Sommeliers Rebecca Miles-Steiner and Stacey Land selected to attend ProWein 2019
Irving, Texas (September 11, 2018) –– TEXSOM today announced that Sommeliers Rebecca Miles-Steiner and Stacey Land were selected as winners of the ProWein social media contest that took place during TEXSOM 2018. The two winners will attend ProWein 2019, the world’s leading trade fair for wines and spirits, to be held from March 17 – 19, 2019 in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Rebecca Miles-Steiner graduated from Wells College, in the Finger Lakes region of New York State, with a degree in Theatre. While working as a Stage Manager in Chicago, her college-sparked love of Riesling and a Jancis Robinson book convinced her to pursue a career in wine retail sales. She helped to open and then managed a boutique wine and spirit store in Lincoln Park, and currently is the wine and spirit buyer for the Whole Foods store in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood. She is a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers and a recipient of the Walter Clore scholarship, a French Wine Scholar, and is starting the WSET Diploma program in Autumn 2018. In her spare time, she tends her vegetable garden, practices barebow archery, and plans her next wine adventure.
Stacey Land went back to Greensboro, North Carolina from New York where her father attended the CIA. This return to the south saw Stacey marry, buy a restaurant and further develop her passion for food and wine. She has been seeking knowledge and training not only for herself but for the staff of 1618 Concepts, her current restaurant family. Stacey is the General Manager of 1618 Midtown, the educational leader through classes for the staff and guests, and she uses her Certifications to help guide their fledgling wine club to success. Stacey is currently studying for the Advanced Sommelier Certificate and looking forward to travelling to every wine region-for learning.
“Rebecca and Stacy embody everything we hope for in our TEXSOM volunteers and more,” said June Rodil, Master Sommelier and member of the TEXSOM Conference leadership team. “They were both new to the conference and had never volunteered before. They jumped in, head first, ready for all the challenges and reveling in all the experiences they could find. They worked endless hours, were passionate about education, and were always willing to lend a hand to anyone in need. Their professionalism was impressive and, more so, their enthusiasm for the industry was contagious. It was a true pleasure working with them.”
“There is a unique joy that comes from seeing those succeed that truly deserve it, and thus it is particularly poignant and wonderful to see Rebecca and Stacey rewarded for their hard work,” said David Keck, Master Sommelier and member of the TEXSOM Conference leadership team. “These two beverage professionals demonstrated, not only passion for the work and dove full-on into the educational opportunities afforded them, but also did so with the humility that comes from a sincere understanding of hospitality. It was wonderful getting to know them in their first year of volunteering, and I look forward to the opportunity to work with them more in the future!”
The contest was open to those individuals on the TEXSOM service team who devoted their time and energy to making TEXSOM 2018 a great success. To qualify, entrants had to:
- Follow ProWein (@prowein_tradefair) and TEXSOM (@texsom) on Instagram & Twitter
- Post a photo on Instagram and/or Twitter showcasing the partnership between ProWein & Texsom
- Tag ProWein & Texsom
- Use hashtag #PROWEINxTEXSOM
The two winners were selected from among all entries.
Held August 11 to 13 at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas, TEXSOM is the only event of its kind in the United States. The speakers and judges constitute a who’s who list of the nation’s top wine professionals. Dozens of Master Sommeliers (MS), Certified Wine Educators (CWE), Masters of Wine (MW) and other respected industry professionals continue to be integral parts of the conference. Key not-for-profit educational organizations GuildSomm, SOMMFoundation, Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas, and Wine & Spirit Education Trust are presenting sponsors.
As the world’s leading trade fair for wines and spirits, ProWein is the largest industry meeting for professionals from viticulture, trade and gastronomy. Every year, more than 6,800 exhibitors from 64 nations and 60,000+ trade visitors from around the world gather at ProWein to conduct business, discuss industry trends and recognize excellence in the world of wines and spirits. The high international attendance and quality is a trademark of ProWein, providing a unique business platform and global overview of the current wines and spirits ranges. www.prowein.com
Information about the TEXSOM Conference, including a conference schedule, list of speakers, list of sponsors, and certification opportunities are available on the website at texsom.com.
ABOUT TEXSOM
Founded in 2005, the TEXSOM conference was started by Master Sommeliers James Tidwell and Drew Hendricks to help promote professional wine service standards, outline paths for further wine education and certification, and raise public awareness about the professional standards and certifications for sommeliers. Today the conference draws more than 1,300 attendees, of whom more than 800 are sommeliers and other beverage industry professionals. In addition to the conference, the group also manages the TEXSOM International Wine Awards, one of the largest, most respected, and longest-running in the United States.
