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Announcing TEXSOM International Wine Awards 2021
The following is a timeline with corresponding entry fees: Submission Period Wine: $95 + 4 bottles per online entry Late Submission Period Wine: $105 + 4 bottles per online entry “Spirits have played an important role in the beverage industry and mixology, and now there are operating craft distillers in all 50 states and over 1,000 internationally,” says Donaji Lira, Events Manager for TEXSOM. “The addition of spirits to the Awards will help to increase exposure not only of craft distillers, but also classic distillers. Now is a good time to include this important category, given the changing nature of the hospitality industry and evolving roles in restaurants and retail.” “Improvements to our submissions experience for mead, cider, and sake entrants, as well as the addition of spirits, add to our strategic value for returning Awards winners and new prospective entrants,” says Amie Hendrickson, Operations Manager for TEXSOM. “In spite of the significant challenges we face as an industry in 2021, our team is devoted to the exceptional standards of care our entrants, judges, volunteers, and participants have come to expect. We offer entrants a consistent place to showcase their offerings and welcome new and returning representative producers from all 50 US States and numerous countries.” Maximilian Kast MS is based in North Carolina and serves as the Director of Education and Sales NC/SC at import company, Broadbent Selections. He states, “I have never seen such a high concentration of the best palates in the country at one place in my life. Wineries that receive awards from the competition can be assured that the best of the best deliberated tirelessly on those decisions.” “Folks in Idaho last year were thrilled with the response to their entries at TEXSOM,” says Eric Degerman, president and CEO of Great Northwest Wine. “A number of Idaho producers have stopped submitting new releases to some publications because they question if Idaho wines are evaluated under blind conditions, which is another reason why the showing of Idaho wines at your competition — featuring arguably the most prestigious panel of judges in the U.S. — is important to that emerging wine region.” Alexandra Cherniavsky, an Advanced Sommelier and Wine Consultant from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania shares, “TEXSOM IWA gave me a larger world perspective and insight into who the important producers were in individual parts of the world and what grapes were important there.” Cherniavsky, a previous multi-year participant in the TEXSOM Sommelier Retreat and a 2020 TEXSOM IWA volunteer continues, “It gave me wines to recommend at every price point and a working knowledge of Texas wines, something I never would have been exposed to otherwise.” In 2015 TEXSOM International Wine Awards combined the logistics team and infrastructure of an historical competition with the influence and power of the TEXSOM brand. The competition has grown more than 33% and seen diversification to 32 countries and 18 U.S. states represented, spanning suggested retail pricing from U.S. $2.99 to over U.S. $700, and vintages as old as 36 years. Previous results are available through the TEXSOM International Wine Awards website searchable database. TEXSOM International Wine Awards contributes to the global conversation of beverage, amplifies classic and emerging regions, and builds exposure and interest for all invested in the experience. A unique range of benefits for Award winners includes:
The TEXSOM International Wine Awards team looks forward to working with the industry to identify and champion wines and beverages of quality and distinction from around the world. Distribution in Texas is NOT required to enter the competition, and TEXSOM IWA can assist international wineries in obtaining COLA Waivers. Wineries interested in submitting entries may visit the updated entrant submission page with easy-to-follow steps, fees and requirements here. Further inquiries may be made by info@texsom.com or calling 214-886-1665. An overview of the 2020 competition is available here. ABOUT TEXSOM Founded in 2005, TEXSOM promotes professional wine service standards, outlines paths for further wine education and certification, and raises public awareness about the professional standards and certifications for sommeliers. Today, the conference draws more than 1,000 attendees. In April 2014 the TEXSOM group purchased one of the largest, most respected, and longest-running competitions in the United States now known as the TEXSOM International Wine Awards. |
Dallas, Texas —James Tidwell MS, owner and producer of TEXSOM International Wine Awards, announces entries are open for judging and awards consideration for the 2021 competition to be held April 25-27, 2021 at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas. A new addition to this year’s judging is the inclusion of spirits (whiskey, gin, vodka, etc.), pre-mixed cocktails, cocktail components, and bitters. The competition has an improved, more tailored entry experience for sake, cider, and mead producers, all beverages judged in previous years, allowing for greater differentiation.Christina Walther of Jeffrey’s of Austin Named Best Sommelier at 15th Annual Texsom
Irving, Texas –– TEXSOM co-founders and Master Sommeliers Drew Hendricks and James Tidwell today announced at the TEXSOM Grand Tasting that Christina Walther of Jeffrey’s of Austin is the 2019 TEXSOM Best Sommelier. The 2019 TEXSOM Best Sommelier Competition takes place during TEXSOM, the most prominent and influential wine education conference in the United States, held annually at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas in Irving, Texas.
