Scheduled Master Sommeliers include James Tidwell, Drew Hendricks, Wayne Belding, Brett Zimmerman, Guy Stout, Tim Gaiser, Laura Williamson, Keith Goldston, Nate Ready, Melissa Monosoff, Brian Cronin, Cameron  Douglas, John Szabo, Geoff Kruth, Laura DePasquale, Jay Fletcher, Andrew McNamara, Peter Neptune and Greg Harrington. The speaker lineup also includes James Beard Award Winners Rajat Parr and Paul Grieco, Master of wine Christy Canterbury, wine marketer Paul Wagner, Union Square Hospitality Group Wine Director John Ragan, and Leonetti Cellar Owner Chris Figgins.

The seminar topics, times, and various ticket prices are listed below. For more information or to register, click here. Like, fast.

You can be a sommelier like this Guy!

In addition to the seminar schedule, the Texas’ Best Sommelier competition runs behind the scenes. The prize for the winner includes scholarship money to be used for a Court of Master Sommeliers’ certification program. The winning sommelier will be announced at the Grand Tasting on Monday, August 13, which will include 150 world-class wines and hors d’oeuvres from Four Seasons Executive Chef Christof Syre.

CONFERENCE CALENDAR
Saturday, August 11-—Pre-conference tasting and social media boot camp
9:00am to 3:00pm
TASTING TRACK
9:00am –12:00pm:      Tasting Workshop: Understanding the Process of tasting—led select Master Sommeliers (TBD)
12:00 – 1:00pm:           Lunch (not included in admission)
1:00 – 3:00pm:            The Kimmeridgian Chain—led by Wayne Belding MS
SOCIAL MEDIA TRACK
9:00am –12:00pm:      Social Media Boot camp—led by blogger Tony Jones
12:00 –1:00pm:           Lunch (not included in admission)
1:00 –3:00pm:             Engaging People with Social Media—led by social media expert Rick Bakas

***Seminars are open to the public. Saturday passes cost $50 per person and include access to either the Tasting Track or Social Media Track (attendees are not permitted to interchange track offerings). Please note lunch is not included with admission.

Sunday, August 12
9:00am to 5:00pm—Educational seminars on contemporary issues to include:
•         Bordeaux—led by Wayne Belding MS and Brett Zimmerman MS
•         Texas Terroir—led by Guy Stout MS and Christy Canterbury MW
•         Riesling—led by Tim Gaiser MS, Laura Williamson MS, Paul Grieco and Keith Goldston MS
•         Oregon—led by Nate Ready, MS
•         Beer—led by Melissa Monosoff MS and Brian Cronin MS

***Seminars are open to the public. Sunday passes cost $175 per person and include lunch. Sunday and Monday passes are available at a discounted price of $225. Each class features at least eight wines to taste and lasts one hour and fifteen minutes. Seating is limited to 50 participants per seminar.
Although open to the public, these seminars are also appropriate for those working in the industry— such as distributor representatives, sommeliers, restaurant managers and servers.

Monday, August 13
9:00am to 5:00pm—Educational seminars on contemporary issues to include:
•         State of the Industry—led by Moderator James Tidwell MS and panel members
Drew Hendricks MS, Paul Wagner, Rajat Parr, John Ragan, Rick Bakas
•         New Zealand: Trends for the Future—led by Cameron Douglas MS and Andrew McNamara MS
•         Niagara Peninsula—led by John Szabo MS and Geoff Kruth MS
•         Cabernet Franc—led by Laura DePasquale MS, Jay Fletcher MS and Peter Neptune MS
•         Winery Retrospective: Leonetti Cellar—led by Chris Figgins and Greg Harrington MS

*** Monday, April 13 courses deliver industry-specific material and thus are only open to the trade. Each seminar features at least eight wines to taste and lasts one hour and fifteen minutes. Monday passes cost $75 per person and include lunch. Sunday and Monday passes are available at a discounted price of $225. Seating is limited to 50 participants per seminar.
6:00 to 7:00pm—Wine Pre-Reception
7:00 to 8:30pm—Grand Tasting and Texas’ Best Sommelier 2012 Announcement Ceremony
***Open to the public. Tickets cost $95 per person.  Attendance to the Grand Tasting is included in the multi-day pass.

