Taste 100 Amazing Wines August 16 at TexSom at the Four Seasons Resort.

What are you doing August 16? If you’re not headed to the Four Seasons Resort in Las Colinas around 7 p.m., you’ll be missing out on the absolute best Dallas wine event of the year.

On August 16, TexSom (the Texas Sommelier Conference) hosts its Grand Tasting, a wine smack-down where nearly 100 wines from 30 outstanding wineries will be poured solely for your pleasure. And education.

In addition to winemakers and winery representatives, 27 of the world’s 105 Master Sommeliers will be there, sipping, swirling, mingling and imbibing, too. In the middle of the festivities, Texas’ Best Sommelier will be names, the winner of a lengthy competition among certified sommeliers that took place in private.

This, of course, is all the work of Master Sommeliers James Tidwell and Drew Hendricks, who have been orchestrating TexSom since its inception six years ago.

“We’ve now outlasted 80% of all start-up restaurants,” Tidwell said Sunday as he opened TexSom’s first of the scheduled seminars that run through through late this afternoon and required Tidwell and Hendricks to borrow 5,000 wine glasses from glass specialist Riedel.

“Nintey-five percent of all the white wines sold in this country are consumed within eight hours of purchase,” Master Sommelier Fred Dame told those of us attending the first seminar, which focused on Chardonnay wines. The eight wines we sampled were beautiful expressions–all different–of Chardonnay, though Dame took issue with the style of the 2008 Hamilton Russell, a buttery, oaky Chard from South Africa. “This wine would go well with lobster,” he admitted. “It might even make a good dipping sauce for lobster.”

Clever, no? Irreverant? You bet. Not what you’d expect from a bunch of the world’s brightest wine geeks.

So check it out August 16. You won’t find a better opportunity to try such an array of amazing wines or mingle with a more knowledgeable yet approachable group.

Come taste over 100 wines at this years TEXSOM Grand Tasting. Tickets are $75 and available to purchase here.