Photo from Forbes.
Christina topped an impressive field of competitors in a rigorous three-part wine examination involving service, blind tasting and theory knowledge. An elite group of Master Sommelier, Master of Wine, and Master Cicerone judges named Christina the 2019 TEXSOM Best Sommelier at a ceremony on Tuesday evening. The competition is a traditional part of TEXSOM. To participate, candidates must be a current resident of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, or Texas and must not have passed the Court of Master Sommeliers’ Advanced Sommelier Examination or won the competition previously.
“The 15th year of the TEXSOM Best Sommelier Competition was certainly one for the record books,” says Tidwell. “It is a testament to the quality and standards of their wine team for these three individuals to place in our competition. We offer wholehearted congratulations to Christina on taking top honors and look forward to following her career. We also want to extend our sincere thanks to the entire TEXSOM team who really took our conference to another level this year.”
In addition to laying claim to the title of “2019 TEXSOM Best Sommelier,” Christina received a scholarship of $2,500 from SOMMFoundation to be used for a Court of Master Sommeliers certification program. Skyler Ring was the runner up and will receive a $1,500 scholarship, and the 3rd place winner Austin Farina will receive a $1,000 scholarship. All three winners are employed by Jeffrey’s of Austin. We applaud their quality of service and training.
Held August 18th to 20th at Four Seasons Resort and Club and co-presented by the not-for-profit organizations GuildSomm, SOMMFoundation, Court of Master Sommeliers – Americas, and Wine & Spirit Education Trust—TEXSOM is the only event of its kind in the United States. The speakers and judges constitute a who’s who list of the nation’s top wine professionals. Dozens of Master Sommeliers (MS), Masters of Wine (MW), Master Cicerones, WSET Diploma Graduates (DipWSET) and other respected industry professionals were integral parts of the conference.
The 2019 TEXSOM conference featured a stellar line-up of speakers, mentors, and competition judges, including:
- Jesse Becker MS
- Wayne Belding MS
- Shayn Bjornholm MS
- Bree Boskov MW
- Devon Broglie MS
- Dilek Caner PhD MW
- Remy Charest
- Christy Canterbury MW
- Elaine Chukan Brown
- Jim Clarke
- Craig Collins MS
- Olga Crawford MW
- Brian Cronin MS
- Charles Curtis MW
- Ian D’Agata
- Matthew Deller
- Frederick L. Dame MS
- Laura DePasquale MS
- Jeni Dodd
- Maureen Downey
- Jessica Dupuy
- Sarah Jane Evans MW
- Ganna Federova
- Klaus Gasser
- Keith Goldston MS
- Jamie Goode PhD
- Mary Gorman-McAdams MW
- Ian Harris MBE DipWSET
- Drew Hendricks MS
- Rich Higgins MC CS
- Jay James MS
- Terry Kandylis
- Geoff Kruth MS
- Paul Mabray
- Peter Marks MW
- Benoit Marsan PhD
- Jack Mason MS
- Mary Margaret McCamic MW
- Andrew McNamara MS
- Melissa Monosoff MS
- Sheri Morano MW
- Antony Moss DipWSET MW
- Nicholas Paris MW
- Rajat Parr MS
- Bronwen Percival
- Francis Percival
- Emily Pickral MS
- Thomas Price MS
- Kyle Stewart
- Larry Stone MS
- Guy Stout MS
- Chris Tanghe MS
- Dirceu Vianna Junior MW
- Kelli White
- Laura Williamson MS
- Emily Wines MS
- David Wrigley DipWSET MW
- Debbie Zachareas
2019 Sponsors: The event is made possible by the generous support of many sponsors, with scholarships provided by the SOMMFoundation.
Sponsors include:
(Presenting Sponsors) Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas; GuildSomm; SOMMFoundation; Wine & Spirits Education Trust.
