Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/391696
110 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014 Deep in the Hearts of texas sommeliers TEXSOM CELEBRATES TEN YEARS WITH A HIGH PROFILE ROUND-UP OF WINE A-LISTERS by Jessica Dupuy / pHotos by Jason KinDig TEXSOM co-founders Drew Hendricks, MS, Vice President General Manager Standard Beverage, and James Tidwell, MS, Four Seasons Dallas at Las Colinas. "I smell pyzazene on this wine," said blind taster Geoff Kruth, MS, COO of the Guild of Sommeliers, following a quick swirl of his glass and a deep sniff. "I'm definitely not getting any terpenes, so I'm going to steer away from Viognier, Torrontés, Gewürztraminer and Muscat." A quick taste. "Lemon. Lime. Lees. Some might say minerality, but I don't believe in minerality." After a few more tastes and list of descriptors, "I'm going to go with Sancerre for this one." This was the general discourse from Kruth and Matthew Citriglia, MS, Director of Education for Vintage Wine Distributor, one Monday afternoon before a room of more than 100 sommeliers. The topic was "Pathways to Blind Tasting." Their method, part of the general tast - ing grid practiced by the Court of Master Sommeliers, proved pure gold for those just cutting their teeth on becoming a professional sommelier. "TEXSOM has become a great venue to give a serious lecture like this," said Geoff Kruth. "It's rare that you can involve professionals from all across the United States in a single lecture of this level." The seminar was only one of 23 offered at what was originally named the Texas Sommeliers Conference, held August 9–11, 2014 at Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas. But now