parties

At Symphony Dinner, Wine Takes Center Stage — to the Tune of $650K

Priscilla Dickson
At Symphony Dinner, Wine Takes Center Stage — to the Tune of $650K

Milka Waterland, Carrie Brandsberg-Dahl and Elia Gabbanelli

THE JONES HALL stage is frequently a place where stars can be found. On a particularly lucky Friday the 13th, the Symphony hosted a fundraising dinner of which the true stars were bottles of fine wine — and supporters were eager to raise a glass!

More than 350 beautifully dressed Houstonians turned out for the 2022 Wine Dinner and Collector’s Auction, chaired by Joan and Robert Duff and benefiting the Houston Symphony’s Education and Community Engagement programs. After making an entrance on the red carpet and perusing the auction items in the lobby, guests, seated at one of many round tables arranged on the Jones Hall stage, enjoyed a multicourse meal by City Kitchen. Vino pairings were selected by John Rydman, owner of Spec’s and president of the Houston Symphony Society.

This year’s Collector’s Auction included hundreds of rare and exceptional wines and wine-related experiences, and a lucky raffle winner took home 12 bottles of 100-point wine, according to Wine Advocate. The evening’s total till topped $650,000. Cheers!

Haylie Duff and Matt Rosenberg

Kamilah Todd and Eric Brueggeman

Alan and Elizabeth Stein

Yoon Smith, Malaika Mukoro and Amy Shen

Ann and Jonathan Ayre

William Dee and Lea Hunt

Evan and Carin Collins

Leslie Siller and Robert Sakowitz

James Craig and Jacquie Baly

Joan and Robert Duff

David and Kirby Lodholz

Hallie Vanderhider and Fady Armanious

The Jones Hall stage

From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
Parties
dining

La Griglia’s Second Coming: Decades-Old Restaurant Is Made Brand New

Beef carpaccio atop La Griglia’s chic marble tables

IT'S 5 O’CLOCK on a Tuesday night and the newly imagined two-story La Griglia restaurant is already packed with cars at the valet, a line of guests at the door, and cocktail revelers filling the bar. The cognoscenti has reserved their favorite tables in the sophisticated dining room and in the dreamy Courtyard. It’s an outdoor space rivaling sunbaked patios in Tuscany — but this one sports heaters, a retractable roof, and its own bar, courtesy of owner Tilman Fertitta.

Keep Reading Show less
Food
travel

A Dreamy L.A. Escape Entails Opulence, Intrigue — and Even Some Walking

Life’s a beach in Santa Monica

DOGS WITH PONYTAILS. Someone dressed like Jimmy Buffet on psychedelics blaring music from a speaker hanging from his neck. Another gent taking a conference call on a ’90s-era headset at the skate park. These are all scenes from a leisurely hour in Venice Beach, where eclecticism and luxury intersect in true Los Angeles fashion.

Keep Reading Show less
People + Places