By James Tidwell

Six years ago, Master Sommelier Drew Hendricks and I enlisted the assistance of Four Seasons Resort and Club, Pappas Bros. Steakhouse, and some wine industry friends to found what might have been called “the little conference that could.”

We convinced my employer (Four Seasons) that the property should be the host venue for what amounted to a small party and rap session for a bunch of wine geeks. With the help of the Wine and Food Foundation of Texas, we invited family, friends, and guests to join us in order to see what wine pros do in their down time. Like the grass-roots music festivals that grow to become industry defining events, Texsom (or the Texas Sommelier Conference) has grown to become what has been hailed as a unique and nationally influential gathering of some of the best and brightest beverage professionals. We have been careful not to “sell out” by becoming a behemoth, but rather have kept the two days of seminars intimate. We gather in the ballroom of the Four Seasons for camaraderie and collegiality as some of our most distinguished, yet irreverent, associates present five seminars per day on their favorite subjects. These seminars provide an insider’s take on what is current and “happening” in the wine world. Eight wines tasted per seminar illustrate the themes. Then, on the last evening we name Texas’ Best Sommelier and host a Grand Tasting with approximately 30 wineries pouring wines. This combination of fun, food, and (adult) beverages has become a much-anticipated annual event.

I hope that you can join us. As part of Four Seasons’ charter sponsorship, the hotel is offering a $135 per night room rate for conference attendees. You can find complete information at www.texsom.com .

Ed. Note: Classes on Monday are only $50 and include wines. On Sunday, a full day’s worth of seminars–including wines–costs $150. –Mike Hiller