Fort Worth’s La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Celebrates 50 Years of Fine Food, Wine, and Friendship

Jake Zalac’s first Fort Worth La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, the world’s oldest international gastronomic society, experience had a memorable Iberian theme. Hugo Del Pozzo, co-founder of award-winning PINEA Wines, introduced members to Spanish wines as Magdalena’s team tended to a massive pan of paella nearby.

“I was told to bring a Spanish red and white wine and thought this would be a casual sit-down event,” Zalac tells PaperCity. “Wines that I had only heard of were scattered throughout the room. Everyone was very amenable, welcoming, and curious. They just wanted to share what they had bought.”

A shared appreciation for fine food and wine has united members of La Chaîne since its origins as a guild of goose roasters in France in 1248. The original guild was dissolved in 1793 during the French Revolution and revived in 1950. The international society celebrating fine dining, wine, and culinary traditions established its Fort Worth chapter in 1975, thanks to restaurateur Willis “Mac” McIntosh.

Conrad C. Heede, Fort Worth’s La Chaîne president, tells us the local chapter brings together food and wine enthusiasts for distinctive dining experiences, thoughtfully paired wines, and opportunities to connect with members around the world. Participants need not be culinary experts, he says, but should share a curiosity about food, wine, and the pleasures of the table.

“Our goal is to turn a good meal into a memorable experience,” he says.

A Fort Worth Culinary Tradition 50 Years in the Making

The Fort Worth chapter of La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs attracts members from varied backgrounds, including wine collectors, novice enthusiasts, chefs, and even winemakers. Del Pozzo tells us he was drawn to La Chaîne by its members’ shared appreciation for great food and wine. His winery, PINEA Wines, is based in northern Spain and has earned numerous international accolades, including a 2023 ranking by Wine Spectator that placed its 2018 vintage among Spain’s top four wines.

“The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know about the wine industry,” he says. “You could study for the rest of your life and still not know it all. But at the same time, it’s one of those things where the learning process can be so incredibly rewarding.”

After attending several events and sampling rare vintages and exceptional wines that would easily fetch thousands of dollars on the market, Zalac was ready to join. At a black-tie induction ceremony at the Fort Worth Club last December, he and other new members received formal ribbons and commemorative knives engraved with La Chaîne’s logo.

Heede, who has been a La Chaîne member for roughly 20 years and has led the Fort Worth chapter since 2023, has witnessed significant growth during his presidency. Membership has climbed over the years, earning the chapter two national recognitions for its growth. He hopes to attract more local chefs, sommeliers, and restaurateurs.

Supporting Fort Worth’s Next Generation of Chefs

Beyond its social and educational events, Heede is especially proud of how his chapter — bailliage in French — supports Fort Worth’s next generation of chefs. In March 2025, the Fort Worth chapter hosted the Southwest regional competition at Tarrant County College, where young chefs prepared dishes in the school’s new culinary arts facilities under the watchful eyes of professional chefs.

La Chaîne also sponsors a similar competition for aspiring sommeliers. On November 13, the Fort Worth chapter will host a French-themed dinner at Tarrant County College, where culinary students will prepare a meal paired with French wines supplied by La Chaîne members. A wine auction will raise money for culinary student scholarships.

As Fort Worth’s chapter continues to grow, so do local options for the types of elevated dining experiences Del Pozzo enjoys when visiting leading culinary cities across the globe. Having called Fort Worth home for 26 years, the winemaker has witnessed the city’s culinary evolution firsthand. He points to newer restaurants such as Almacén El Gallo and The Chumley House as examples of its increasingly sophisticated dining scene.

“We have come so far in the last 25 years,” he says. “We now have great representations of different cuisines. I love the direction that the city is moving in.”

For Zalac, who studies wine varieties at home, his growing knowledge adds another dimension to his travels. During a visit to Burgundy, France, he stayed at a vineyard in the village of Pommard. Two years later, a fellow La Chaîne member brought a bottle from that same vineyard to an event in Fort Worth, making the experience of tasting the wine all the more meaningful.

Heede’s goal for the guild is as simple as it is ambitious — to make every event “irresistible,” so members never want to miss a gathering. La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, the centuries-old French guild dedicated to conviviality, fine food, and wine, has found an enthusiastic adopted home in Fort Worth.