Honored to pay tribute to some of the greatest names in wine, food, spirits, and the arts, at our annual Dallas wine event. 

2010 Savor Dallas Lone Star Award Winners
Arts Award Margot and Bill Winspear Love for opera is just one of life’s passions that brought Margot and Bill Winspear together in their deeply inspirational marriage of 52 years.  Their eternal devotion to each other and their beautiful family blessed them with success to enable them to be one of our community’s and country’s most generous philanthropists.  After successfully managing businesses in Vancouver and Toronto, Bill Winspear moved with his family to Dallas in 1975 to assume the position of president of Chaparral Steel.  In 1984 he founded and became president and CEO of Associated Materials, Incorporated from which he retired in 2002.  Complementing her husband’s fine work, Margot served such instrumental leadership roles as president of the Women’s Committee of both the Vancouver Opera Company and the National Canadian Opera Company.  When Margot and Bill came to Dallas, they brought their leadership gifts to The Dallas Opera and a myriad of philanthropic efforts, including support of the University of North Texas and the University of Texas’ Southwestern Medical Center.    Bill Winspear’s passing in 2007 was a loss to our community.  His and his wife’s lead gift to help build the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House in the AT&T Performing Arts Center has helped raise Dallas’ and Texas’ prominence on the world cultural map to new vibrancy, standards and experience, bringing the gift of fine musical performance for all of us to enjoy here.   We celebrate the Winspear’s generosity with Margot’s receipt of honors for this great team.
Culinary Award Norman Brinker Norman Brinker’s legacy to the culinary industry continues to live through his wonderful family, through the success of some of the United States’ most beloved restaurant brands and through the thousands of people he has inspired to believe in the magic, warmth and highest professional standards of the restaurant business.   Features now common to the American dining experience are credited to Mr. Brinker’s innovation and entrepreneurship.  Chili’s Grill & Bar, expanded by Mr. Brinker and his leadership team from a few dozen restaurants in the early 1980s to more than 1,500 today, has grown to be a household name.  The Chili’s brand combines with On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina and Maggiano’s Little Italy to form a robust portfolio with 1,700 plus locations worldwide, each run with the Norman Brinker spirit, sparkle and energy that characterizes his namesake company, Brinker International.   Mr. Brinker’s landmark talents and leadership helped grow additional dining brands Romano’s Macaroni Grill and Corner Bakery, today both thriving beyond Brinker International.  All of us grieved Norman Brinker’s passing in June 2009.  His fingerprint will remain forever on the casual dining industry and in the communities in which Brinker International does business. Philanthropic gifts from the Brinker family and Brinker International, ranging from the arts to causes serving people of all ages in need, continually improve the quality of life for everyone.
Texas Spirit Award Patrick Esquerre Patrick Esquerre was born in France, but his deep roots in Texas and incredible contributions to the restaurant and hospitality business make him an integral part of the Lone Star State's community in every Texas city. Mr. Esquerre came to Dallas in the 1980s with a fine sense of the international marketplace and classic consumer brands, having led marketing teams for major advertising assignments with Young & Rubicam in Europe and founding his own marketing firm with prestigious companies needing his counsel.  His clients included Jacques Chirac when he was Mayor of Paris and even Blessed Pope John Paul II on a special visit to Paris.  Also inspired by his mother's wonderful cooking in his native France, he saw an opportunity to create a comfortable, casual approach to French cuisine in North Texas with the creation of la Madeleine to provide all of the charm and ease of a relaxing meal at home.  Under his management, la Madeleine Bakeries and Cafes numbered 60 plus in Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, Arizona and Washington, DC.  The brand continues to be successful today as a favorite for all ages for consistently excellent, authentic, flavorful French cuisine. Additionally, Mr. Esquerre helped found and is taking a lead role in the Essilor Vision Foundation with a mission to eliminate poor vision and its life-long consequences. The Essilor Vision Foundation works to equip children who cannot afford them with eyeglasses for better vision to have a better chance to learn in school, to avoid poverty and crime - and to succeed in everything.    He has received Entrepreneur of the Year honors from INC Magazine, humanitarian honors from the Public Broadcasting System and many other not-for-profit-organizations.  Savor Dallas applauds Mr. Esquerre's ongoing work in the business and philanthropic realms.
2009 Savor Dallas Lone Star Award Winners
Culinary Award and Texas Spirit Award Caroline Rose Hunt Caroline Rose Hunt has made tremendous positive contributions to Dallas and North Texas business and the region and state’s image worldwide. Rescuing a 1920s Dallas Mansion from being torn down, she created the nationally-acclaimed Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, bringing Dallas to the forefront in fine dining and culinary experiences. She is now Honorary Chairman of the company she founded, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, known for being the best in luxury accommodations. Mrs. Hunt also founded Lady Primrose’s Royal Bathing & Skin Luxuries, and is a business investor, philanthropist, recognized leader in the travel industry, author, mother of five, grandmother of nineteen and great-grandmother of twelve.
