On Friday, May 13, Houston Symphony held its 2022 Wine Dinner and Collector’s Auction, Houston’s premier celebration combining the world-class music of the Houston Symphony and the best the wine world has to offer. For its 21st year, the Wine Dinner returned to the Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, the event’s longtime venue and the orchestra’s performance home. Guests raised more than $650,000 for the Symphony’s Education and Community Engagement initiatives.

Together with chairs Joan and Robert Duff, Houston Symphony hosted more than 350 patrons for the unforgettable evening, which featured a multi-course gourmet dinner on the Jones Hall Stage catered by City Kitchen. The menu was complemented by wine pairings selected by Houston Symphony Society President John Rydman, president and owner of Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods.

The evening began with red carpet arrivals and a reception in the lobby, where guests sipped wine and champagne while exploring the extensive Collector’s Auction. This year’s auction selection was assembled by a committee chaired by Bob Weiner, a discerning and knowledgeable oenophile who has served as chair of the event since 2010. Throughout the night, guests bid on hundreds of rare and exceptional wines, popular vintages, spirits, and wine-related experiences.

The event culminated with the announcement of the total amount of funds raised, along with one lucky winner taking home this year’s raffle prize of 12 bottles of 100-point wine, all rated 100 points by Wine Advocate’s Robert Parker.

Originally conceived by former Houston Symphony Music Director Hans Graf due to his love for and knowledge of wine, the annual Wine Dinner and Collector’s Auction supports the Houston Symphony’s industry-leading Education and Community Engagement initiatives. These activities—which take place at Jones Hall and in schools, hospitals, and other venues throughout the city—serve students in 26 area school districts as well as patients, their families, and caregivers at three Texas Medical Center hospitals.