houston's renewed mission. Then came a moment of unity both intimate and profound: children from Houston’s Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Baháʼí, and Buddhist communities offered interfaith blessings, closing together with a moving invocation.

A tribute to former Houston mayor Sylvester Turner honored his legacy with a reverent pause before the spotlight turned to powerhouse vocalist Christina Wells. Her version of “Hallelujah” stunned the room into silence, before IM Houston board chair Henry Florsheim and newly appointed Mukhtiar expressed gratitude and outlined a future focused on sustainability, compassion, and shared belief.

Wells returned with “A Million Dreams,” just ahead of the Spirit of Respect Award presented to the Right Reverend C. Andrew Doyle for his decades of faith-led service. Pipa virtuoso Changlu Wu debuted an original composition in honor of 2025 Tapestry Honoree Charlene Chuang, introduced by Dr. Kathy C. Flanagan.

More than 500 supporters attended the gala, helping to raise $650,000 to unite diverse faiths in service and understanding.

Showing up were Gerald Seidl, Phillip Berkowitz, Vitallii Tarasiuk, Astrid Marklund, Catarina Gonzalez, Susan Boggio, Nadia Tajalli, Shahin Tavackoli, Karen Labat, David Leebron and Sun Y. Ping, Gracie and Bob Cavnar, Gordan Quan, Lily and Charles Foster, Sandra Smith-Cooper, Brigitte Kalai, Farida Abjani, Doe and Henry Florsheim, Lisa Helfman and Lee Haverman, Susanne and Randall Evans, Kristyn and Francis Page Jr., Philamena Baird, Paula Sutton and Bill Gross, Ann and Ron Kaesermann, Mandy Kao, Christina Zhou, Terri Wang, Alice Mao, and Robert Sakowitz.

Photo by Hung L. Truong

Henry Florsheim, Rep Gene Wu, Miya Shay, Charlene Chuang, Sheroo Mukhtiar, Nihala Zakaria, and Shaukat Zakaria.