Arts Award Dee and Charles Wyly Dee and Charles Wyly have given Dallas, and the world, a wonderful gift by making possible the Wyly Theatre in the new Dallas Center for the Performing Arts. Entrepreneur Charles Wyly co-founded Michaels Stores, Inc., the nation’s leading arts and crafts retail chain. He is a member of the Board of the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts Foundation, Dallas Symphony and Dallas Theater Center. Dee Wyly served on the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and is a member of the Dallas Theater Center Guild. She was named Les Femmes du Monde Woman of the Year for 2007.
2008 Savor Dallas Lone Star Award Winners
Wine Award Kathryn Walt Hall and Craig Hall. Kathryn Walt Hall has been involved in the California wine industry since her family first purchased a vineyard thirty years ago. She and husband Craig Hall are the proprietors of HALL Wines. They both has a distinguished careers. Kathryn is former United States Ambassador to Austria and co-founder of the North Texas Food Bank. Craig Hall is chairman and founder of Dallas-based Hall Financial Group. In 2005, the Halls unveiled plans for the development of a state-of-the-art winery in Napa Valley to merge history with innovation. Ground has broken for an unprecedented Frank Gehry designed visitor's center and winery to be completed in 2009.
Culinary Award Darren McGrady “The Royal Chef.” After 15 years of royal service to Queen Elizabeth II of England and Diana, Princess of Wales, Darren is now employed as a private chef in Dallas. For four years he took control of Princess Diana's, William and Harry's day to day menus and the preparation of official lunch and dinner parties for HRH. Since the Princess's death, he has devoted much of his free time working for causes she supported. All of his advance and royalties from his first cookbook, Eating Royally - Recipes and Remembrances of a Palace Kitchen - are being donated to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation.
Spirits Award Jimmy Bedford, Master Distiller, Jack Daniel Distillery. Jimmy Bedford was only the sixth master distiller for the Jack Daniel Distillery at the time of this award. Like the others before him he was born and reared in Lynchburg, Tennessee, site of the world-famous operation. He oversaw the entire whiskey-making process. Jimmy celebrated his 20th Anniversary in 2008 of becoming distillery manager/master distiller for the oldest registered distillery in the United States. He also served as a global ambassador for Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey, Gentleman Jack Rare Tennessee Whiskey and Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey.
Arts Award Howard Hallam, Chairman of the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts. The busy president of Ben E. Keith Company also has time for tireless contributions to the Arts in Dallas. The Arts District Coordinator for the City of Dallas is also Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts Foundation, serves on the Executive Board of the Dallas Symphony Association and is on the DSO's Board of Trustees. He has also served as Chairman and President of the Dallas Symphony Association, President of the Shakespeare Festival of Dallas, Treasurer of The Dallas Opera, the Board of Trustees for the Dallas Museum of Art, and on the Board of Directors for TACA.
Texas Spirit Award Dee Lincoln, Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House. Dee Lincoln's life story is often described as epitomizing the American Dream.She co-founded legendary Del Frisco's two decades ago. She is renowned for her philanthropic and business endeavors. Dee was nominated as Restaurateur of the Year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine, and was named “Restaurateur of the Year” by the Texas Restaurant Association. From her roots in Louisiana, she is living proof that through determination, hard work, and tenacity, one can embark on a fulfilling journey of success. Asked to define success, Lincoln says, “never rest on your laurels; don't become complacent. It's easier to get to the top than to stay on top.”
2007 Savor Dallas Lone Star Award Winners
Wine Award Doug Frost, Master Sommelier/Master of Wine, for his accomplishments in advancing the appreciation and quality standards of the wine industry.  In 1991 he passed the rigorous Master Sommelier examination and two years later became America's eighth Master of Wine.  He was the second person in history to complete both exams and thirteen years later he is still one of only three people in the world to have achieved both these remarkable distinctions.  And now, according to USA Today, "Frost likely knows as much as anyone in the world about how to make, market, serve and identify wines."
Spirits Award Tony Abou-Ganim, The Modern Mixologist for his leadersip in advancing the appreication and quality of fine beverages.  Tony is featured on Fine Living's "Raising the Bar: America's Best Bar Chefs," is one of the veverage industry's major innovators and leaders.  Based in Las Vegas, Tony designed the cocktail program for the world-famous Bellagio resorts, and continues to be one of the most influential sources for ideas and creativity for the world's leading restaurants.  His classic cocktail recipes are in such publicans as Vanity Fair, The New York Times Magazine, Fortune, Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator and more.
