The Texas Terroir Lineup at TexSom

For anyone wondering how Texas wines fare among experts in the wine industry, the proof was in this year’s 2012 TexSom conference. In it’s eighth year, TexSom—short for Texas Sommelier’s Conference—reserved one of their nine wine sessions for an hour completely devoted to Texas Terroir.

A few hundred sommeliers and industry retail and restaurant professionals were in the room as part of the sold out two-day conference, which was held at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Las Colinas outside of Dallas. The session was led by the Guy Stout, a Master Sommelier who manages the wine education program at Glazer’s, and Christy Canterbury, a Master of Wine, wine educator and writer, and native Texan who helped judge the 2012 Dallas Morning News/TEXSOM International Wine Competition earlier this year.

The two opened with a few comments on the state of the Texas industry showing numbers on just how big Texas wine has become. In 2001, there were only 46 wineries producing only about 600,000 cases of wine. By 2009, there were more than 220 wineries producing more than 1.2 million cases. And the growth has only increased in more recent years.

Among the top points Stout drove home was the fact that Texas winemakers have finally honed in on warm climate grapes to produce the best wines within the state. Among the lineup included many examples of these varietals such as Italian Vermentino, Viognier from the Rhone Valley of France, and Touriga Nacional from Portugal.

Of the eight wines showcased for the tasting, all were “single vineyard” wines, meaning each one was made from grapes that came from a specific Texas vineyard.

“We really wanted to show the terroir of Texas for this seminar,” says Drew Hendricks, TexSom co-founder and director of wine and beverage education for Pappas Restaurants. “It is possible to make wine that has a sense of place in Texas and these wines show that.”

Below is the list of Texas wines tasted, with a comment or two from Stout and other audience members in between…

 2010 Duchman Family Vineyards Vermentino (Bingham Family Vineyards)

“The typicity of this wine is outstanding,” said Stout. “It tastes exactly like Vermentino should taste.

2010 McPherson Cellars Reserve Roussanne (Bingham Family Vineyards)

“This shows what we can do with Rhone varieties,” said Stout. “McPherson is one of the greatest winemakers in the state of Texas and this wine is an example of why.”

“This wine is outstanding,” added Marcy Jimenez of Houston Wine Merchant. “It’s brilliant and so exciting that this is happening here in Texas.”

2010 CapRock Winery Viognier (Reddy Vineyards)

“This wine tastes like the variety should taste,” said Canterbury. “It’s floral with apricots and orange peel. It’s beautiful.”

 2009 Sandstone Cellars VII (Mason County)

“This wine has iron and spice like you would find with Touriga,” says Canterbury, but it is also very savory. It’s not fruit forward, but restrained and European in style.”

“Don Pullum is the winemaker for Sandstone and I’d say he’s one of the best winemakers in the state and this Touriga blend is an example of the great job he’s doing,” added food and wine journalist Andrew Chalk of D Magazine.

2009 Pedernales Cellars Kuhlken Vineyards Reserve Blend

“Pedernales Cellars aged this wine in both American and French oak. It’s a lovely wine that will definitely hold for a while if you age it,” said Stout. “The blend has Tempranillo and Merlot and shows a more European footprint than a lot of Californian wines.”

2010 Fairhaven Vineyards Chambourcin

“We really wanted to show this wine because it’s from someone who really believes in American hybrid grapes,” said Stout about the red Chamburcin grape, which is a French-American hybrid between that has shown to be resistant to fungal diseases . “R.L. Winters hangs his hat on these varieties and this is one of the best representations he has of why.”

2010 Vineyard at Florence “Veritas” Cabernet Sauvignon

“This isn’t a warm variety grape, but this wine shows really well with black currant, eucalyptus and a little sweet vanilla from the oak,” said Canterbury. “It’s really nice.”

2010 Haak Vineyards “Madeira” Blanc du Bois

“I think Blanc du Bois is one of the most exciting white wine varieties in Texas,” said Stout. “It’s an American hybrid that took five generations to get correct, but Raymond Haak at Haak Vineyards is doing it right. It has orange blossom and orange water on the nose and palate. Beautiful.”

The two days of wine-filled education featured eight other seminars including some particularly eye-opening (and delicious) sessions on Riesling, Cabernet Franc and perhaps my favorite, Oregon wines. TexSom ended Monday evening with a festive Grand Tasting featuring more than 150 wines from all over the world. And of course, Texas was there to represent with wines from CapRock Winery, Duchman Family Winery, Inwood Estates, Pedernales Cellars, and Sandstone Cellars which brought along an intriguing Tempranillo from a new Mason County Vineyard, Pontotoc Vineyard.

