Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/391696
112 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014 Chappellet, as well as a look at Burgundy wines from the 1990s. "I really wanted to highlight the excitement coming out of Portugal right now," said Devon Broglie, MS, Associate Global Beverage Buyer for Whole Foods Market, who did a presentation on Portugal. "I'm really excited about the diversity and evolution of the still table wines from this country. It's on the cutting edge in the world of wine and is a definite emerging wine region to watch in terms of its many regions and producers." Broglie was also excited to sit in on a regional focus seminar on German wine, featuring Tim Gaiser, MS and Laura Williamson, MS describing a major shift among German wine producers to make drier white wines. "I love hearing Tim Gaiser talk about German wine. He is the world authority on these wines and he has such a great way of making them approachable," says Broglie. "He has more insight on this country in his pinky than most wine professionals." bacKeD by Wine eDucators As of this year, TEXSOM is the only conference in the world to be co-presented by the primary wine educa- tion organizations in the world: the Court of Master Sommeliers–Americas, the Wine & Spirits Education Trust, the Guild of Sommeliers and the Society of Wine Educators. Antony Moss, a London-based Master of Wine who serves as the Director of Strategic Planning for the WSET, formally met Tidwell and Hendricks at the Society of Wine Educators Conference in 2013 after hearing about TEXSOM through other colleagues in the industry. "There are still several parts of the USA where it is dif - ficult to access WSET classroom courses, so we believe an occasion like this—where many industry profession- als assemble together—is an ideal time to offer training opportunities," said Moss. "All the major wine education organizations have similar aims, so it is good to see them working alongside each other at this kind of event." Despite TEXSOM's growing popularity and atten - dance rate, for Tidwell and Hendricks, the point was never to make it the biggest wine conference, but rather to make if the most effective conference. It's something longtime participants such Geoff Kruth have noticed with each passing year. "You might not expect that Texas would be the loca - tion for America's top event for wine professionals, but at this point I think it's the standard," said Kruth. "I don't see any other events aimed at professionals that can have as much impact on the market as TEXSOM." "If you ask me, a rising tide lifts all boats," says Tidwell. "We've all come together as a group and it's really gratifying to see how everyone's participation has made TEXSOM what it is today. It's been ten wonderful years. But we're looking forward to what we can do with our industry in the next ten." Devon Broglie, MS, Associate Global Beverage Buyer for Whole Foods Market, delivering an engaging seminar on Portugal, an emerging wine region for dry table wines. Austin-based 2011 Texas' Best Sommelier winner Bill Elsey, who has since moved to Houston to work with Pappas Bros. Steakhouse. TEXSOM co-founders James Tidwell, MS and Drew Hendricks, MS shar- ing a good laugh over a special TEXSOM Tenth Anniversary painting commissioned by a local Dallas artist.