(Platinum Sponsors) Aqua Panna; Balzac Communications & Marketing; Banville Wine Merchants; Broadbent Selections; Classic Wine Merchants; Fortessa; Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas; ProWein; Ribera y Rueda; San Pellegrino; Silver Oak/Twomey; The Sorting Table; TEXSOM International Wine Awards; Washington State Wine; Wine Australia; Wine Dialogues; Wines from Spain.
(Gold Sponsors) Australia Classic & Rare; Banfi Vintners; Barossa Australia; Classified Wine Imports; Champagne Taittinger; Chappellet Winery; Club Crus Beaujolais; Coravin; Dreyfus, Ashby & Co.; González Byass; GoVino; Harvest Press Cider; Irving Texas Convention & Visitors Bureau; Kistler Vineyards; Loosen Bros. USA; Lux Wines; Mutual Trading Company; Newton Napa Valley; Old Bridge Cellars; Olé & Obrigado; Oregon Wine Board; Ruinart; Santa Lucia Highlands Wine Artisans; Santa Margherita USA; Texas Fine Wine; WhyNot; Wilson Daniels; Wines of Georgia; Wines of South Africa; Wines of Uruguay.
(Silver Sponsors) Ambiente; Austrian Wine; Cape Classics; Champagne Bruno Paillard; Consorzio di Tutela Prosecco Superiore; Crimson Wine Group; Empson USA; Europvin; Food Is Great Britain & N. Ireland; Folio Fine Wine Partners; Gerard Bertrand; Gimblett Gravels Wine Growing District; Graves – Sauternes; Iron Horse Vineyards; Jackson Family Wines; Kobrand Fine Wine and Spirits; Franciacorta; Lake County Winegrape Commission; Larkmead Family Estate; Lodi Wines; Louis Jadot/Zind Humbrecht; Mcpherson/Llano/Fallcreek/Brennan Vineyards; Multicarte Inc.; MundoVino; Napa Valley Vintners; New Zealand Wine; North Berkeley Imports; Pacific Highway Wines & Spirits; Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance; Petaluma Gap Wine Grower’s Alliance; Rías Baixas; Serendipity Wines; Sideshow Wine Freaks Tour; Texas Wine & Grape Grower’s Association; The Cultured Cup; The Wine Group; Terrien; Third Leaf Wines; Uncork Texas Wines; VQA Wines of Ontario; Viña Cobos by Paul Hobbs; Vinho Verde; Willamette Valley Wine; Wines of Argentina; Wines of British Columbia; Wines of Chile; Wines of Georgia; Wines of Germany; Wines of Greece; Yarden Inc.
(Bronze Sponsors) Achaval-Ferrer; Adelsheim; Alejandro Fernández Grupo Pesquera; Alexander Valley Vineyards; Almaviva; Arínzano; Athenee Importers & Distributors; Barnett Vineyards; Becker Vineyards; Bellavista; Beronia; Bodega Garzon Uruguay; Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana; Brazos Wine; Bowler; Champagne Collet; Clos du Val; Coast Pinot Noir; Corison; Crown Point Vineyards; Dalla Terra Winery District; Daou Vineyards & Winery; David Milligan Selections; Delectatio; Dessai; Donald Patz Wine Group; Dry Creek Vineyard; Ehlers Estate; Entisquero; Faustino; Fisher Vineyards; Foley Family Wines; Fredrick Wildman & Sons; Freemark Abbey; Garnacha/Grenache; Groth Vineyards & Winery; Gruet; Guinness; Gundlach Bundschu; Hahn Family Wines; Hartford Family Winery; Hundred Acre; Hertelendy Napa Valley; Joseph Phelps Vineyards; Kerr Cellars; Land of Promise Sonoma; Lange Twins; Lede Family Wines; Lingua Franca; Lipman; Messina Hof Winery & Resort; Murrieta’s Well; Obsidian Wine Co.; Pasalei; Passopisciaro Tenuta di Trinoro; Patz & Hall; Pedernales Cellars; Ranchos de Ontiveros Santa Maria Valley; Revana Family Vineyard; Rex Hill; Saint Arnold Brewing Company; Schmitt Sohne Family Wines; Siduri; Sinegal Estate; Ste. Michelle Wine Estates; Symington Family; The Hess Collection; Tinto Negro; Trefethen Family Vineyards; Villa Maria; Vina Don Machor; Vinkara; Vineyard Brands; William & Chris Vineyards; Winesellers LTD; ZD Wines; Zuccardi.
