Texas Wine: Guy Stout, the Expert’s Expert on Wine
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.
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.
Tagged: Guy Stout, Jessica Dupuy, TexSom, TWGGA
