Most Selective Competition in the United States Sets the Gold Standard
Dallas, Texas (March 18, 2019) –– TEXSOM Co-founders and Master Sommeliers James Tidwell and Drew Hendricks today announced the results for the 2019 TEXSOM International Wine Awards. The Awards garnered almost 3,300 entries representing 32 countries and 18 U.S. States, a record for the competition.
Entries in the TEXSOM International Wine Awards were blind-tasted and judged by 66 internationally renowned tastemakers from five countries, including 16 Master Sommeliers, 17 Masters of Wine, and other category experts. Of these entries, the judges awarded 2,233 medals: 258 Gold medals (8% of total entries), 859 Silver medals (26%), and 1,116 Bronze medals (34%). Suggested retail pricing of medal-winning entries ranged from US $2.99 to over US $700. Vintages spanned decades, with the oldest being from 1983.
In addition to the impressive pedigree of the judges, one of the key and unique aspects of the TEXSOM International Wine Awards is the focus on beverage service education and development. As in previous years, fifty individuals from some of the best restaurants and retailers in the country participated in an intensive sommelier retreat. The group participated in workshops, seminars, presentations, and tastings, where they were instructed on such diverse topics as evaluating aged wines to effective self-study practices to the business and economics of wine. In addition, eight Master Sommeliers mentored each individual participant on their approach to beverage service while presenting mock service challenges to the participants. These sommelier participants are integral in the preparation of the wines for competition, and with the help of eight distinguished sommelier writing mentors, created tasting notes on all gold-medal winning and select other medal-winning wines. These notes will be highlighted as Featured Wines on the TEXSOM International Wine Awards website and in other promotional pieces over the course of the year. By entering wines in the TEXSOM International Wine Awards, wineries support the education and growth of these future tastemakers and benefit from increased exposure to this key audience.
“TEXSOM IWA 2019 represented a new era for the awards with a more powerful platform for identifying and promoting wines of the highest quality; the inclusion of a record number of sommeliers, writers, and Master Sommelier mentors in the unique Sommelier Retreat that offers sommeliers a chance to taste and comment on award-winning wines after they are judged; and, the diversity of entries and judges from around the world. All of these elements allow TEXSOM IWA to benefit not only the award-winning entrants, but all aspects of the industry. We look forward to continuing to develop TEXSOM IWA with services and content for various segments of the industry,” says co-founder, James Tidwell.
“As the competition continues to grow in participation, we feel that the standards of judging attributable to the level of judges that the competition attracts will ensure that TEXSOM IWA medals remain in the forefront of meaningful awards.”
The TEXSOM International Wine Awards arranges award entries by category of beverage, place of origin, and type. The final list of all winners includes: Judges’ Selections, Traditional Method Sparkling Wines, Other Sparkling Wines, Fortified (Dry and Sweet), Sake, White Wines, Rosé and Blush Wines, Red Wines, Ciders, and Fruit, Flavored and Honey Wines.
Wines chosen for Judges’ Selections are nominated by judging panels for specific categories, then blind-tasted by special panels to determine the winner of each Selection. Judges’ Selections demonstrate quality and unique character that are exceptional even amongst their medal-winning peers.
The 2019 TEXSOM International Wine Awards was supported by over 200 sommeliers, judges, volunteers and staffers working together to make the competition a success. A list of judges may be found on the website at http://texsomiwa.com/.
ABOUT TEXSOM
Founded in 2005, TEXSOM 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 1,200 attendees, of whom more than 800 are sommeliers and other beverage industry professionals. The TEXSOM group purchased the competition now known as the TEXSOM International Wine Awards in April 2014. One of the largest, most respected, and longest-running in the United States, the competition was founded in 1985 by journalist and wine expert Rebecca Murphy.
