Ep. 2493 Jessica Dupuy interviews Steven McDonald MS of Pappas Bros. Steakhouse | TEXSOM 2025

Welcome to Episode 2493 of the Italian Wine Podcast in which Jessica Dupuy interviews Steven McDonald MS of Pappas Bros. Steakhouse at TEXSOM 2025. 

The Italian Wine Podcast is proud to be a Media Partner of TEXSOM for the second year in a row, supporting one of the most influential wine events in North America.

Join us at TEXSOM 2025 as Texas-based wine journalist Jessica Dupuy interviews top writers, journalists, sommeliers, and wine professionals at this highly influential wine event. In this special series, Jessica will delve into the experiences and insights of key attendees, exploring career paths, challenges, and the latest trends in the wine industry.

This special TEXSOM series is made possible thanks to the support of the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Uncork Texas Wines program, celebrating and promoting the vibrant culture of Texas wine.

More about today’s guest:

Steven McDonald, MS is the Executive Wine Director for Pappas Bros. Steakhouses in both Houston and Dallas. He oversees the wine programs and sommelier teams for three steakhouse restaurants, all three of which currently hold the Wine Spectator Grand Award. 

Steven passed the Master Sommelier exam in 2018 to become one of only 280 people in the world to have passed this famously difficult exam. He has won the Periwinkle Iron Sommelier competition in 2014 and now serves on the Periwinkle Foundation committee that plans and runs the Iron Sommelier Competition. 

While working in New York, he helped open the Michelin starred Ai Fiori with chef Michael White and was a wine buyer for the highly technological CLO wine bar in the Time Warner Center. 

Connect:

Website: https://pappasbros.com/home/ 

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/stevenpaulmcdonald 

More about the host:

Jessica Dupuy covers wine, spirits, and travel from Austin, Texas. She holds a Diploma with the Wine and Spirit Educational Trust, is a Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, and a Certified Specialist of Wine and Spirits through the Society of Wine Educators. Dupuy’s work has appeared in Food & Wine, Wine Enthusiast, Imbibe, Texas Monthly, Forbes, SevenFifty Daily, GuildSomm, VinePair, and Southern Living. She recently published, The Wines of Southwest USA in addition to six regional cookbooks. Her forthcoming book, Italianity, with co-author Andrea Lonardi MW explores and celebrates the culture of Italian wine. (Release Spring 2026). She also co-hosts podcast, Another Bottle Down.

Connect:

Website: https://www.jessicadupuy.com/ 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-norman-dupuy-86486a4/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicandupuy/#   

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