Arts Award Dolores Barzune, Community Volunteer and Cultural Leader, for her tireless advocacy of the arts in North Texas and the Southwest.  Having chaired and/or served on the boards of directors for nearly every cultural institution in Dallas/Fort Worth, Mrs. Barzune has helped bring so many great ideas to reality among the region's arts institutions.  She is a leading supporter and board member for the Arts Magnet Building Campaign for the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts Foundation and AFI DALLAS International Film Festival.
Texas Spirit Award Renie and Sterling Steves, for pioneering trails in the wind and food business that have continued to enhance Texas' reputation in the wine and culinary world.  Sterling Steves was pro bono counsel in the case that struck down the Texas law in June 2003 that prohibited direct shipping form out of state wineries to consumers in all Texas, we or dry.  He was counsel in a federal case to out of state retailers who can now ship wine directly to consumers in Texas under a temporary order. Renie Steves has done amazing work to advance culinary arts in Texas an nationally.  Renie opened a cooking school, The French Apron, now known as Cuisine Concepts.  For almost 30 years she and Sterling have been teaching and writing about wine, often specializing in food and wine pairings.
Culinary Award Matt Martinez, Jr., for outstanding achievement as a chef, restaurateur and industry leader.  Born and reared in Austin, Matt grew up working in his father's legendary Tex-Mex restaurant - the first in Austin - Matt's El Rancho.  A fourth-generation Tex-Mex chef, Matt was the first chef to reintroduce unique "prairie/range" style cooking, since cowboys used a similar technique.  His focus was on indigenous, high flavor, low fat foods with Mexican Texan roots.  Matt was a powerful American culinary leader, who developed recipes, spice combinations and techniques, as well as founding several restaurant concepts, including Matt's Rancho Martinez and Matt's No Place in Dallas.
2006 Savor Dallas Lone Star Award Winners
Wine Award Andrea Immer Robinson, Master Sommelier, for her contributions as Dean of Wine Studies for the French Culinary Institute, as the first woman cellar master for the Windows on the World Wine Program, in recognition of being one of twelve women in the United States and thirteen in the world to hold the prestigious title of Master Sommelier, and for her real world approach to the enjoyment of wine and food as celebrated author, teacher and television host.
Spirits Award Steven Olson, for his contributions to foster awareness and education about fine spirits: for hi passion about the celebration and appreciation of spirits and their relationship with food; And, for his tireless and innovative service to the restaurant and beverage industries as a respected teacher and consultant.
Arts Award Raymond D. Nasher, for his contributions to the Arts including the internationally acclaimed Nasher Sculpture Center, his establishment of the Dallas Business Committee for the Arts, and for his service on the Texas Commission of Arts, and as former Ambassador of Cultural Affairs for the City of Dallas.
Texas Spirit Award Susan and Ed Auler, for being pioneers of the Texas Wine Industry, and for making Fall Creek Winery one of the Lone Star State's most successful and influential wineries.  For their vision and innovation in combining European wine making traditions and California technological innovations to produce wines that are highly successful in the marketplace.  And for their tenacity in proving that Texas can produce world class wines
Culinary Award Tom Perini, for outstanding achievement as a restaurateur at his famed Perini Ranch Steakhouse in Buffalo Gap, Texas, as author of "Texas Cowboy Cooking" and former president of the Texas Restaurant Association, we salute Tom for keeping chuck wagon cooking and cowboy cuisine alive at home and on the range.
2005 Savor Dallas Lone Star Award Winners
Wine Award Anthony J. LaBarba For his enormous impact on the wine and restaurant scene as the first fine-wine importer in Texas
Spirits Award Dale DeGroff Author of The Craft of the Cocktail and founder of the Museum of the American Cocktail in New Orleans
Arts Award Jim and Margo Keyes Jim and Margo have tirelessly enhanced the arts in Dallas through their work with the Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Symphony Association and the 7-Eleven "Education is Freedom Foundation."
Texas Spirit Award Paula Lambert Paul is the founder of the Mozzarella Company and author of the Cheese Lovers Cookbook, for her immeasurable contributions to the dining scene through her award-winning cheeses and unceasing promotion of Dallas.
Culinary Award The Gang of Five, who are credited with putting Southwest Cuisine on the culinary map. Avner Samuel, Chef/Owner, Aurora Dean Fearing, Executive Chef, The Mansion on Turtle Creek Anne Greer McCann, author of Contemporary Mexican Cooking   Stephan Pyles, Dragonfly, Ama Lur Robert Del Grande, Chef/Owner, Cafe Annie (Restaurants operated at the time of the award)