***Complete package tickets including Sunday and Monday passes and Grand Tasting tickets can be purchased for $300

INFORMATION: TEXSOM will be held on August 12-13, 2012 at the Four Seasons Resort and Club at Las Colinas in Irving, Texas, between Dallas and Fort Worth a pre-conference tasting and social media boot camp will be held Saturday August 11. For more details and conference registration information, please visit www.texsom.com.
FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES: For media interested in attending or covering TEXSOM 2012, please contact Keely Garibaldi at C. Milan Communications, keely@cmilancomm.com or 415.392.6600.
ABOUT TEXSOM

TEXSOM and the Texas’ Best Sommelier Competition were founded by James Tidwell, MS, CWE, Sommelier at the Four Seasons Resort and Club in Las Colinas and Drew Hendricks, MS, CWE, Director of Beverage Education for Pappas Restaurants in Houston. Presented by the not-for-profit organizations, the Texas Sommelier Association and the Wine and Food Foundation of Texas, TEXSOM is the only event of its kind in the world. Since its inception in 2005, it has attracted more than 1,500 wine professionals, and more than 160 Texas sommeliers have competed.

ABOUT THE TEXAS SOMMELIER ASSOCIATION
The Texas Sommelier Association is a trade association comprised of Texas wine professionals. The Association 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. The organization sponsors the “Texas’ Best Sommelier” competition, with the winner being awarded scholarships for professional certification courses. This competition is held behind the scenes during the TEXSOM conference. For more information, visit www.texsom.com.

ABOUT THE WINE AND FOOD FOUNDATION OF TEXAS
The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas was established to connect its members and the general public with the value, creativity and craftsmanship inherently present in the culinary and viticulture arts. This mission is fulfilled by funding grants, scholarships and research aimed at elevating the quality, awareness and enjoyment of good food and fine wine as well as hosting education and social events that enhance the quality of life for members and communities. These programs offer unique opportunities to enrich the minds and palates of guests, who in turn can relate their experience with friends sharing common interests. For more information, visit www.winefoodfoundation.org.

Dr. Richard Becker (Becker Vineyards), Stephanie Putnam (Raymond Vineyards), April Cullom (D.O. Ribera),

One of the most interesting sessions at this year’s Savor Dallas was a tasting a panel of winemakers and wine experts. The winemakers were Dr. Richard Becker of Becker Vineyards, Stephanie Putnam, Director of Winemaking at Raymond Vineyards,  Mike Trujillo, the President and Director of Winemaking at Sequoia Grove, and Mike Martini of Louis M. Martini Wines.  The other experts were April Cullom, U.S. Brand Ambassador for D.O. Ribera Del Duero (the trade association for wineries in the Ribera Del Duero region of Spain), and Melissa Monosoff , MS who graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and specializes in food and wine pairing. The discussion was given spirited moderation by James Tidwell, MS, Wine and Beverage Director of The Four Seasons Resort and Club at Las Colinas and a founder and driving force behind the Texas Sommelier’s Association (TexSom), whose education program was the beneficiary of this seminar.

Jump for more.

A wine by each of the wine makers was tasted by the panel and the audience. The winemaker described how they made it and what they were trying to achieve. Other panel members then commented and audience asked questions. It was enlightening to hear ‘the story behind the wine’ as you actually tasted the same wine. The relaxed, conversational atmosphere is in stark contrast with the hurried exchanges with winemakers at the main tastings at Savor Dallas or similar events. Also, when tasting their wines against others with the other winemakers present, wineries play their A-game by bringing their best wines. Certainly, the wines served this year were a treat. If you could not attend I recommend that you try and attend the similar panel at next year’s Savor Dallas or sign up for TexSom.

Wines Tasted

2011 Becker Vineyards, Viognier, Texas

2010 Raymond Vineyards Chardonnay, Reserve Selection, Napa Valley, California.

2004 Bodegas y Viñedos O. Fournier Alfa Spiga, Ribero Del Duero, Spain.

2008 Sequoia Grove, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California

2009 Louis M. Martini, Zinfandel, ‘Gnarly Vine – Monte Rosso Vineyard’, Sonoma Valley, California

Mike Trujillo (Sequoia Grove) and Mike Martini (Louis M. Martini Wines)

In two weeks the best Sommeliers, wine professionals, aficionados and wine lovers in Texas will come together at The Four Seasons Resort and Club in Las Colinas, for the 7th annual Texas Sommelier Association Conference (TEXSOM) delivering top-notch wine education at very reasonable prices.  Over the course of three days, from August 13-15, TEXSOM offers attendees in-depth classes in everything from ancient Japanese traditions influencing the production of Sake, to the terroir of Washington State, to the effects sub-climates in Greece have on their wine.

