Seen, Sipped and Savored at SommCon

The first SommCon was a red, white and sparkling success. Held November 19-21, 2015 in San Diego, the convention for sommeliers offered education, tastings and networking galore. Sessions offered tooth-staining sips, speed blind tastings, big-picture presentations and in-depth panel discussions that satisfied a range of interests and expertise levels. The three-day event ended in grand style with a huge trade tasting that featured exhibitors, food and beer tastings, music and an auction. Spotted pouring wine along with a presenter roster top-heavy with Masters of Wine and Master Sommeliers were iconic winemakers such as Randall Grahm and John Concannon.

Sis gave San Diego Union-Tribune readers a virtual tour that captured the event's madcap energy. Here, a few images of this memorable, inaugural conference with hopes for a bigger, better SommCon next year.

It’s 8 a.m. at SommCon – ready for some wine?

Emerging Mexico panelists, Tru Miller, owner of Adobe Guadalupe (left) and enologist Camillo Magoni.

Georg Riedel introduced wine lovers to his family’s Riedel Coke glass.

Chic, helpful tradespeople delighted tasters in the exhibit hall, here with wines of Australia.

At Friday’s Grand Tasting, wine shared the limelight with beer, cheese, artisan breads and more.

Wines from Morocco made an impressive showing at the Grand Tasting.

Randall Grahm shares his thoughts at the Bonny Doon tasting booth.

Dan Morgan Lee poses with one of his excellent Santa Lucia Highlands wines.

A memorable appetizer at Bottega Americano in San Diego’s East Village.

The chalkboard salumeria menu at Bottega Americano reads “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well without having eaten well.”