Winners of the Texas Best Sommelier competition at TexSom, David Keck (2nd place), Ryan Tedder (1st place), Steve Murphey (3rd place)

The highlight of the evening was the announcement of Texas’ Best Sommelier, Ryan Tedder of FT33 Restaurant in Dallas. Tedder was one of 23 competitors in the annual Texas Best Sommelier competition which is run behind-the-scenes at TexSom and proctored by a number of Master Sommeliers from the Court of Master Sommeliers. An integral part of TexSom, the competition was designed to help give aspiring sommeliers scholarship funding to help further their wine studies. (Tedder received $2,500 for his top honor.)

David Keck of Uchi Houston was the second runner up and Steve Murphey of Mid-Stage Wine & Liquor in Plano received third place. Additionally, the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, California will offer scholarships to all three to placers.

- Jessica Dupuy

Tagged: Andrew Chalk, CapRock Winery, Christy Canterbury, David Keck, Drew Hendricks, Duchman Family Winery, Fairhaven Vineyards, Guy Stout, Inwood Estates, Jessica Dupuy, Marcy Jimenez, McPherson Cellars, Pedernales Cellars, Ryan Tedder, sandstone cellars, Steve Murphey, TexSom, The Vineyard ar Florence

When it comes to wine experts in the state of Texas, there are a number of reputable individuals you could look to throughout the state. From restaurant sommeliers, wine buyers and importers and even wine journalists, if you’re looking for an answer to a question on wine, you can certainly find a reliable source to talk to. But when it comes to an expert for all experts; one who has not only studied wine for the better part of 50 years, but has also sold it, imported it, taught it and even grows his own grapes in the Hill Country, there’s only one person who fits the bill. His name is Guy Stout. And if you ever have the chance to share a bottle of wine with this affable teddy bear of a Texan, you’ll come away with a much better understanding about wine, a clearer picture on how to taste it, and probably a few good tall tales to boot.

Guy is one of only 160 Master Sommelier (MS) in the world. (The first of only six in the state of Texas.) He is also a Certified Wine Educator (CWE), Certified Spirits Specialist (CSS) and on the Executive Board of Directors of the Society of Wine Educators. He is a member of the Texas Sommelier Association.

Originally from Dallas, Stout grew up in the restaurant business, working in his family’s restaurant, the Steak Pit as a bus boy and moving up the ranks both in the kitchen and in the front of the house at this restaurant and eventually through a number of high end steak restaurants throughout Dallas. He eventually graduated from the Hilton Hotel School at the University of Houston and

And is currently the Corporate Director of Beverage Education for The Glazer’s Family of Companies, covering 12 states, which basically means he supports the “Glazer University” program to help educate the company’s sales and management teams as well as consulting on client wine lists for hotels, bars and restaurants. It requires him to travel extensively to wine regions all over the world to see and taste the latest trends and vintages in wine.

When it comes to Texas Wine, Guy integrally involved. He’s an active wine judge for a variety of national competitions; including the L.A. County Fair, Dallas Morning News, Jefferson Cup, Texas Open and the Houston Rodeo Wine Competition and is a member of the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association (TWGGA). He was a crucial getting the annual Texas Sommelier’s Conference (TEXSOM) off the ground seven years ago. But he’s also a grape grower himself.

I recently had a chance to chat with him about his experience with wine in Texas, how the perception of wine has changed in the state over the years, and his real opinions about where Texas wine is going.

TM: When did you first become interested in wine, seriously?

STOUT: Well, I started in restaurants as a bus boy, dish washer, prep cook, on the line, and then moved to front of house. I was once a bus boy at a really nice Dallas steak restaurant and one of my duties was to stock the wine cellar. I thought it was fascinating. I’d see all of these French wooden boxes of wine with beautiful labels burned into the crates. When I was growing up, every kid had a wood burning kit. And I used to love mine. But I’d never seen anything as intricate or as artistic as the labels on these French crates. That’s the first time I can remember being captivated by what wine was. I knew whatever was inside those boxed had been given great care. And I wanted to know more.

