TEXSOM Sommer Camp 2026: The most exciting week in wine

It’s a reunion that I’ve been awaiting for many months: TEXSOM 2026 and almost an entire week of Sommer Camp! Sommer Camp starts in Irving, Texas on August 20.

In the summer of 2025, I was a raw beginner with stars in my eyes and a brand-new wine blog. I registered for five days of Sommer Camp, almost on a whim. Later, I wrote about the experience in a series of personal blog features, the TEXSOM Diaries.

A selection of South African wines in the Somm Lounge at Sommer Camp 2025.

Looking back at those posts, it’s hard to believe it’s only been a year. In the past twelve months, I’ve traveled to wine regions in California and France, completed an advanced certification, taken a part-time job in retail/service, and (whoa!) received international recognition for my wine writing.

All the way, I’ve been supported and encouraged by people that I’ve met. I’ve cheered on fellow wine lovers as they launch businesses and conquer exams. I’ve celebrated them as they taste bucket-list bottles and chase opportunities all over the world. And so many of those friendships have their origins at Sommer Camp and the TEXSOM community.

This will be my second year at Sommer Camp. As I count down the days, I’m sharing a few details about this event and what makes it so special.

As of this writing, Expression of Interest forms for Sommer Camp are still open on the TEXSOM site. But the conference is in its final couple of weeks of preparation–so if you’re interested, I wouldn’t wait.

What is Sommer Camp?

Sommer Camp is the volunteer program of the TEXSOM Conference. TEXSOM is a wine education event that is directed by Master Sommelier James Tidwell. (It was founded in 2005 as the Texas Sommelier Conference. The name was abbreviated later.) Its current home is the Irving Convention Center (just west of Dallas), and its mission is to build community and foster education within the wine industry.

The Sommer Camp crew is a rotating roster of highly passionate wine people. They include servers, sommeliers, educators, influencers, students, and enthusiasts. There are first-timers as well as people who have been showing up for years.

A core leadership team assembles the schedule and keeps the daily agenda on track. Most participants either stay in nearby hotels or commute from within the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

You do not need to be employed or credentialed in the wine industry to apply. You do need to be over 21 years of age and to agree to a code of conduct and ethics. TEXSOM also asks that you commit to work shifts over at least two consecutive days.

There are a lot of different jobs to do, so staying flexible is essential. Generally, you take assignments based on the day’s events and your particular set of skills.

One day you might be unwrapping pallets and setting up a seminar room, and the next day checking in badge holders as they arrive. (Everybody polishes glasses. There will be around 18,000 wineglasses needed at TEXSOM 2026.) If you have wine purchasing or service experience, you may also be cataloguing bottles, checking wine for cork taint and other faults, or pouring at a white-tablecloth dinner.

Polishing glasses in preparation for TEXSOM’s opening day.

It’s hard work and long hours–but extremely fun. As a Sommer Camper, you will learn more about wine (and taste more of it!) than you ever thought was possible.

The Education

The TEXSOM Conference is a multi-day ticketed event that attracts wine pros and wine lovers from around the world. A conference pass gets you a choice of seated classes, a daily buffet lunch, six expo tastings, two receptions and the final day’s Grand Tasting.

In 2026, conference passes are priced at $525. (It’s a bargain, in my opinion–but admittedly not within reach for every wine student or person in the service industry.)

Fortunately, Sommer Camp volunteers get access to all of the main conference days, plus three days of exclusive pre-conference activities. Setup tasks are interspersed with educational sessions. They can include activities like beverage-pairing exercises, blind-tasting challenges, and chats with winery representatives and distributors.

Getting the day started off right with a catered breakfast and a class co-sponsored by D.O. Cava.

TEXSOM also brings in wine educators to offer bonus education (like WSET courses and regional certifications) right inside the conference center. Most require extra fees, and you sign up separately from your work shifts. If you’re already traveling to North Texas for Sommer Camp, it’s a very convenient way to earn that credential you’ve been eyeing.

