Wine enthusiasts form San Antonio Sommelier Association

SAN ANTONIO — Spitting is a bad habit.

But it comes with the territory for a troop of wine connoisseurs who recently formed the San Antonio Sommelier Association, a group dedicated to furthering the wine culture here.

Don't let the name fool you, though. Yes, there are certified sommeliers in the group, but this isn't a sommelier-exclusive club. Rather, it's composed of wine enthusiasts, food and beverage workers, and wine retailers and distributors.

“Wine is something that is ongoing and ever changing,” said Joe Pat Clayton, the group's vice president. “It's an art form that requires constant education and analysis. And in San Antonio, there are small groups together, but we wanted to have a larger group where we could all communicate about wine and talk about it on an educated level.”

Currently, there are about two-dozen members; but the group hopes to add to that while cementing a core group of 30 officers who will oversee club operations and voting duties. So far, they've had three meetings, which are held monthly. Each meeting has a specific theme that dictates the style of wine to be discussed that month. Meetings are loose, casual and void of any one person lecturing the group, claiming mastery of a certain topic.

So, for example, the August theme was Alsace and German Rieslings. More than a dozen examples were brought to the meeting. One by one each bottle was poured, sampled, evaluated and spit out — unless the wine was so good that it's deemed a DNS (do not spit).

But don't get the wrong impression. This club wasn't assembled for afternoon drinking. Every wine was meticulously assessed. And with varying levels of wine knowledge, members were able to share insights about the wine regions and the tasting process.

“Everyone can contribute something,” said group president Mark Fusco, assistant manager at Morton's The Steakhouse, where the meeting was held. “When you're doing your blind tasting of wine, everyone has different backgrounds and they focus on certain things, they pick up on different aromas, tastes, smells and experiences. We all have different backgrounds to where we can contribute differently to the group.”

Aside from the monthly meetings, the association wants to start a scholarship program for its members who are looking to obtain certifications to further their wine knowledge. Also, there are plans to have public events. The group is working to get its nonprofit status and wants to have at least one main public event annually to raise money for a local charity. So far, the club hasn't scheduled any events, but Fusco said they plan to have some arranged next by early next year.

Wine clubs have come and gone over the years, falling apart for one reason or another. Fusco is optimistic about this iteration because there's such a need for a group that's able to educate people about wine, which, in a way, is sitting on the sideline as the local restaurant, craft beer and cocktail cultures mature. Plus, many times, the beverage gets a bad wrap, regarded an unapproachable or highfalutin by wine novices.

“There should be no pretense to wine,” Clayton said. “In San Antonio, craft beer and cocktails are the hottest tickets and I don't see it stopping. But it's all about education. There's a lot of wine out there. I always thought that wine offered a lot more character and complexity than beer or spirits.”

Currently, the group is accepting membership applications from people affiliated with the wine industry. Information is available at sanantoniosommelierassociation.org, and cost to be a member is $20 per meeting, which can be paid monthly or annually. As the club gets more established, membership could become open to the public.

“Our diversity is growing, and that's a good sign that we're getting people who are trying to become part of the organization,” Fusco said. “I think people feel that there's a vacuum in the city when it comes to wine.”