If you dine out next Tuesday, September 11, you won’t have many of Houston’s finest sommeliers to rely on for pairing suggestions.
That’s because many of them will be competing for the title of Iron Sommelier. They will be singing the praises of their favorite wines as they pour taste after taste for enthusiastic fans at The Houstonian Hotel. The Iron Sommelier competition, which benefits the non-profit Periwinkle Foundation, has become Houston’s signature wine event.
When it comes to the world of restaurants, chefs may be the rock stars, but sommeliers are the sound and lighting engineers, who happen to double as the opening act. You can’t put on a great show without them. Sommeliers float through the dining room to provide each table of diners with a mix of charm, intellect, humor and seamless service. It’s a subtle craft that often requires them to set aside their personal tastes and seek out wines that will make their guests happy. At Iron Sommelier, however, they are released from these confines and can focus on sharing the wines that truly excite them.
This year’s list of challengers includes a who’s-who of local wine professionals. Each will pour three selections according to a theme he or she has selected:
Mike Sammons of 13 Celsius (wines you’ve probably never heard of, but should know)
Vanessa Treviño Boyd of Philippe Restaurant (wines made by somms-turned-winemakers)
Christian Varas of the River Oaks Country Club (wines with the fifth taste, umami)
Ben Roberts of Masraff’s (best bottles for a backyard cookout)
Evan Turner of Janco Beverage Importing & Distributing (Greek wines)
Cathy Nguyen of Mark’s American Cuisine (Syrah)
Jason Sherman of Brennan’s (Viognier)
Steven McDonald of Pappas Bros. Steakhouse (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Pedro Garcia of El Meson (Chardonnay)
Kelly McCloud of Fleming’s/Upper Kirby location (underrated red Zinfandels)
Ron Brandini of Carrabba’s on Kirby (Italian wines)
Kevin Kenyon & Brittany Talavera of The Houstonian (Paso Robles wines)
Noticed a name missing from this list? After winning the Iron Sommelier competition three times, I am not competing this year. Instead I am now co-chair of the event, and I hope you’ll join me at the Iron Somm competition.
We’ve added a few wrinkles to this year’s contest. In particular, we’ve recruited Master Sommeliers Guy Stout (Glazer’s Distributing), Craig Collins (Dalla Terra Winery Direct) and Melissa Monosoff (Pioneer Wine Company) to join in and pour for the crowd. Also, helping are local sommeliers Antonio Gianola (Mosaic Wine Group), Marcy Jimenez (Houston Wine Merchant) and Jonathan Honefenger (Richard’s Fine Wines), each of whom is making a mark on the retail/distributor side of wine. To ensure that each wine is showcased at its finest, famed glassware maker Riedel is providing all of the stemware for the evening.
Guests will have the opportunity to taste dozens of world-class wines and interact with our city’s talented wine gurus. If you’re a wine-lover, this is the event to see and talk to all of your local heroes.
The proceeds of the Iron Sommelier support the Periwinkle Foundation, a Houston-based charity that provides programs to positively change the lives of children, young adults and families who are challenged by cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.
Tickets for the event are $150. Underwriter packages are available as well and include a case of wine selected by me. A panel of judges will crown the Iron Sommelier, but attendees get to vote for the People’s Choice for Best Sommelier. For more information, visit periwinklefoundation.org or call 713-807-0191.
(Be sure to check SideDish this Friday, Sept. 7, when we give away a pair of Iron Sommelier tickets ($300 value) to a lucky reader.)
Beck sommelier at Backstreet Cafe, Hugo’s & Trevisio