Ep. 2501 Jessica Dupuy interviews Kathleen Thomas | TEXSOM 2025

For those who haven't met Kat Thomas, like, we can see you a mile away. There's an energy, like, an aura, if you will, that surrounds you, and it's just like, that girl's coming, and I wanna know whatever the tornado is, because it looks like it might be fun. Turnado top is, I don't know what's happening. So you're here this year, not as a volunteer. Although, you were telling me before we started recording, it's really hard to not do something, like, to have it an occupation while you're here. Yeah. Like, go in the pool instead of polishing. I feel like I get to relax because you're speaking. The seminar that y'all are doing. It's a panel discussion about living out your values in the workplace. So this panel, I think, is an important one because we have a panel on how to blind taste, you know, a panel on how to write about wine descriptively, what hospitality and service is, But, like, having something where we can talk about how are you? Yes. Right? Like, that's the only way you're gonna stay Yes. In the game. Channel y'all. I'm Jessica Duppuis, guest host for a special Texom series on the Italian wine podcast. Covering the twenty twenty five Texong Conference in Dallas, Texas. Join me in the heart of the lone star state as we dive into conversations with key speakers and attendees, exploring career paths, challenges, and the latest trend shaping the wine industry today. This series is proudly sponsored by the Texas Department of Agriculture' Uncourt Texas wines program, which celebrates Texas wine culture by promoting local wineries and grape growers, both in state and around the world, building a vibrant community around the Texas made wine. Be sure to subscribe and rate the show wherever you get your podcasts. And don't miss our Texas wine tidbit in every episode. A fun little fact insight or story that highlights the people and places behind this exciting wine scene. Well, Kat Thomas or Kathleen Thomas, thank you for joining us on the Italian wine podcast. I'm excited to have you here for a number of reasons mainly because I get to see you once a year, and this is that time. But welcome, and I wonder if you could just introduce yourself to the audience to kind of give them an idea of who you are and what your background is. Wonderful. Well, I'm truly honored to be here as well, and so great to see you all the time, Jessica. I am considered to be a tiny giant, and that is, name given to me by people because I'm small and very loud. Personality voice. I like to call myself the wine goddess, though. Uh-huh. And that's kind of how I, float around Las Vegas, Nevada. I am running Edas. It's a restaurant and wine focused space in Las Vegas. I think that's good for now. Alright. Are you from Vegas? Where are you from? I don't think I've ever asked you this. No. I am from, Atlantic City, New Jersey. Okay. Alright. I see big personality, tiny. Yeah. For those who haven't met Kat Thomas, like, we can see you a mile away in terms of, like, and it's not because it's I wouldn't say loud. It's just there's an energy, like, an aura, if you will, that surrounds you. And it's just like, that girl's coming, and I wanna know whatever the tornado is because it looks like it might be fun. Turneto Thomas. I heard those. Well, okay. So how did you get into wine? Like, how let's talk about that? So when I moved to Vegas and I moved to Vegas, after college to meet my mom. Okay. So that was kinda cool. And I was like, oh, this is a gross city. Blah blah blah. I thought I was super cool coming out of the East Coast, and I wasn't, but, I ended up getting a job opening the Bellagio. Okay. Amazing experience. I was in, catering in banquets. So I had a really firsthand experience with all of the wine programming that was happening in beverage programming. They trained us amazingly. And the core to master, Samuel, would do a lot of their courses there. Mhmm. So I was taking care of all the people and the master, sommeliers, while they were hosting it, and thought, oh my gosh, this is insane. I like the idea of this, but I'll never do this. Right? Yeah. We'll jump forward to probably eight or nine years later, and I had been in a training program with Rob Bigelow for management. Realistically, had no plans to be in wine. I wanted to become a manager and learn how to do all these things, but I chose him as my mentor out of everybody in Valacio. And, for those that don't know, Rob Bigalo is a master, Somoye, and he was our wine director at the time. He kept kinda coaxing me towards the idea that wine would be something great because I cared so much about the guest experience. Okay. And I liked learning things. And I kept saying, oh, I could not do that. That's too intense. Now I open aria And he keeps telling me, and I'm a manager, and I'm like, oh, man, this isn't exactly what I wanted to do. And I fell in love with doing inventory, which was really weird to people, but I would follow the Sommelier around during inventory asking questions this and that. I'll flash forward very quickly. I had one more chance from Rob Bigalo, who was also the wine director now at Aria. And he said, this is your last chance. And I said, okay. So I jumped into it. Didn't even know where champagne was on a map. And I worked at cereal Okay. The Machione's restaurant. That was my first sommelier job, which was an amazing experience. I was able to indulge and enjoy the Italian landscape. And when I say the landscape of Vegas at that time was obnoxious and fabulous all at once for wine drinking Okay. And inventory. So I was hooked. Yeah. I didn't it didn't change after that. Help give us context about what year was that? When when when did that? Two thousand and eleven. Okay. So a good amount of time now has passed. It feels like it's not I am long. But it has transformed my world beyond Dramatically. Yeah. So okay. I love this. Wanna ask you about Vegas in just a little bit, but how so we're at TexOM. I know. Yay. But how did TexOM come into the circle for you. Because twenty eleven, I mean, we're talking about that would have been early years for TexOM. And you started coming in as a volunteer, or how did you? Okay. Honestly, I'd love to say I remember exactly, but I don't recall a lot of things now in life. But it was it was either two thousand twelve or two thousand thirteen. And I wanted to find a community that I felt comfortable with because everybody in Vegas that was studying and preparing and were already involved in the Weinstein were really advanced past where my training was and my education was. And they were very nice to me, but I knew I wanted to go outside that. So I don't really remember how it was introduced to me, but somebody suggested that I I come to Texom. I said, okay. So I came to Texom, and I paid that year, but then I saw the volunteers and I just started following them around and kind of made some friends with them and then started realizing that there was a lot more to it than just that. And I think I've maybe only, like, paid for a ticket now in the last. However, many years will call it twice, and I volunteer it every other time because it drives me nuts to not be behind the scenes and involve. Yeah. I mean, you you're always in motion, which is a, which is a wonderful thing to watch because it's always in the interest of helping or seeking a way to serve or be hospitable And, you know, just as a reminder for people, like, the volunteers, that is the community probably I don't mean to put words in your mouth, but, like, that you were looking for. Right? Because those are the people that are studying, that are trying to get their foot in the door within the profession. And it's like you be come this little I hate to use the word, the Greek, like, system, like, fraternity, sorority, but there is this camaraderie that starts to happen that people that have been volunteers end up the tenure is a long time. You're a volunteer for a long time, not because you like staying up