Iron Sommelier Crowns New Champ at Wine-Fueled Rendezvous

Clayton and Kaylin Williams and Erika and Jonathan Hines

THE PERIWINKLE FOUNDATION hosted its annual Iron Sommelier event at The Post Oak Hotel, chaired by prominent vinophiles Sean Beck and Lara Lack.

The evening was attended by nearly 500 guests, who together raised more than $380,000 for the local organization, which hosts camps, arts and survivor programs for children who suffer from life-threatening illnesses like cancer, and their family members. Leukemia survivor Sara Agrawal spoke to the crowd about how the Periwinkle Foundation improved her quality of life; she looks forward to attending college next year.

About that wine: Thirteen sommeliers from restaurants and clubs all over Houston, including Georgia James, Le Jardinier, March and MAD, participated in the competition. Each selected three wines from a particular region, and a panel of three judges ranked their selections based on presentation, creativity and knowledge. Pappas Bros. Steakhouse somm Chris Havens was crowned the champion, and Rachel Van Til of The Clubs at Houston Oaks took home the People's Choice award.

The night also included an auction with unique items such as a private dinner hosted by Chris Shepherd, a 40-bottle lot of wine selected by Sean Beck, and various rare bourbons and whiskeys. Sip sip hooray!