Founded in 2005 by James Tidwell, MS, CWE, Sommelier at the Four Seasons Resort and Club in Las Colinas; Drew Hendricks, MS, CWE, Director of Beverage Education for Pappas Restaurants in Houston; and Guy Stout, MS, Education Director for Glazer’s Distributors and presented by the not-for-profit organizations the Texas Sommelier Association and the Wine and Food Foundation of Texas.

The agenda for this year includes everything from the various wine regions of Spain, to New World Bordeaux blends, to the wines of Piedmont, to a vertical tasting of Chateau Musar with Serge Hochar, the first Decanter Magazine Man of the Year in 1984, and more, all leading to the Grand Tasting featuring 150 wines of the world and announcement of the Texas Sommelier of the Year on Monday night.  Scheduled Master Sommeliers include Serafin Alvarado, Wayne Belding, Richard Betts, John Blazon, Thomas Burke, Brian Cronin, Fred Dame, Brett Davis, Laura DePasquale, Jay Fletcher, Ken Fredrickson, Doug Frost, Keith Goldston, Scott Harper, Drew Hendricks, Jay James, Geoff Kruth, Andrew McNamara, Sally Mohr, Melissa Monosoff, Peter Neptune, Sean Razee, Paul Roberts, Joseph Spellman, Larry Stone, Guy Stout, Bobby Stuckey, James Tidwell, Barbara Werley, and Laura Williamson.

This years conference adds an additional element on Saturday, August 13, of a social media symposium with professionals lending advice, information and insight on staying connected as the wine subculture continues to become more and more mainstream.  This day long session is open to the public, but seating is very limited.  Tickets and information available here.

The last weeks I have had the opportunity to taste some great wine, often when I least expected it.  I noted the fantastic Leonetti we had at dinner the other night.  That was just the tip of the iceberg of the wine enjoyed over the weekend at the TexSom conference and more.  Some options have been sent for editorial consideration, others I just love.

Brenda and Clay Cockerell came over for dinner the other evening and (to my delight) brought some of their extraordinary Terrior Coquerel. A very French style Sauvignon Blanc filled with subtle citrus, with solid minerality and herbal notes.  The Terrior is all estate grown fruit from their vineyard in Calistoga, and aged in new French oak for 8 months.

When the Sigel’s on Inwood closed last year I stocked up on some great wines, including a 2004 Kenneth Crawford Blue Fin Syrah from Santa Ynez Valley which we opened Sunday night.  Aged 18 months in French oak, this is an extremely easy drinking Syrah filled with bright fruit flavors.  I love a Syrah with smoky, meaty notes that many of them have.
This one is not that, and instead is a juicy, but not jammy, blend of blackberry, black cherry and blueberry with black pepper and earth on the finish.  A delicate, delightful wine.

We grilled steaks the other night and served them with a simple Caprese salad.  To pair with it we tried a few different selections including a 2005 Clos Du Val Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon.  Wow indeed.  86% Cab, with a hint of Merlot blended in to round out this powerful wine.  Black fruit blended with coffee and spice with subtle hints of chocolate and nutmeg.  A restrained 13.5% alcohol level allows the flavors of the wine to come out without masking it with high alcohol levels.  The Stags Leap District of Napa Valley really exemplifies why Americans love California Cabernet so much and this is an excellent example of that.

We also tried a solid Italian option that evening as well with our steak and salad, which was a tasty pairing. 2006 Villa Antinori Rosso Toscana IGT.  Created from some of Tuscany’s best appellations, and completely made of Antinori estate grown fruit, this blend of predominantly Sangiovese, with 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 5% Syrah is a balanced and refined wine filled with blueberry, blackberry and subtle hints of caramel.  Some Italian wines can be a bit harsh or overly tannic.  This is a spot on example of good Italian wine, at a price that won’t break the bank (about $23 retail.)