ABOUT TEXSOM
Founded in 2005, the TEXSOM conference was started by Master Sommeliers James Tidwell and Drew Hendricks to help promote professional wine service standards, outline paths for further wine education and certification, and raise public awareness about the professional standards and certifications for sommeliers. Today the conference draws more than 1,300 attendees, of whom more than 800 are sommeliers and other beverage industry professionals. In addition to the conference, the group also manages the TEXSOM International Wine Awards, one of the largest, most respected, and longest-running in the United States.
Announcing TEXSOM International Wine Awards 2018 Call for Entries
Dallas, Texas – TEXSOM Co-founders and Master Sommeliers Drew Hendricks and James Tidwell today announced that the TEXSOM International Wine Awards is accepting entries for the 2018 competition to be held February 12-14, 2018 at the Grapevine Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas
The following is a timeline with corresponding entry fees:
Submission Period
October 31 – December 31, 2017
$95 + 4 bottles of wine per entry
Wines must be received by January 1, 2018
Late Submission Period
January 1 – January 31, 2018
$105 + 4 bottles of wine per entry
Wines must be received by February 1, 2018
Late Expedited Submission Period
February 1 – 9, 2018
$145 + 4 bottles of wine per entry
Overnight Shipping Required, in order for processing to be completed for judging
“The TEXSOM International Wine Awards is the preeminent wine competition in the United States,” says Andrew McNamara MS, Vice President of Wine Development at Breakthru Beverage and Chairman – Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas. “TEXSOM International Wine Awards continues to assemble a panel of judges that is unmatched anywhere. Industry leaders, including many Master Sommeliers and Masters of Wine, judge an array of high-quality wines from around the world over the course of two days. Receiving a medal of any kind at TIWA is a boon to suppliers and distributors alike; mentioning it to sommeliers and buyers makes the already great wines that much more attractive.”
“TEXSOM attracts extremely experienced and knowledgeable judges, world-class wines and imposes ironclad integrity in the judging process,” says Debbie Zacharias and Peter Granoff MS, General Partners at Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant and Oxbow Wine & Cheese Merchant. “Many competitions make that claim, but the bar is truly higher here. Wineries and importers often ask us which competitions are the best ones to enter in the U.S. and TEXSOM is always at the top of a very short list.”
“An exciting global perspective is one thing that sets the TEXSOM International Wine Awards apart,” says Catherine Miles, Senior VP, Creative & Marketing Director for Broadbent Selections. “But the main reason a TEXSOM medal shines brighter than many other awards is that TEXSOM is so much more than an awards program. It’s an invigorating experience and an inspiring education that’s become a can’t-miss event for the wine world’s best and brightest.”
“TEXSOM International Wine Awards has been critical in building awareness for Greek wine,” says Sofia Perpera, Director of the Greek Wine Bureau-North America for Wines of Greece. “From the recognition garnered by ratings from world’s top opinion makers, as well as the exposure within the Sommelier community that TEXSOM allows.”
All award-winning wineries are asked to reserve at least three additional bottles of each award-winning wine for possible promotion and feature opportunities, such as inclusion in the Wine Awards hospitality suite at the TEXSOM conference; TEXSOM’s newest venture, the publication Sommelier; and in tastings outside the TEXSOM conference. Award-winning wines are candidates for consideration in TEXSOM seminars, but no guarantees are made regarding an individual wine’s use in seminars. Aside from the two bottles requested by TEXSOM International Wine Awards, restaurant and retail partners might contact award-winning entrants for participation in promotional tastings, dinners, wine list features, etc. Participation in events with restaurant and retail partners is at the discretion of the entrant.
