Houston Rodeo’s 2026 Roundup and Best Bites names food champions and top wine winners

A sold-out kickoff event paired Houston’s restaurant scene with award-winning wines

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s 2026 season opened with the 23rd annual Rodeo Uncorked! Roundup & Best Bites Competition, a ticketed tasting event held at NRG Center on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. Organizers reported more than 100 restaurants and culinary vendors serving signature dishes across multiple halls, with a crowd exceeding 6,000 guests.

The format blends two competitions into one night: a culinary “best bites” contest judged across multiple categories and a large-scale wine pour featuring medal-winning selections from the 2026 Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition. Nearly 500 wines were poured at the event, all tied to that year’s medal results.

Best Bites 2026: People’s Choice and judge-awarded buckles

Results reflected both crowd voting and panel judging. The People’s Choice Award went to Cotton Culinary for “The Huntsmans Harvest,” with Gus’s Fried Chicken taking second place for “Fried Chicken.”

• People’s Choice Award: 1st Cotton Culinary (“The Huntsmans Harvest”); 2nd Gus’s Fried Chicken (“Fried Chicken”)
• Outstanding Showmanship Award: 1st Creole Kitchen and Daiquiris (“Creole Heaven”); 2nd SheShe Treats (“Iced Sugar Cookies”)
• Tasty Tradition Award: 1st Coppa Osteria (“Burrata Tartufo”); 2nd Toro Toro Houston (“Flamed Tomahawk”)
• Trailblazer Appetizer Award: 1st Robinette Company Caterers (“Cheddar Raspberry Bite topped with jalapeno bacon”); 2nd Deuce of Spades Catering & Events (“Seafood Pasts”); 3rd Flora Mexican Kitchen (“Cochinita Pibil”)
• Lone Star Entrée Award: 1st House of Blues (“Short Rib Rojo”); 2nd Southern Yankee Crafthouse (“Chicken Pot Pie”); 3rd Raising Cane’s (“Chicken Finger with Cane’s Sauce & Garlic Butter Texas Toast”)
• Two-Steppin’ Dessert Award: 1st Lemond Kitchen (“Louisiana Bread Pudding”); 2nd Guzel Cakes (“Perfect Love Cheesecake”); 3rd Kendal & Kelby’s Cheesecakes (“Apple Crumble Cheesecake Stuffed Cookie”)
• Rookie Award: Tejas Brewery (“Truffle Burger Slider”)

International Wine Competition: top champions and Texas standouts

Organizers said the 2026 international competition received 3,127 entries from 25 countries, including 567 entries from Texas wineries and 225 entries from the featured region, Oregon. The top wine honors went to a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and a Napa Valley Chardonnay.

Grand Champion Best of Show: Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon, Tomahawk Vineyard, Stags Leap District, 2022. Reserve Grand Champion Best of Show: Sequoia Grove Chardonnay, Napa Valley, 2023.

Additional category leaders included a Texas winner for “Top Texas Wine” (Friday Mountain Frenchman’s Corner Mourvèdre, Texas Hill Country, 2020) and a Texas “Top White Wine” selection (Carter Creek Plateau White, Texas High Plains, 2024), alongside category champions for sparkling, dessert, value, and regional awards.

What comes next on the rodeo calendar

Medal-winning wines from the competition are scheduled to be auctioned at the Rodeo Uncorked! Champion Wine Auction & Dinner on Sunday, March 1, 2026. A selection of champion wines is also slated to be sold in the on-grounds Champion Wine Garden during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s run from March 2 through March 22.