The TexSom Conference had incredible wine at both the sessions, as my colleague Andrew Chalk, posted earlier, and at the Grand Tasting Monday night.

One of my favorites was in a session about the wine of Washington State.  The session’s lessons on topography, and how the soil of a vineyard above a floodplain will give completely different characteristics to the soil of a vineyard below a floodplain, even if those two pieces of land are right next to each other, was insightful.  TexSom organizers James Tidwell and Drew Hendricks brought in Dr. Kevin Pouge Pogue PhD, a professor at Walla Walla Community College Whitman College, to discuss the land that makes the vineyards of Washington State so different and the soil so expressive.
And then we tried some wine.

One favorite winery in the region continues to be Spring Valley Vineyards.  We tried the 2007 Nina Lee Syrah, named after the wineries mother who successfully ran the family ranch for 21 years on her own after her husband died.  Only 500 cases of this Syrah were made from 100% estate grown fruit which truly expresses the vineyard.  The philosophy, like many winemakers in this region, is to let the fruit stand on its own and represent Walla Walla.  Slight minerality and earthy notes are wrapped with bright cherry, and blackberry jam flavors.

At the Grand Tasting over 100 wines were poured, and some were just stellar.  Hanzell Vineyards, one of the oldest (and finest) in Sonoma County makes two spectacular Chardonnays and one luxurious Pinot Noir.

Hope Family Wines was there pouring both their excellent Treana White and Treana Red, but also a new (or re-introduced) Westside Red – a Rhone style blend of Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache, this wine is 100% estate fruit from Austin Hope’s vineyards in Paso Robles, CA.  Not what you might expect from a Rhone style wine, this one definitely has attitude – smoky, spicy and juicy all in one balanced blend.  Very drinkable on its own, but can see it with a big plate of ribs just as easily.

My favorite on the night had to be the Poetry from Cliff Lede in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley.  I wrote about Rocca Family Vineyards last week.  Cliff Lede is directly across the street from their Grigsby Vineyard, and is just a beautiful, tranquil winery.  I visited the winery a few years ago over Thanksgiving and fell in love with both their peaceful, art filled gardens and their huge, inviting fireplace in the tasting room.  Then add a rock star Cabernet to the mix and you have happy guests.
Poetry is their signature wine, deep black fruit with licorice, leather and floral hints.  Dried figs, black cherry and plum flavors are mixed with creamy chocolate and cedar. Silky tannis lead to a long finish.  I am such a fan of the 2006 Napa Cabs and this one shines as one of the best I have tasted recently.

And finally, we saw a dreadful movie last night…just dreadful….so to make the evening not a complete bust we stopped into Veritas Wine Room on the way home for a quick glass.  Little did I know we were in for a taste sensation.  The highpoint for me had to be the O’Shaughnessy Estate Winery 2006 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon.  Only 2500 cases made of this bold wine of predominantly Cab with hints of Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Carmenere, Cab Franc and St. Macaire blended in to round out the flavors a bit.  Add in 20 months in French oak and you have a ripe cherry, currant and black plum wine filled with structure and harmonious elegance.

Gordon Burns and Eric Hervé are scientists with ETS Laboratories in St. Helena, CA. They normally spend their time analyzing wines for wineries and other clients for signs of spoilage. Today, they deliberately doctored eight glasses of vodka with the smell of eight common wine flaws detectable through smell alone. The vodka essentially acted as a solvent for the aromas. The audience of 300 wine professionals got to guess, from taste alone, what the flaws were.

Jump for the curious results.

Burns and Hervé explained that most flaws fall into four categories: microbial spoilage, oxidation/premature aging, reduction/sulfides, and environmental. To get a sense of what to expect, the first glass had vodka alone, diluted to 12% ethanol by volume (about the alcohol level of table wine). This served as our reference point for the aroma of the base spirit.

The next seven samples contained the nose of one of the flaws. (Boy, take that sentence out of context and it makes no sense.)  We had to determine which was which. I have summarized them in a table below as some of them have words too long to fit in my brain.