In addition to the activities listed above, the following is a list of benefits for award winners:
- Award-winning wines announced via social media, email messaging, website, press release, publication partners
- The entire list of award-winning wines will be presented online by the presenting sponsor, Texas Monthly
- Listing of all award-winning wines and featured content on select award-winners in Sommelier, TEXSOM’s newest publication for sommeliers, wine buyers, other beverage professionals, and engaged consumers
- Exposure to TEXSOM’s international network of sommeliers and wine buyers with a tasting of medal-winning wines at the TEXSOM conference hospitality suites in August 2018
- Award-winning wines presented at events throughout the country through wine tastings, wine dinners and special events with restaurant and retail partners
- Award-winning wines featured on the TEXSOM International Wine Awards website throughout the calendar year
- Results available through the TEXSOM International Wine Awards searchable online database
- Recognition of the quality of the wines by a group of the best palates in the country, including the judges and Sommelier Panel. The Sommelier Panel is unique to TEXSOM International Wine Awards. The Panel consists of prominent sommeliers from around the country who write expository content following the awarding of medals by judges during the blind tasting
Wineries interested in submitting their wines for judging may visit the TEXSOM International Wine Awards website at http://texsomiwa.com. Further inquiries may be made by emailing enter@texsomiwa.com or by calling 214.886.1665.
ABOUT TEXSOM
Founded in 2005, TEXSOM was started by Master Sommeliers James Tidwell and Drew Hendricks to help promote professional wine service standards, outline paths for further wine education and certification, and raise public awareness about the professional standards and certifications for sommeliers. Today, the conference draws more than 1,000 attendees, of whom more than 800 are sommeliers and other beverage industry professionals. The TEXSOM group purchased the competition now known as the TEXSOM International Wine Awards in April 2014. One of the largest, most respected, and longest-running in the United States, the competition was founded in 1985 by journalist and wine expert Rebecca Murphy.
TEXSOM International Wine Awards Announces 2017 Winners
Dallas, Texas – TEXSOM Co-founders and Master Sommeliers James Tidwell and Drew Hendricks today announced the final results for the 2017 TEXSOM International Wine Awards. The Awards garnered 3,581 entries representing 29 countries and 19 U.S. States, a record for the competition.
Entries in the TEXSOM International Wine Awards were blind-tasted and judged by 71 internationally renowned industry influencers from 5 countries. Of these entries, the judges awarded 2,480 medals: 310 Gold medals, 901 Silver medals, and 1269 Bronze medals. Suggested retail pricing of medal-winning entries ranged from US $2.99 to over US $700.00. Vintages spanned 40 years, with the oldest being 1977.
Judges’ Selections winners, those wines that were judged best for their categories, were announced at a reception sponsored by Enterprise Greece during ProWein 2017 at the Greek national pavilion on Monday, March 20. The event was a culmination of a series of award announcements by both Texas Monthly and the TEXSOM social media channels of all the Award-winning wines. All winning wines are listed on the Texas Monthly website at http://www.texasmonthly.com/article/tiwa2017/. Texas Monthly was the presenting sponsor, and has been instrumental in promoting the competition.
Last year, Greek wines showed well at the TEXSOM International Wine Awards, finishing 4th in medals received among the 25 countries entering wines. Enterprise Greece, the Greek government agency responsible for export promotion, is sponsoring some of Greece’s leading wineries at ProWein.
“We had a record year for the TEXSOM International Wine Awards,” said Tidwell. “That paired with the international recognition at ProWein, indicate that the TEXSOM International Wine Awards has become one of the most internationally influential competitions in the world. From the caliber of the judges to the quality of the entries, the Awards set the standard for what key tastemakers and industry influencers believe are the world’s top wines.”
Award entries were arranged by category of beverage, place of origin, and type. The final list of all winners includes: Judges’ Selections, Traditional Method Sparkling Wines, Other Sparkling Wines, Fortified (Dry and Sweet), Sake, White Wines, Rosé and Blush Wines, Red Wines, Ciders, and Fruit, Flavored and Honey Wines.
Wines chosen for Judges’ Selections were nominated by judging panels for specific categories, then blind-tasted by special panels to determine the winner of each Selection. Judges’ Selections demonstrate quality and unique character that are exceptional even amongst their medal-winning peers.
Unique among all other wine competitions, the TEXSOM International Wine Awards involved 42 rising-star sommeliers (separate from the judges) and three editors who have written detailed descriptions of a selection of medal winners. These notes will be highlighted for Featured Wines on the TEXSOM International Wine Awards website over the course of the year, and in the publication TEXSOM presents SOMMELIER. In addition to their duties in crafting notes for the selected award winners, the sommeliers participated in an educational retreat where each attended a series of seminars and observed judging by sitting with a judging panel, and also had the opportunity to receive direct instruction and feedback from a Master Sommelier or Master of Wine on blind tasting of wine.
