I am in the midst of volunteering at my first TexSom, which is the largest wine industry-focused conference in the United States. TexSom is celebrating 20 years in 2025, and Master Sommelier James Tidwell was the impetus behind the wine education and tasting gathering. Around 1000 people are expected to attend, and I have met people who have come from all over the United States to assist, many of them repeat TexSommers. The three days leading up to the conference are called Sommer Camp, and the volunteers are treated to sponsored lunches and dinners with fun and, in some cases, rare wines in exchange for hours spent polishing glasses and getting the Irving Convention Center ready for the event.
My experience has been interesting, exhausting, and fun, if not a bit lonely. Almost everyone who volunteers is credentialed in some way (three wine certs – ha! That’s small potatoes here!). But it has been fun to be a part of a group of like-minded individuals who have a shared passion for wine. And I now feel reassured that there are many more wine nerds out there, just like me!
