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The New World Wine and Food Festival (NWWFF) is held each year here in San Antonio. The event normally last for about five days and there are food and wine events planned each day and evening for all five days. Events such as an afternoon on the Rio Cibolo Ranch, numerous wine tasting's, Texas Vintner cruises along the river walk, wine and food seminars, and daily wine-maker dinners and lunches at various clubs and restaurants. However, the one event that is the most popular among the Chaine members is the Black-tie Event.

The Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Bailliage de San Antonio makes up an important part of this event in attendance and support. We also make up an important part of the Black-tie event committee. This committee is involved in all the planning and execution of not only the dinner but also the entertainment and the silent auction. Chaine members on this committee are as follows: Chair: Diane Mathews; Committee members: Ed Einstein and Vivian Ray.

We also have Chaine members who are on the NWWFF Executive Board of Directors. They are Bailli Honoraire Joel Klein, Dr. Richard Becker, and Chef Roitisseur Pat Mozersky.

The Black-tie event was held this year on Friday November 9 at the La Mansion Hotel. Here is how it was referenced on the NWWFF website:

"Join event host Michael Green, Wine & Spirits Consultant for Gourmet Magazine as we explore the Sensuous Flavors of Argentina. This will be an Argentine extravaganza featuring chefs, wines and winemakers from the land of gauchos and grapes. Enjoy the best of wines from visiting winemakers. Both native and local chefs will be on hand to offer typical Argentina foods to the background of classic tango. Come prepared to be tempted by exclusive auction items, tantalized by sultry dance rhythms, and transported to another world at this full-throttle foray into all the senses."

Before we get into the main event, let's take a look at some of the back stage preparations that took place before everybody put on their black tie, black tail, and black gown.

These photos were taken during one of the tango dance-toning workouts where Vivian was working with the performers -- entering stage, exiting stage, music, steps, timing, coordination, etc. These workouts started a couple of months out and went full steam right up to the night of the performance. Well, let me tell you something. . . all that hard work paid off because these guys were flawless during the night of the performance. Wow!!


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The handsome two-some above doing the Tango are Manual and Melinda. We will see them later on stage. They are not from Argentina but both have a love for the dance and have been working on the tango together for about six months. Daniel Monserrat, the guitarist, and his son Franco, on the drums, are from Argentina and work as a father and son team. Daniel has a daughter, Daniela, who we will later see dancing with her father on stage. She missed this particular working session.

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Let's Put This "Shindig" Together


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Arriving top left: Manual and Melinda, our Tango dancers for the evening. Arriving top right: Wilmer and Elaine Carroll, our tango dancers "understudy." Yep, if anything goes wrong with the "A" String dancers, we have a well-trained, well-oiled and well-motivated couple ready to step in and take over the night's routine.

Second row above, we have the wait staff, busy as bees preparing the dining room. Second pic is Daniel also busy as a bee setting up his lights. Ginger and Vivian are working out some details. Whoops, we caught Suzanne trying to hide in the corner. For those of you who may not know who Suzanne and Ginger are. Suzanne Taranto is the President and CEO of the NWWFF, and Ginger McAnear is the Director of Development for the NWWFF. They are the paid staff, the 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. gang and in charge of every event that is part of the annual NWWFF. Both work year round. Once this event is over, they start planning for the next one in 2008. The last shot is Diane Mathews working very hard and with her arms full.


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Here we have a couple of very large paintings behind closed doors waiting their turn to be sold at the live auction. The one on the left is "The Rose Window" and was painted by Gilbert Duran valued at $8,200. The other one is "The Wine Goddess," same artist at about the same value. I think these paintings sold at the auction for around $1,000 apiece. However, don't quote me on this. By the time this part of the live auction came around, everyone was so "merry, merry" no one could hear anything and the auctioneer got so pee' oood' at something, he just walked off the stage (I think!!) I hope no one asks me to be a witness to something that may have been happening about this time of night. In the third photo, we have the girls all standing around taking a breather. The last three shots are the reception area getting all set up. Ok, speaking of reception . . . Let's go to the . . .

	*Daniel & Franco on the right ---->*

*Ed and Penny Einstein*	*Wilmer & Elaine Carroll, Daniel, Vivian Ray*	*Bill Salomon, Mari Vickery, Rebecca Cohen, Vivian Ray, Pat Mozersky, Judy Salomon, Bob Alger Look at all that "Black"*	*Barbara Little,* *Catherine & Mark Milbourn, Ladd Little*	*Bob Alger, Flor & Niklas*
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By the way, the bad photos #3 and #4 bottom row of the "free for all dance," we can blame that on GG. This dance was not in the schedule until GG ran up on stage after all the performers took their final bow and grabbed Manual the Tango dancer. After that, all heck broke out and it was a uncontrollable dance crowd (and a good time was had by all).

First shown photos above are Joseph and Carolyn Hoelscher, Carolyn Hatton (GG), Walter Tramontin, Larry Cohen, and Jim Ray.

Was unable to publish the photo of . . . Commandeur Maitre Hotelier Anthony Cherone, and Anthony's guest.

I think I have recognized all the Chaine members who attended this event with a photo with the exception of Vice Conseiller Gastro-nomique Randy Mathews and Dr. Richard Becker.

Ok, for all you guys who were here, we will see you next year, same time, different place. For those of you we did not see, we hope to see you next year also.