Texsom 2014: Ten Years Old and Thanks to These Guys
We all have these guys (Drew Hendricks and Jame Tidwell) to thank them for creating what is today…TEXSOM!
It started small and grew from it’s humble roots ten years ago to the preeminent position it has today. Many consider TEXSOM (held at the Four Seasons Las Colinas Resort) the best wine beverage symposium and educational experience around. According to Hendricks (quoted previously my lubbockonline column), “It all started with just a few people at the first symposium, but every year the conference has grown. This year will be the biggest ever with several hundred people attending, looking for a chance to taste with the best and learn.”
TEXSOM 2014 is impressive with 23 Seminars taught by 39 Master Sommeliers, 10 Certified Wine Educators, 6 Masters of Wine. There are 8 certification opportunities offered by the Court of Master Sommeliers, Society of Wine Educators, Wine & Spirits Education Trust and Specialty Tea Institute, 25 Texas Sommeliers Competing in the Texas Monthly Texas’ Best Sommelier Competition.
Tomorrow night Texas Fine Wine will co-host with Texas Monthly a Hospitality Suite for TEXSOM participants. Texas Fine Wine represents four distinguished and award winning Texas wineries: Bending Branch Winery, Pedernales Cellars, Brennan Vineyards and Duchman Family Winery.
But wait, there’s more. Over 200 wines will be available for tasting and evaluation at the Monday evening Wine and Food Foundation of Texas Grand Tasting.
We are partying tonight, but will be getting down to the “work” sessions tomorrow.
I’ve signed up for three tasting sessions tomorrow including:
- Beyond the Big Three: Exciting Regions of the U.S. Beyond the West Coast (Texas has to be in this one!)
- A History of Napa Valley
- Pathways to Blind Tasting
On Monday, I have three more, including:
- Regional Focus: Germany Today
- Regional Focus: Franciacorta (a section of the Province of Brescia in the Italian Region of Lombardy)
- Iconic Winery Retrospective Tasting: Chappellet Winery
At the end of the day on Monday, it’s the Grand Tasting with wine from around the world and our home state of Texas, proudly poured side-by-side for all to taste.
You may think that this is all just for fun, but TEXSOM is seriously about education and it has helped to bring respectability to the Texas wine scene.