In the mid 70s, there was really no formal process or education foundation anywhere in the country at that time. I really just had to read books and talk to different sommeliers at the restaurants I worked at. I worked at Marty’s Wine shop in Dallas for a while and that was a real eye opener for me. They had super fine wines and spirits and all of these exotic beers. And I tried to take advantage of everything I could learn there.

TM: Once you learned of the different wine certification programs through the Court of Master Sommeliers and the Society of Wine Educators, what made you want to go for your Master Sommelier certification (which can take years to achieve) and your Certified Wine Educator certification?

STOUT: Since I’d pretty much learned everything on my own, I was eager to be a part of an organization that had some structure to wine education and service. I found that there’s really an incredible energy shared between this group of wine lovers and wine geeks. It’s fun to have a connection with these people all over the world.

It’s given me the confidence to know that I can stand toe to toe with just about any other wine enthusiast out there. It’s also made me want to help others who are interested in knowing more about wine.

The key to all of this is to know that wine knowledge does not equal wine snobbery. It’s not about being a wine snob, it’s about being knowledgable about wine. It’s diametrically opposed to snobbery.

What I like about the Court of Master Sommeliers is that they teach humility. Your sole purpose as a sommelier is to guide others in the wines they want to try. We want sommeliers who are bright and know what they’re talking about, but who are also humble and approachable about wine. We don’t have room for snobs.

TM: As a student and educator of wine, what are a few things you wish people understood better about wine, or appreciated more about wine?

STOUT: I think if people want to know more about wine, they should start with the fundamentals. They should study the basic grapes and know the regions they come from. Then build from there. You don’t have to know everything immediately. But if you have this as a foundation, you’ll learn bits and pieces as you try more wine.

If you’re really serious about knowing more about wine, then I would encourage you to take the Introductory Sommelier Course http://www.mastersommeliers.org/Pages.aspx/Courses-Schedules-Overview that’s offered every year in Dallas before the Texas Sommelier’s Conference http://texsom.com/ . You do have to take an exam at the end of it, but in a couple of days, you learn about the whole world of wine and you get to learn how to taste wine and calibrate your palate for how to decipher different things about wine.

I teach the Dallas course each year and it used to be just trade people that took this course, but I’m seeing more and more consumers coming in just to learn more about wine. I even think it’s a good idea to bring your spouse. Have them learn what you’re learning and then you can both enjoy talking about wine as a couple wherever you go. My wife did it a few years ago and she did really well. Now we have something to discuss forever.

TM: Why did you come to decide to plant your own vineyard and what grapes did you plant?

STOUT: I’ve always wanted to have my own vineyard, who doesn’t? We planted Syrah in Blanco in 1999 and 2000. I love Syrah and it’s a good grape for the warm climate we have here. This year, we added Tempranillo. I don’t make my own wine. I tried for a couple of years, but it wasn’t good and I decided to just let the professionals do it. For a while I sold my grapes to Mandola Winery and later to Duchman Family Winery. But now I sell everything to William Chris winery in Hye. We have about 4.5 acres planted and I pretty much manage the vineyards. We have someone there full time who does basic maintenance, but I handle the big stuff like pruning, harvesting, spraying.

Now that I’m a grape grower and know all that goes in to producing good grapes for wine, I’m absolutely shocked that anyone can produce a great bottle of wine for under $10 a bottle. But it’s being done more and more. The value of wines these days is just amazing.

TM: In your professional opinion how is Texas wine doing these days?

STOUT: Well, there’s a lot of excellent wine being made in Texas today. And there are also some wines that are not so fantastic. But I will say it’s much better now than it has ever been. The future is very bright for Texas wine.

The only way it will continue to improve is to use warm climate grapes. I’ve been to Italy, France, Spain a hundred times over. I’ve seen what works there and we have a very similar climate and soil. The grapes to pay attention to are Tempranillo, Viognier, Muscato, Syrah, Albarino. There’s a lot of potential and we’re just now tapping into it.

I will say that I don’t think we’ll be making great Pinot Noirs in Texas. They just don’t work with hot, dry climates. God bless whoever tries, but I’m going to stick with warm climate grapes.

TM: What advice to you have for people who are really looking for a good wine when dining out but are glazed over by the wine list?

STOUT: I think people shouldn’t be afraid to really engage the sommelier or wine steward. Give them a few examples of what you do like and let them guide you. If it’s a good sommelier, they won’t make you feel uncomfortable or patronize you. They’ll work with you and hopefully expose you to something great that you’ve never had before.

