Join us in raising our glasses to Austin’s newest (and oldest) food and wine organization! After 26 years as the The Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival, held in Austin each spring and considered one of the premier epicurean celebrations in the Southern United States, we’ve now become the Austin Food & Wine Alliance, a non-profit* organization dedicated to fostering awareness and innovation in the Central Texas food and wine community through grants, educational programming and events.

Why the Change?

We’re delighted to support and welcome the new Austin FOOD & WINE Festival presented by FOOD & WINE Magazine which will take the reins to provide Austin with the best in national and international celebrity chefs, wine makers, featured guests and musicians for its inaugural three-day festival, April 27–29, 2012. As the beneficiaries of the new festival, we’re excited to further support the amazing food and wine talent and happenings in Central Texas and with our new non-profit status, will be able to give back to the culinary community through a vibrant grant program for culinary innovation.

What does the Alliance do?

Comprised of some of Texas’ top culinary talent and business professionals, the AFWA will not only provide funding for unique and innovative culinary projects but will also continue to host top-notch and unique food and wine events featuring the best artisans in food, wine and spirits from Texas and beyond.

After completing the most successful festival in our history in 2011 and attracting close to 6,000 attendees to more than two dozen unique food and wine events, we’re ready for an exciting year of Alliance events ranging from the Wine & Swine 2nd Annual Pig Roast to the hugely popular Live Fire!, a meat-centric live-fire cooking event that showcases top chefs, ingredients and techniques for an unforgettable and tasty encore.

* Nonprofit status pending IRS approval.