2008 Royal Tokaji Mad Cuvee
2007 Domaine Leflaive Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru “Clavoillon”
2006 Clos Pegase Cabernet Sauvignon
2005 Faiveley Beaune 1er Cru “Clos de l’Ecu”
2008 ZD Chardonnay, Napa Valley
2007 ZD Reserve Chardonnay, Napa Valley
2008 ZD Pinot Noir, Carneros
2007 ZD Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Hahn SLH Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands
2007 Hahn SLH Syrah, Santa Lucia Highlands
2008 Hahn SLH Pinot Gris, Santa Lucia Highlands
2008 Hahn SLH Pinot Noit, Santa Lucia Highlands
2009 Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley
2007 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap
2006 Cliff Lede Poetry, Stags Leap
2007 Cliff Lede Rock Block, Imagine Rhapsody, Stags Leap
2005 Iron Horse Vintage Brut
2006 Iron Horse Wedding Cuvee
2007 Iron Horse Estate Chardonnay
2007 Iron Horse Estate Pinot Noir
2008 Weinbach Muscat Reserve
2007 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, Chateau de Beaucastel
2007 Gigondas, Perrin
2007 Peregrine Pinot Noir, Central Otago
2006 Northstar, Walla Walla
2006 Chateau Ste. Michelle Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley
2006 Antica Cabernet Sauvignon, Atlas Peak District
2008 Eroica Riesling, Columbia Valley
2009 Robert Oatley Rose
2009 Robert Oatley Pinot Grigio
2009 Robert Oatley Sauvignon Blanc
2008 Robert Oatley Chardonnay
2006 Fisher Vineyards Mountain Estate Vineyard Chardonnay
2006 Fisher Vineyards Coach Insignia Cabernet
2006 Fisher Vineyards Mountain Estate Vineyard Cabernet
2008 UNITY Cabernet
2009 Egelhoff Riesling, Napa Valley
2006 Egelhoff Cabernet, Napa Valley
2006 Walton Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2006 Stewart Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Stewart Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
2008 Slingshot Sauvignon Blanc
2006 Slingshot Cabernet Sauvignon
2006 Robert Mondavi Winery Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 Ravenswood Single Vineyard Zinfandel Dickerson Estate
2007 Inniskillin Icewine Cabernet Franc
2007 Franciscan Cuvee Sauvage
NV Jansz Rose
2009 Pewsey Vale Riesling
2008 Nautilus Pinot Noir
2006 Yalumba MGS
2005 Terrabianca Campacio
2006 Jermann Vintage Tunina
2005 Santadi Terrebrune
2007 Einaudi Dolcetto Vigna Tecc Cru DOCG
2009 Duchman Family Vermentino
2009 Duchman Family Moscato
2006 Cantine Valpane Barbera Monferrato
2007 Sesti Monteleccio
2005 Brunello di Montalcino, Castelgiocondo
2005 Capafons Osso Solanes
2001 Amarone Classico Masi Mazzano
2005 M by Michael Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon
2009 Ehlers Estate Sauvignon Blanc
2006 Ehlers Estate Merlot
2007 Ehlers Estate ‘One Twenty Over Eighty’ Cabernet Sauvignon
2006 Ehlers Estate ‘1886’ Cabernet Sauvignon
2009 Excelsior Chardonnay, Western Cape
2008 Excelsior Cabernet Sauvignon. Western Cape
2007 De Toren Fusion V, Stellenbosch
2008 De Morgenzon Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosh
2008 Hanzell Chardonnay, Sonoma Valley
2007 Hanzell Pinot Noir, Sonoma Valley
2008 Sebella Chardonnay by Hanzell Vineyards, Sonoma Valley
2008 Flowers Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast
2008 Flowers Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast
2006 Flowers Chardonnay Andreen Gale, Sonoma Coast
2007 Flowers Pinot Noir Andreen Gale, Sonoma Coast
2008 Newton Unfiltered Chardonnay
2006 Cloudy Bay Tekoko Sauvignon Blanc
2005 Terrazas de Los Andes “Cheval des Andes”
2007 Numanthia, Numanthia
2006 Alexander Valley Vineyards Cyrus
2008 Alexander Valley Vineyards School House RSV Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
2009 Alexander Valley Vineyards Chardonnay
2007 Treana Red
2008 Treana White
2007 Austin Hope Grenache
2007 Westside Red –Troublemaker Blend 1
2006 Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos, Domaine Christian Moreau
2005 Chianti Classico Riserva “La Selvanella”, Melini
2008 Puligny Montrachet, Olivier Leflaive
2004 Rioja Reserva “Coto de Imaz”, El Coto
2008 Farrier Andiron, Alexander Valley (70% Sem, 30% SB)
2006 Hartford Court Arrendell Vineyard  Pinot Noir, Russian River
2004 Stonestreet Christophers Vineyard  Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Mountain
1986 Freemark Abbey Sycamore Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2009 Belguardo Rose
2009 Feudi LaCryma
2006 Fonterutoli Chianti Classico
2007 Salentein Malbec
2008 Evening Land Vineyards Seven Springs Vineyard Estate Pinot Noir
2008 Evening Land Vineyards Seven Springs Vineyard La Source Pinot Noir
2008 Evening Land Vineyards Seven Springs Vineyard La Source Chardonnay
2008 Evening Land Vineyards Seven Springs Vineyard Summum Chardonnay
2008 Ribera del Duero, Cantaperdieces Tempranillo
2008 Monastrell Ucenda Bullas
2008 Calatayud Marcial Garnacha
2008 Carinena Algairen Garnacha
2007 C. Donatiello RRV Chardonnay
2008 C. Donatiello RRV Pinot Noir
2008 Healdsburg Ranches Sonoma County Cabernet
2009 Healdsburg Ranches Sonoma County Zinfandel
2006 N2 Cabernet Sauvignon, St Helena
2007 N2 Pinot Noir, Sonoma County
2009 N2 Chardonnay, Yountville
2009 N2 White, CA (Chard, SB, Gewurtz,Marsanne