When you taste wine, see if you can detect these aromas. Although they are regarded as flaws, they aren’t necessarily unpleasant to everybody. For example, honeycomb or roses are pleasant smells, they just shouldn’t be present in wine. Also, different people have different sensitivities to off-odors. Different people will detect these aromas at different concentrations. Some  concentrations are very low. For example, TCA (Trichloroanisole) is detectable by the average person at concentrations of 8 parts per trillion. To put that in perspective, Burns said that a quarter dropped over the combined land area of North and South Dakota amounted to covering 1 part per billion of the land. While you check the chart, I’m going to get a drink…

The event will occur over 2 days, August 15 and 16, at the Four Seasons Resort and Club in Las Colinas and will include a wine filled line up to make any novice or pro gain insight and find new favorites in the expansive  world of wine.  Classes range from the wine of Southern Italy, Sicily and Sardinia to Greece to Southern France to Portugal.  The evening of the 16th TexSom will hold their Grand Tasting, and from what I can tell, over 100 wines will be available to taste including old standards to new favorites from around the world. 

The Best Sommelier in Texas competition will be taking place throughout the weekend with some of the best in our city competing.   An extra bonus, The Four Seasons has a special conference rate for the weekend.
If you have the slightest interest in wine this is a great event to enjoy.  More information available here.

Recently at the 2009 TexSom Conference at Las Colinas, Andrew Chalk shot this short video on Eroica, a interesting Riesling produced by Chateau Ste. Michelle in Washington State. Chateau Ste. Michelle has been a pioneer in Riesling production in the U.S. In this short clip, Andrew has an informative chinwag with Joel Butler, the winery’s director of education.

As noted

One session in particular opened my eyes to flavors that I was familiar with, but hadn’t ever really taken the time to get to know.  Master Sommelier Keith Goldston led a Sunday morning session explaining the origin, nuances and uniqueness of sake, with its Korean roots, and unchanging Japanese production, and almost ceremonial enjoyment. 
Sake, known as Nihonshu in Japan, is as important to the Japanese culture as Bordeaux and Burgundy are to the French. 

Some of the basics that surprised me were that there are over 200 varieties of rice that the Japanese use in their culture, but only 28 are used in sake.  Each of these 28 offer different flavor profiles, some with floral notes, some with mineral flavors, some with earthy richness.  All in all, much like wine grapes…just with rice. 

There are over 1300 Kura (sake breweries) in Japan making sake that ranges from15%-22% alcohol levels.  Most breweries are located near water.  The water can add as much to a sake’s flavor profile as the rice.  Water is a key element especially when diluting the sake.  Most sake’s are produced with upwards of 18%+ alcohol; water is used to lower the alcohol levels prior to bottling.

Most sake is consumed within 6 months of bottling.  If you find older sake enjoy it, because it is rare…and expensive….  Sake is an appealing option for those of us who love wine, but sometime can’t drink it due to high acid levels.  Sake is known for its low acid, zero sulfide pureness…and it tastes so good.

We tasted a variety of sake, looking at several different kinds from the same breweries and production: Hot vs. Cold; Filtered vs. Unfiltered; Pasteurized vs. Unpasteurized.

Here are some to try:

Rihaku “Wondering Poet” Junmai Ginjo vs. Rihaku “Wondering Poet” Junmai Ginjo (Nama) - Pasteurized vs. Non-Pasteurized.  I was a fan of the non-pasteurized with a round, complex flavor.  The pasteurized had a cleaner flavor, but a bit more pungent.  The non-pasteurized requires refrigerated storage, unlike the pasteurized, and has a shorter shelf life. 

Mantensei “Star Filled Sky” Junmai Ginjo - Warm vs. Chilled.  I like warm sake, it has comforting qualities to me, and is very easy to drink.  The chilled version really shows off the beauty of the sake though.  Chilling the sake allows the elegant floral and defined mineral characteristics to shine.

Mukune “Root of Innocence” Junmai Ginjo vs. Mukune “Shadows of Katano” Junmai Ginjo - Filtered vs. Unfiltered.  Loved the unfiltered (I love unfiltered wine as well like Newton’s Claret….leaving the wine unfiltered maintains depth of the wine with intense aromas and flavors.)  The Unfiltered had smooth, clean, and approachable richness that was easily consumed at this mid-morning tasting.

