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 TexSom – Texas Sommelier Conference
Presented by The Texas Sommelier Association
Sponsored by The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas
 TexSom is a two-day conference for both industry professionals and the general community.
The Texas Sommelier Conference was first created in 2005 to address the growing need for continuing education for wine professionals, educators, and connoisseurs throughout the state, in addition to the general public. Now in its fourth year, it is one of the definitive wine education programs in Texas.
The conference is a dynamic two-day event featuring educational seminars for both wine professionals and the general public. In addition to the seminars and lectures, a three-part competition (tasting, service and theory) is held for aspiring sommeliers to identify “Texas Best Sommelier”.
The conference was spearheaded by industry professionals and charitable leaders in the Texas wine community. Drew Hendricks MS, sommelier at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse, James Tidwell, sommelier at Four Seasons Resort and Club in Las Colinas, and Guy Stout MS, with Glazer’s Distributing created the conference as a means to provide quality education and unite the Texas wine community.
An initial steering committee reflected the many different areas of the Texas wine industry. Original committee members included: Guy Stout, Master Sommelier and Education Director at Glazer’s Distributors; Leon Cikota, Vice-President of Fine Wine at Republic Beverage; James Kramer, Vice President of Beverage Operations at Landry’s Restaurants; Fernando De Luna, Education Director at Republic Beverage; and Alfonso Cevola, Italian Wine Specialist at Glazer’s Distributor’s among several other colleagues and supporters.
The mission of the conference is to develop Texas sommeliers and other wine professionals/ aficionados through seminars, tastings, and professional standards examinations. Objectives include:
Providing quality continuing education for both sommeliers and the general public,
Building and enhancing relationships within the Texas wine industry,
Creating greater media and public awareness regarding standards and certifications for wine professionals.
Along with the competition, the conference has grown over the past four years, featuring some of the country’s leading wine industry figures. Speakers included the most prestigious levels of wine educators -- Master Sommeliers (MS), Masters of Wine (MW), and Certified Wine Educators (CWE). Included in who’s who of industry professionals were: Guy Stout, MS, CWE, one of the original founders of the Texas Sommelier Association and the conference; Greg Harrington MS, who has developed wine lists for Wolfgang Puck and Emeril Lagasse; Keith Goldston MS; Reggie Narito MS; Larry O’Brien MS, and Charles Curtis MW among many others.
Description of Event:
TexSom is a two-day conference. The first day is open to the general public and a nominal fee is charged for the sessions. The five in-depth educational sessions explore specific wine regions in detail. Second-day programs are reserved for wine professionals and media representatives. No fees are required. Topics covered include contemporary issues in wine and other items of interest to Texas wine professionals.
The competition portion of the conference takes place on the first day. It is limited to 25 Texas candidates who are evaluated by a panel of nationally recognized Master Sommeliers. The highest scoring candidate is named “Texas Best Sommelier” for the year and receives a scholarship to attend the Introductory Sommelier Course, Certified Sommelier Exam, or Advanced Sommelier Course of the Court of Master Sommeliers.
Since its inception in 2005, more than 300 wine professionals have participated in the program.
For more information on the 2009 TexSom Conference, please visit the Texas Sommelier Association website at www.texsom.com, or check this site periodically. The site will be updated as information becomes available.
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