Houston’s Nice Winery, co-owned by Rice University alumnus Ryan Levy ’97, has claimed the prestigious Top All-Around Winery Award at the 2025 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition, one of the largest and most competitive wine competitions in the country. The award makes the winery a back-to-back winner in 2024 and 2025, solidifying Nice Winery’s place as a premier winemaker on a national stage.
The competition featured over 3,000 entries from wineries across the globe, making this victory a monumental achievement for the boutique winery, known for its commitment to crafting sustainable, small-batch wines. In addition to earning the top accolade, Nice Winery broke an all-time competition record with 20 Championship Belt Buckle Awards for its standout wines, including Best in Class for its sauvignon blanc, malbec, petite sirah and proprietary red wines.
“This honor is a testament to the dedication and passion of our entire team,” Levy said. “Our mission has always been to create wines that bring people together while honoring sustainable practices. Winning this award in our hometown makes it even more special.”
Nice Winery’s success at this year’s competition is particularly meaningful as Levy is a past Houston Rodeo Scholarship recipient, which allowed him to attend Rice, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in political science while planting the roots for his career as a winemaker.
“I grew the audacity it took to plant a wine-growing vineyard in Houston during my four years at Rice,” Levy said. “Rice’s supportive staff and administration served as an incubator for my ideas as a student. From establishing the university’s first professional speaking curriculum, creating Rice’s first series of Oxford Union style debates and hosting a political talk show on KTRU, Rice nurtured my ambitions. My Rice professors encouraged me to dream bigger and take risks.”
Founded in Houston almost 20 years ago, Nice Winery is renowned for its handcrafted, sustainably produced wines made from premium grapes grown in Texas, California, Washington and Argentina. Owned and operated by certified sommeliers and winemakers Levy and Ian Eastveld, Nice Winery’s West Houston vineyard is the first commercial wine-growing vineyard inside Houston’s city limits.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition is one of the largest wine competitions in the United States, attracting top-tier wineries from 22 countries around the world. The competition recognizes excellence in winemaking with proceeds supporting scholarships and educational programs.