The TEXSOM International Wine Awards was supported by 71 judges and more than 80 volunteers and staffers working together to make the competition happen. A list of judges may be found on the website at http://texsomiwa.com/.
ABOUT TEXSOM
Founded in 2005, TEXSOM was started by Master Sommeliers James Tidwell and Drew Hendricks to help promote professional wine service standards, outline paths for further wine education and certification, and raise public awareness about the professional standards and certifications for sommeliers. Today the conference draws more than 1,100 attendees, of whom more than 800 are sommeliers and other beverage industry professionals. The TEXSOM group purchased the competition now known as the TEXSOM International Wine Awards in April 2014. One of the largest, most respected, and longest-running in the United States, the competition was founded in 1985 by journalist and wine expert Rebecca Murphy.
TEXSOM CELEBRATES 11 YEARS AS NATION’S PREMIER SOMMELIER EDUCATION CONFERENCE
Registration open for TEXSOM 2015 Conference
Dallas, TX – Presently celebrating its eleventh year, TEXSOM, the most prominent and influential sommelier education conference in the world, announces that registration is now open for TEXSOM 2015. The TEXSOM 2015 conference will take place August 8 -10, 2015 at the Four Seasons Resort & Club Dallas at Las Colinas, Texas.
TEXSOM 2015 will include presentations by Master Sommeliers, Masters of Wine, Certified Wine Educators and other industry experts. In fact, roughly 25% of the all the professionals who have earned the title of Master Sommelier in the nation will be in attendance this year. Seminars will include regional spotlights, variety intensives, two iconic winery retrospectives, and industry/sommelier roundtable discussions. The sessions will concentrate on wine, but also include spirits, beer, coffee, tea and other beverages. Some of this year’s seminars include:
- “The Lineage of the Pinot Family”
- “White Grape Varieties of Greece”
- “Wines of Process: Sparkling, Oxidized, Fortified, and Beyond”
- Iconic Winery Retrospectives on Maison Trimbach & Kumeu River Wines
- Sake’s Secondary Styles
- “Wild Beers: Old and New World”
- “Guildsomm Presents: Wines of the Rhone Valley, Australia and New Zealand: Commonalities of New Wave Producers”
- “Calvados: From Cidre to Apple Brandy”
TEXSOM is the only conference with presenting sponsors from four of the major wine education and certification organizations in the world: Court of Master Sommeliers – Americas; Guild of Sommeliers Education Foundation; Society of Wine Educators; and Wine and Spirit Education Trust. The conference is expected to draw a total of 1,000 attendees, of which 700 will be sommeliers, retailers and wine buyers.
TEXSOM 2015 will offer participants a chance to attend 24 different seminars, each featuring up to eight beverages. Attendees will also have the opportunity to evaluate more than 400 wines at the Grand Tasting and Awards Reception, which is sponsored by the Wine and Food Foundation of Texas.
In addition, the conference will again host the TEXSOM Best Sommelier Competition, sponsored by Texas Monthly, which is a challenge to young sommeliers to pit their knowledge and expertise against their peers’. For the first time, the competition will be open to qualified candidates who not only live in Texas, but also those residing in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. The winners of the contest will be announced at the Grand Tasting and Awards Reception on the closing night.
Attendees will have the opportunity to read about a selection of TEXSOM International Wine Awards medal-winning wines in the conference program, which will include articles and descriptions about the competition and the wines. In addition, two hospitality suites, open to sommelier and trade attendees, will highlight a selection of these sommelier-selected, medal-winning wines in a unique setting.
The registration fee for TEXSOM 2015 is $425 and includes lunches, access to hospitality suites, and admittance to the Grand Tasting and Awards Reception. Rooms are available (while supply lasts) at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas. To register, interested parties should visit http://www.texsom.com.
About TEXSOM
Founded in 2005, TEXSOM was started by Master Sommeliers James Tidwell and Drew Hendricks to help promote professional wine service standards, outline paths for further wine education and certification, and raise public awareness about the professional standards and certifications for sommeliers. Today, the conference draws a total of 1,000 attendees, of whom 700 are sommeliers, retailers and wine buyers.
