Buda hosts another successful wine competition

BUDA — There’s nothing that brings the Hill Country community together quite like a glass of wine.

The 6th Annual Texas International Wine Competition (TIWC) was held at The Lodge at Grace in Buda from Feb. 8-11. Winemakers entered more than 700 wines from 11 countries, showcasing their best red and whites for the two-day competition, with many Texas vineyards — including Buda’s own Water 2 Wine — receiving high accolades.

TIWC was founded by international wine judge Bonnie Villacampa. A Florida native, Villacampa first moved to Buda in 2011 from Spain.

While she resides in Austin now, her ties to Buda remain strong. Her Business Network International networking group started in the city three years ago and she has been instrumental in holding TIWC here since the competition’s inception.

“Buda’s got the hometown feel; it’s got such a cool vibe to it,” Villacampa said.

More than 700 wines from 11 countries were entered into this year’s competition. PHOTOS COURTESY OF MERAKI BRANDING PHOTOGRAPHY[/caption]

After her move to Texas years ago, Villacampa said she was blown away after tasting a Texas wine. From there she started researching every winery she could and eventually the idea snowballed into what TIWC is today.

The competition process is not a simple one. Wines first get sorted by grape variety and residual sugar. The judging panel, consisting of more than 20 judges, receive a flight of eight glasses. They blindly judge each wine on its “own merit” — “Meaning for what it is today, not ‘It’s going to be great in five years,’” Villacampa said — under the criteria of the wine’s appearance, aromas and taste, or finish.

“Each variety of grape has a different characteristic of smells and a different color profile, so to speak,” said Villacampa. “Each judge knows what each grape is going to be like … Judges train for pretty much years and years and years to get to that point.”

Villacampa also pointed out that judges spit out each sip to ensure fair play for all the winemakers. Following the tastings, the wines are rated.

Judges also note any faults, which helps winemakers fix their current batch or make it better for next time.

Water 2 Wine in Buda received double gold for its Dragon Fire wine (Chilean merlot with emulsified habanero peppers), gold for its Californian grape Viognier wine (orange blossom and spiced pear), silver for its Malbec Antioch Rye wine and silver for its Argentine Malbec wine.

Several other Texas vineyards won prestigious medals, including Limestone Terrace Vineyard in Wimberley for Best Texas Red and Rancho Loma Vineyards in Coleman for Best Tempranillo.

“When winemakers enter their wines and they win medals, they sell out. It’s crazy, but it makes sense,” Villacampa said. “I personally want to go and buy the ones who won gold and double gold … The competition is so consumers know what to go out and buy. It really helps people sell their wines.”

Buda’s Destination Services department helps support the event. Director Lysa Gonzalez noted that the competition presents a huge economic impact to Buda, from hotel stays and meals at local restaurants to shopping small.

“When people travel, they like to visit local businesses,” Gonzalez said. “Travel gives a boost to our local businesses economically. Specifically, this competition … they’re bringing in a lot of dollars from outside of our community, boosting our business and tax base. That’s helpful for the services provided through Buda.”

Plus, Buda’s location and charm are definitely part of the pull.

“They [TIWC] love coming to Buda. They love this community in general,” Gonzalez said. “It’s close to Austin so people traveling can go ‘into town,’ but are still in the sweet spot of Central Texas and enjoy what Buda has to offer, which is a good representation of Texas. They can also easily get out to other wineries within the Hill Country so it’s a good overall leisure vacation for them once they’re done with the competition.”

On top of the local economic benefits, TIWC is also known for supporting local charities and other philanthropic endeavors. In 2021, proceeds from the competition were donated to Buda’s Brightside, and in the same year, TIWC donated wine for the city’s Plein Air Festival.

“The whole purpose of it was to try and do good and help people that need help,” Villacampa said.

Wine lovers near and far can join the fun next year in Buda by staying up to date on the TIWC Facebook page or at .