Also, you shouldn’t be afraid to talk price. If you have a budget in mind, say what it is. Sommeliers are tasked with putting great wines on their list at all prices. They’ll probably be excited to direct you to the wines they’ve chosen within your price range whether that’s low or high.

TM: What’s favorite wine region to visit?

STOUT: Well, that’s just an impossible question. I like so many. Bordeaux is one of my favorites. I love Tuscany. And then there’s California. Santa Barbara, Paso Robles are great, but I probably spend more time in Sonoma and Napa. I also love the Willammette Valley in Oregon. To pick one region of the world. That’s crazy; there’s just so much worth visiting.

TM: What wine would you want to drink for your last meal?

STOUT: Well, it would have to be a multi-course meal paired with different wines. I’d start with a Champagne and then maybe light aromatic white like Sancerre (France), Gruner Veltliner (Austria) or Albarino (Spain). Then, depending on how much time I had before I kicked the bucket, I’d do a lighter red like a Sangiovese (Italy) blend from Chianti or Chianti Classico. Or maybe a Rhone-style Grenache blend. Then, I’d finish with a big, bold, blustery wine like a Bordeaux, a Brunello di Montalcino, a Barossa Shiraz (Australia), or an Argentine Malbec. Finally, I’d have a Texas Hill Country peach pie with some Texas Orange Muscat from Texas Hills Vineyard.

- Jessica Dupuy

Tagged: Guy Stout, Jessica Dupuy, TexSom, TWGGA

Fellow wine enthusiasts, how well do you know wine? Think you can tell the difference between a California Pinot Noir from one made in the Burgundy region of France? Are you able to list the major grapes of the Piedmont region in Italy? What wine is primarily associated with Hungary? Don’t worry, this isn’t a pop quiz. Rarely in life would you be expected to know this level of detail.

Unless, of course, you were a sommelier. And certainly if you were a Master Sommelier. But achieving a Master Sommelier status is no easy task. Before reaching this level, you have to pass the Introductory, Certified, and Advanced level exams from the Court of Master Sommeliers, the premier international examining organization for professionals in the wine service industry.

It’s no easy task. In fact, there are only 180 Master Sommeliers in the world and until two weeks ago, there were only four in the state of Texas: Guy Stout of Glazer’s Distributors; Drew Hendricks of Pappas Brothers in Houston; Barbara Werley of Pappas Brothers; and James Tidwell of the Four Seasons Las Colinas in Dallas.

As of July 31, Texas has welcomed two new Master Sommeliers to the table, Devon Broglie, the Specialty Coordinator for the Southwest Region of Whole Foods Market and Craig Collins, Regional Manager for Glazer’s Distributors. Both Broglie, 37, and Collins , 35, are from Austin.

The two joined 63 fellow wine professionals (by invitation only) in Las Vegas to take the three-part exam (Theory, Service, Tasting) for a Master Sommelier Diploma. Of the 63, only six passed, and two of those six were Broglie and Collins.

But getting to his point was no easy task for Broglie and Collins. Beginning in 2005, having already passed the Introductory level exam, the two committed to a rigorous study schedule every Monday morning, and often on weekends, to prepare for the Certified, Advanced, and Master levels. The Master level alone took them three years to pass. In 2009, they completed the Theory portion of the exam, which requires a mastery knowledge of wine origin, history, and production, but failed the Service and Tasting portions. In 2010, they returned only to nab the Service portion of the exam after having rigorously practiced restaurant service at Austin’s Paggi House in their spare time.

Craig Collins, Master Sommelier

“The tasting portion may be the most difficult because it boils down to not only a proper sensory analysis of wine but determining what your tasting through applying the theory you’ve learned,” says Collins. “Prepping for service was a big challenge as well, but it’s a really important part of being a sommelier because it’s about knowing how to convey a respect for the vineyards, the wine, and the hands that make it before pouring it in a patron’s glass.”

This year, they conquered the Tasting portion of the exam and gratefully received their hard-fought diploma.

“This was our third and final attempt to complete the exam. You only have three years to complete the Master level and if we didn’t pass, we would have had to start all over again,” says Broglie, who admits the Tasting part was the most challenging for him as well but that using a specific wine tasting grid helped him conquer this section. “It’s like learning music scales. You don’t have to use scales to play music, but it helps you understand the nuts and bolts of music better if you do. The same is true for the wine tasting grid, it helps you deconstruct the wine and, through deductive reasoning, determine what wine it is that you’re tasting.”

