In this bonus episode of Texas Under Vine, recorded on location at Wanderlust Wine Co., host Wine Guide Scott sits down with Amanda Laden, the founder and mastermind behind the inaugural Austin Wine Week. Amanda shares her journey through the global wine industry—from an eye-opening moment in graduate school to formal training in London and running her own import business—before recognizing a major disconnect in Austin’s culinary scene: local restaurants were serving Texas produce and beef, yet completely omitting Texas wines from their menus. Inspired by a literal dream, Amanda set out to bridge this gap by creating Austin Wine Week to engage a younger, more diverse audience and connect everyday consumers with the real people crafting Texas wine.
The conversation recaps the wildly successful inaugural week, diving into its three flagship events: the high-energy Sip Texas kickoff tasting featuring 31 wineries at Wanderlust Wine Co., an intimate chef-paired happy hour spotlighting female winemakers at Dai Due, and the Texas Tastemakers finale at House Wine. Amanda opens up about the raw operational realities and logistical hurdles of running the festival as a one-person show, while celebrating major wins like several participating wineries capturing historic gold medals at the Decanter World Wine Awards. Looking ahead, Amanda shares an insider look at what’s in store for Year 2—scheduled for April 10–17, 2027—including downloadable adventure passports, pop-up events, and new culinary partnerships across the state.
Check out my YouTube channel for video versions of the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@texasundervine
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Texas Regions Guide (see website for map):
CT - Central Texas
ET - East Texas
GC - Gulf Coast
HC - Texas Hill Country
HP - Texas High Plains
NT - North Texas
ST - South Texas
WT - West Texas
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