• Dallas sommelier becomes a master: Drew Hendricks, currently of Charlie Palmer Dallas, has become the third sommelier in Texas to earn the master designation from the international Court of Master Sommeliers. Hendricks says the final part of the three-part exam -- in which he had to identify six wines in a blind tasting within a 24 minutes -- was a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is the most difficult. No, he said with a laugh, that didn't surprise him. There are two other masters sommeliers in Texas, Barbara Werley in Dallas and Guy Stout in Houston. There are fewer than 150 master sommeliers worldwide.
• Global warming and wine: Think you know what wine is supposed to taste like? Think again. That's the news from the second conference on Climate Change & Wine, held in Barcelona a couple of weeks ago. The consensus? Flavors and color will change, and it could happen in as little as 10 years."Wine, however, is an early warning signal of what is to come," said Australian wine consultant Richard Samrt. "Wine's past will no longer be relevant [in predicting its future] within 50 years. In only 10 years, the palate of our wines will change."
• San Antonio wine winners: A Texas red, Messina Hof Barrel Reserve Cabernet Franc 2005, and a California white, Newman's Own Chardonnay 2006, were named best of show at this month's eighth annual San Antonio Wine Competition. The San Antonio event begins the spring wine season in Texas. My favorite winner? The Three Thieves 2005 Bandit cabernet, which won a gold in the $15 or less cabernet category.