Today, Andrew Chalk talks with the two darling men behind Grieve Family Winery in Lovall Valley, California. The wine is 100% Sauvignon Blanc and Andrew felt it was “one of the most interesting white wines of the show.” The show being the TexSom Grand Tasting.

Andrew Chalk, bless his wine-lovin’ heart, sends this video on Napa Valley’s  Stewart Cellars. We tasted this exquisite wine at the Texas Sommelier Conference grand tasting. The winemaker is Paul Hobbs.

Andrew Chalk is a wine-loving maniac. I asked him to help me cover last weekend’s activities and he did a fine job. He is still reporting! Here is a quick video he produced on an interesting Chardonnay made by Fisher Vineyards (Napa Valley), one of the 100 wines poured at the grand tasting. Note: special cameo appearance.

There were many wines and wine heroes acknowledged at the recent 2009 Texas Sommelier Conference but one chef needs to be recognized as the guy who cooked for them all and did a brilliant job. Our gallant roving reporter, Andrew Chalk, caught up with Christof Syre, execuchef for the Chef Four Seasons Resort & Club in Las Colinas, and the twosome talked about what it takes to put together a menu for a room full of certified sommeliers and people with other certifiable distinctions. Chef, you had me at oven-dried peaches and risotto. Go, Andrew.

(James Tidwell, Devon Broglie, Craig Collins, June-Anne Rodil, Guy Stout, Drew Hendricks)

UPDATE: Photos from last night.

This morning we talked a lot about wine lists and managing beverage programs. One of the panelists, Joe Spellman, had some interesting things to say about wine by the glass and the current “fetish with half bottles” on wine lists. I attempted to shoot an award-winning video. Instead, I got a poor sound quality video clip of a really nice, smart wine guy making some good points. So, put on your headphones. You know where to put the cork.

My office today.

Notes and quotes (in shorthand) from the just-completed “Management of a Beverage Program”

Panel: Richard Betts, MS, Paul Roberts, MS, Larry O’Brien, MS, Greg Harrington, MS, Joe Spellman, MS, Drew Hendricks. Moderated by James Tidwell, MS .

*Sommeliers are considered greedy prima donnas that take your money. In reality, they must be an artist, businessperson, and maintain a low ego. Good qualities of a sommelier include—team player, able to do other restaurant tasks, and be physically strong.

*What not to do in a bad economy: panelists are all concerned about “doing deals.” They don’t mean anything if everyone is doing them. When the economy comes back, the customers will remember and think “when the economy is good, you are screwing us.” So, wine programs need to spin programs differently and readjust their long-term and short-term goals. “Think outside the box, lower the cost of sales and increase your volume.” “Engender good will.” “View this time as an opportunity to buy new or lesser know styles or regions.” “Indies should depend on this.”

*“Food writers hammer restaurateurs and sommeliers on wine prices, but don’t hammer spirit prices.” “We are a business and have to make money.”

*Basics of building a wine program. Have ten familiar “core wines” such as Jordan, Cakebread, Silver Oak, Dom Perignon and sell them at a lower price than your competition. You will look like a hero. Customers are familiar with these wines and will feel more comfortable and consider your list as a good value list.

*Developing lists for small indie restaurant. Balance regions and price points and allow the list be a direct extension of your menu and concept. (Some on the panel felt it was essential to have core brands on the list; others disagreed.) “If core wines are 50%, the list is a bummer.” Write your wine list without any wine first. Pick your types of wines and your price points and then develop and map the list with particular wines. This not only helps control your costs, it pairs your wine list with your business model and menu.

*The economy and overpriced wines. There are overpriced wines all over the world and they are in the process of a worldwide correction in prices. The strong will survive, but there will be blood in the streets for others.

*Wine prices follow Wall Street bonuses. People invest in the Bordeaux market based on Wall Street bonuses.

*What do you do if the customer wants to pay a certain price for a wine? If you “eBay” the wine, the customer will always remember. Don’t do it. Use it as an opportunity to find out what price they want to pay for a wine and then guide them to another selection. Usually the people with the most money play this game. “When the Wall Street guys got their $10 million bonuses, they tried to make deals on wine and took it out on sommeliers.” According to the panel, a lot of Wall Street dropped some “sick money” on wine. Those days are gone.