Enjoying the occasional glass of wine does not make you a wine expert, so the University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management is bringing the expert to you. The college’s Fred Parks Lecture Series is sponsoring “Wines for the Holidays,” a free wine education and tasting for faculty, staff and students. The event is from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Monday, Dec. 3, in the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton University of Houston Hotel. All guests must be at least 21 years old. Seating is limited. R.S.V.P. online at www.hrm.uh.edu/rsvp by Friday, Nov. 23. For more information, contact Kevin Simon, director of the Fred Parks Wine Cellar, at 713-743-2459, or ksimon@uh.edu.

“This is the fourth Fred Parks Lecture that we have held here at UH,” Simon said. “The event is an extension of Fred’s passion for wine and wine education, and is just one of the ways that we are working to uphold Fred’s legacy to bring wine to the masses.”

Underwritten by the Fred and Mabel R. Parks Foundation, the featured presenter is Guy Stout, one of only two Master Sommeliers in Texas. There are roughly only 150 Master Sommeliers in the world. In addition to answering general wine questions, Stout’s presentation will include:

• The Right Stuff -- what are the best wines to serve with traditional holiday fare?
• Gift Giving -- what are the best wines under $15 and over $15?
• The Magic of Champagne -- why Champagne and Sparkling Wines aren’t just for New Year’s Eve anymore.
• Wine tasting will, of course, be a component of the seminar and several different wines will be paired with food for sampling.

Stout, a graduate of the college’s Wine & Spirits Management Institute, is currently the corporate director of Beverage Education for the Glazer’s Family of Companies. In addition to being a Master Sommelier, he is a Certified Wine Educator, serves on the Board of Directors of the Society of Wine Educators, is a founding member and board member of the Texas Sommelier Association, and is a member of the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association. Recognized as a Houston icon for his contribution to the wine and food industry of Texas, Stout has been a featured wine expert on the PBS cooking series Cucina Amore with Damian Mandola and Johnny Carrabba, founders of the

Carrabba’s Restaurant chain. He is also the owner of Stout Vineyards in the Texas Hill Country, where he is currently growing Syrah grapes and selling to local wineries.

About Fred Parks
Throughout his illustrious career as a trial lawyer, Fred Parks collected fine and rare French wines. In 1994, he donated a portion of his collection to the Hilton College. This collection became the foundation of the Fred Parks Wine Cellar and features over 1,000 bottles from the early 1900s to contemporary vintages. Parks died on October 18, 2001, at the age of 95. At his bequest, his estate donated the remainder of his collection to the Hilton College. Today the new Fred Park Boardroom showcases his remarkable collection and pairs his passions for wine and education. The Boardroom serves as an international repository for research, education and training in the study of wine.

For more information on the UH Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management or the Fred Parks Wine Cellar, visit www.hrm.uh.edu/.

About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and service with more than 35,000 students