Three years to pass the tasting portion,” you ask. What’s so difficult about it? Here’s the break down of requirements: 6 wines; 3 red, 3 white. Sommeliers are required to analyze each individual wine based on sight, nose/smell, and taste to determine:

- The grape variety

- The country of origin

- The district and appellation of origin

- The vintage (year the wine grapes were harvested.)

Devon Broglie, Master Sommelier

It’s not exactly a multiple-choice, walk-in-the-park type of test. It requires a significant amount of familiarity with wine history as well as an extremely sensitive palate. Based on the tasting portion alone, it’s easy to see why there are only six Master Sommeliers in the state, and why Collins and Broglie deserve a Texas-sized pat on the back for their great accomplishment!

Collins and Broglie will join fellow Master Sommeliers Guy Stout, Drew Hendricks, and James Tidwell this weekend, August 13-15, for the 7th Annual Texas Sommelier (TEXSOM) Conference at the Four Seasons Resort and Club in Las Colinas near Dallas. The conference is a premier wine education symposium attracting leading wine professionals and connoisseurs from across the country.

“TEXSOM is an opportunity for beverage professionals in Texas to network with people from all parts of the industry and the country,” says James Tidwell, who along with Drew Hendricks co-founded TEXSOM. “It is also an opportunity to learn what is happening in the larger world of beverages; and, to show the dynamic culture of beverage service that we have in the state. Over the years, it has become a conference with national influence beyond its physical size.”

Prior to the conference, the Texas Master Sommeliers along with Melissa Monosoff, Serafin Alvarado, Larry Stone and Fred Dame will also administer the Level 1 Introductory course for the Court of Master Sommeliers and yours truly will have a front row seat as I try my hand, err palate, at the first stage of this thorough wine education endeavor. I’ll post details on the experience once I’ve completed the exam—Wish me luck!

Tagged: Barbara Werley, Court of Master Sommeliers, Craig Collins, Devon Broglie, Drew Hendricks, Guy Stout, James Tidwell, Jessica Dupuy, TexSom

New to the Eat My Words blog, we’re introducing bi-monthly posts devoted to an increasingly popular branch of Texas agriculture and tourism: Texas Wine.

Each month we’ll bring you interesting topics, travel tips, and event coverage on the Texas wine industry as well as a “Wine of the Month” selection guided by some of the state’s top sommeliers.

This month’s “Texas Wine of the Month” was selected with a little help from one of the state’s few Master Sommeliers, Guy Stout. His work with Glazer’s wine and spirits distributing company throughout the past 15 years paired with his exceptional palate  has made Stout a trusted name in wine circles across the state.

Though there are many Texas wines Stout enjoys, the 2008 McPherson Cellars Viognier ranks among his favorite. The Viognier grape is one that McPherson Cellars’ winemaker Kim McPherson has cultivated in the High Plains of Texas, near Lubbock, for years and it has fast become one of the state’s signature varietals.

Originally from the Rhone valley of France, Viognier, pronounced ‘vee-OH-nyay’, not “voy-guh-nyAIR,’ is known for its floral aroma and often citrus and tropical-fruit flavor. But despite its sweet smell, most Viogniers are actually dryer wines, meaning they lack the cloying sugars often found in sweeter Rieslings and Muscats. Viognier wines are similar in color to Chardonnays although a little lighter and offer a less “buttery” taste than Chardonnays that have been aged in oak.

“This is one of the grapes that Texas does as well as any area of the United States,” says Stout. “McPherson’s Viognier has a rich citrus orange peel quality and a light touch of oak aging, without being too strong. This wine goes better with food than many Chardonnays and has a much less oak-y taste. There is a slight rocky mineral texture on the palate, with medium body and round, rich stone fruits as well as a citrus-y mid-palate with a moderate length to the  finish.”

In short, this wine is great to serve with friends who like white wine, but have differing tastes. Some people prefer Chardonnay; others prefer Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc. This Viognier should make everyone happy. It pairs well with anything from pasta with garlic, herbs, and olives to King Ranch chicken.

Winery: McPherson Cellars Winery

Retail Price: $12.99-$14.99

Availability: Most Texas grocers including H-E-B, as well as wine and liquor retailers such as Twin Liquors and Spec’s.

Tagged: Guy Stout, Kim McPherson, McPherson Cellars, texas wine, Texas Wine of the Month, Viognier