San Antonio Food & Wine Alliance awards $17,000 in its first round of grants to local businesses

The San Antonio Food & Wine Alliance offered a $17,000 cash injection to four area food ventures via its first set of community grants.

The organization, created when the Austin Food & Wine Alliance expanded to San Antonio in 2020, will issue grants annually to support Alamo City chefs, farmers, artisan producers and food-focused nonprofits.

The winners of this year's grants include the Food Policy Council of San Antonio, Gardopia Gardens, Southtown restaurant The Good Kind and Special Leaf, a company that markets bottled, locally sourced olive leaf-based teas.

The Food Policy Council of San Antonio received $5,000 to augment a four-acre agricultural space with a new deck used for educational programming and events. The donation will also fund bike racks and benches.

Gardopia Gardens — an East Side group working to reduce obesity and malnutrition — received the $5,000 H-E-B Grant Supporting Diversity and Inclusion. The nonprofit will use the funds for rainwater infrastructure, garden tools and adding small livestock, chickens and bees to its farm.

Special Leaf won $5,000 via the Tito’s Handmade Vodka Entrepreneur Grant. The beverage company will use the money to boost distribution of its tea — the first of its kind on the market — through a strategic marketing plan and equipment expansion.

Finally, The Good Kind captured the $2,000 Truffle Masters Grant for Community Heroes. The funding will allow the restaurant to install a live-growth wall and garden to raise edible flowers, vegetables and herbs to use in food prep and education.

So many restaurants, so little time. Find out the latest San Antonio dining news with our Flavor Friday Newsletter.