Sadly–unless you’ve mastered the trick of bi-location–it’s not possible to attend every conference seminar as a Sommer Camper. Sometimes, your work assignment conflicts with something else. And anyway, there are usually two to three events happening simultaneously in different classrooms.

But if there’s a speaker you really want to see or a can’t-miss tasting, then it’s possible to build your volunteer schedule around that opportunity. Whatever you choose, you can be sure you’ll be sampling some of the best wine education available anywhere.

The Wine

Did I mention there’s wine? Oh yes. As a Sommer Camp participant, you will taste oceans of vino. Tasting can start as early as 7:00 or 7:30 AM, with a sponsored breakfast or a morning toast.

Am early-morning Champagne treat presented by Perrier-Jouët.

There are scheduled seated and walk-around tastings throughout the conference. There are open bottles all over the table at lunch and–if you opt to stick around–at dinner. A lot of late-night glassware prep happens at the nightly “Polishing Parties.” Each evening, a long table is set with (surprise!) even more excellent wine.

My first day at Sommer Camp, I carried around a notebook and resolved to try and take a brief tasting note on everything. I quickly abandoned that goal. I was tasting, at a conservative minimum, 80-100 wines per shift. Getting through the day takes discipline–walking around without a spit cup is not advised–but there is no better way to train your palate.

Many of the wines tasted at Sommer Camp are supplied by sponsors who are eager to bring something memorable or distinctive. These special wines include old vintages, single-vineyard treasures, undistributed samples, and uncommon imports.

I tried Champagne from top producers and a 1971 Napa Cab–which was exciting. But I also remember tasting my first Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo (a light red style from Italy) and a 2005 Hunter Valley Semillon that was brought in for TEXSOM’s 20th anniversary. Opening these bottles isn’t just about bragging rights. It’s a rare chance to broaden your experience beyond what’s available on store shelves or most restaurant wine lists.

Even if you’re not tasting–say, for health reasons or because your taste buds need a break–just handling all that wine is a valuable learning experience.

One of the main Sommer Camp projects is managing TEXSOM’s massive temporary cellar in the Grand Ballroom. Volunteer work includes verifying, transporting, and pouring wine for the various classes and meals. Those tasks teach you many practical skills: recognizing appellation structure and labeling terms, how to receive and organize a wine collection, and how to proof and decant wine for service.

The People

But…isn’t this conference full of wine experts? Will I belong?

Trust me: Social anxiety and imposter syndrome are things that this Wine Fairy knows very well. On my first day, I was plagued by worries that I’d mess something up or look ignorant. And I’m sure I made a few small blunders–but oh well. Those moments don’t stand out in my memory.

What does stand out was the quality of the people. At Sommer Camp, I experienced an overwhelming amount of generosity and patience. And (contrary to my fears) almost no pomposity at all.

With Advanced Sommelier Michel Emerick on the last day of TEXSOM 2025. Photo: Paula Fitzpatrick.

Instead, you get the sense that your peers and mentors want you to succeed. That you’re working together toward the same goals. You’re in awe of people’s expertise without feeling shut out by it. That’s a rare and beautiful feeling.

Looking ahead to Sommer Camp 2026

This year I’ll be serving on the TEXSOM Media Team, which is both an honor and an exciting new challenge. My job is to help tell the story of the conference itself, so I’ll be spending a lot more time gathering words and images for TEXSOM and less time scribbling notes for my own blog.

That means you probably won’t see another day-by-day series like last year’s TEXSOM Diaries. Between setup responsibilities and media assignments, there simply won’t be enough hours in the day. But I do hope to share some reflections afterward, along with a few standout moments and lessons from the week. (And favorite bottles. You know there will be an on-site #MerlotThursday review!)

More than anything, I’m looking forward to returning to the people who made me feel so welcome a year ago. Sommer Camp helped convince me that there was a place for me in the wine world. I’m excited to see familiar faces, meet a new class of volunteers, and spend another week learning, working, and raising a glass with one of the most generous communities I’ve ever encountered.

Here’s to TEXSOM 2026. See you in Irving! 🥂

Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this article. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.

For more information on Sommer Camp or the Conference, get in touch with the TEXSOM team here.