Texas’ Best Sommelier Video: Winning Moments

Texas’ Best Sommelier was crowned on Monday at the Four Seasons in Austin. You know all about it. See what really happened. Watch video of the winning moments as Kim Wood, Pappas Bros. Steakhouse, and D’Lynn Proctor, Wine’tastic, tie for third and The Mansion on Turtle Creek’s Scott Barber takes first. Thanks to Kyle Kearbey for editing my shabby attempt at becoming at videographer.

Texsom 2008: Updates to Photo Gallery

I’ve added about 20 new pictures to the gallery.

Texas’ Best Sommelier 2008: Dallas’ Scott Barber

The Mansion on Turtle Creek’s Scott Barber is named Texas’ Best Sommelier 2008. The prize–$2500 for Court of Master Sommelier education and bragging rights for a year. Two Dallas sommeliers tied for third place–D’Lynn Proctor from Wine’tastic and Kim Wood from Pappas Bros. Steakhouse. Second place went to San Antonio’s Laura Atkinson. Congratulations, all. Photos and video clips to come.

Texsom Update: Washington Seminar

Washington State is not all as rainy as Seattle. It’s hard to imagine growing grapes in Washington until you realize there is a rainshadow effect that stops the rain heading too far east, barely making it past the Cascades Mountains. Nestled between that mountain range and the Rockies is the Columbia Valley where the majority of Washington wines are produced. Shayn Bjornholm, M.S. and educational director for the Washington Wine Commission, said the area is ideal for growing grapes because although the region is techically a semi-continental desert, there is a 40 degree shift at night that allows the grapes to cool. We focused on Syrah, which is quickly becoming Washington’s signature varietal. The area is peppered with old, dormant volcanoes. The evidence is in the soil, which is rich with basalt. It drains well and lends an old-world minerality that is rare on this side of the Atlantic. Technical Alert: Washington does not have to graft their vines to combat Phylloxera. The little pests cannot thrive in Washington because of the intense heat and wind (correction: sandy soil). With very few exceptions, most vines must be grafted from France to Napa. Washington is one of about three or four regions worldwide that can survive without grafting. Of course it could be said that these Syrahs will show a natural expression of the fruit than cannot be achieved even in the Rhone region of France where the grape is indigenous. They’re studying this. I’m sure once they can prove that’s true, we’ll all hear about it. Follow the jump for tasting notes for six outstanding Syrahs.

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Texsom 2008 Photo Gallery

I know it won’t replace the thrill of being here personally, but check out the photo gallery. I’ll add photos over the next two days, so check back often.

photo courtesy of Texas Sommelier Conference 2008

Master Sommeliers, Shiner, and The Salt Lick

We piled in the tour bus heading to Driftwood, Texas for a night of beer, wine, and barbecue at The Salt Lick–the official kick-off party for the 2008 Texas Sommelier Conference. The bus was filled with several of the most influential Master Sommeliers in the country. Naturally, I thought the ride was going to be punctuated by heated debates about acidity levels in Sangiovese grapes or something along those lines. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Turns out, Master Sommeliers really like beer. Shiner Bock and Lone Star to be exact. Several of the most influential MS’ in the world had the bus driver stop at a roadside liquor store to grab a few cases for the group. This is going to be a fun weekend. Once we arrived at The Salt Lick, Ray Wylie Hubbard was getting ready to start a set as the wine corks started to pop. Check out a video of Hubbard playing while Master Sommeliers Guy Stout and Fred Dame (in the white cowboy hat) dance a few lucky ladies around the room. Follow the jump for a list of my favorite wines of the night (all from Australia) and more blurry pics. I will have many more in focus pics in the coming days.

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Live Blogging from the Texas Sommelier Conference

This weekend I will be heading down the Austin for the Texas Sommelier Conference. I will be live blogging all-day on Sunday and Monday between seminars. Be sure to tune in. Expect highlights, pics, and interviews with local sommeliers and the Master Sommeliers in town to judge the Texas’ Best Sommelier contest and lead seminars. In preparation and training for the working weekend, I am on a strict diet of Viognier and New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, increasing the number of glasses I drink each day. One of my poor co-workers is training for a marathon. Training for a sommelier conference is much more fun. Texas’ Best Sommelier will be announced Monday evening.