2025 May Preston Hollow Advocate

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m ay 2 5 contents

PRESTON HOLLOW ADVOCATE VOL.23 NO.5

PROFILE 6 W.T. White’s AllStar bassist DINING 10 Civil Pour FEATURES 3 Odd crimes from the archives 8 Joining PHWC’s art critique club 14 Preston Hollow Women’s mahjong 18 My Festi Goodies 22 Texas’ first female sommelier

Preston Hollow Women’s Club’s mahjong group leader Shayne Moore says the popular game is easier than it looks. Read more on page 14. Photography by Lauren Allen.

ODD, BUT TRUE CRIMES MARK TWAIN ONCE SAID TRUTH IS ALWAYS STRANGER THAN FICTION. ISN’T THAT THE TRUTH? HERE IS A COLLECTION OF CRIME STORIES FROM OUR ARCHIVES THAT HAD AN ECCENTRIC TOUCH.

Stories by SEAN CHAFFIN

THE DOG WAS FED, BUT THE HOME WAS TRASHED. It was just after sunset when Cynthia MacLennan returned home. Her poodle that patrols her home had b e e n a b i t s i c k of l a te. A friend had come by to check on the pooch, so at first she didn’t think anything of her bedroom light being left on.

She hopped out of the car and walked a couple doors down to visit a friend for a few minutes.

W h e n s h e re t u r n e d t o her house, MacLennan was shocked at what she found

inside.

The door, kitchen cupb o a rd a n d d r a w e r s w e re w i d e o p e n , a n d h e r b e droom was trashed, she says.

Fr i g h te n e d by t h e sce n e, s h e q u i c k l y g ra b b e d h e r dog, went to her bedroom and called 911.

Among the items stolen were jewelry passed down from her mother, a brand new laptop computer, tools, cash and even a pair of her glasses.

S t r a n g e l y, t h e b u r g l a r filled her dog ’s bowl with food. 8.26.2010

THE BAGS WERE PACKED, A N D T H E N T H EY W E R E GONE. Amy Mitts and her family were ready for a vacation.

She had placed the family’s luggage in the garage and was ready to leave the next morning. But sometime duri ng the night , a crook b ro ke i n to t h e M i t ts ’ ca r, which was parked in their driveway. Using the garage d o o r o p e n e r, t h e b u rg l a r then ransacked the garage of the family’s Northwest Presto n Roya l h o m e. T h e theft was especially frustrating due to its timing.

“ T h ey sto l e my pa c ke d luggage. We were home at the time,” Mitts says. “We were going on vacation.”

The thief also took quite a few other items, including a bike, power tools, toolb o x e s , c h i l d r e n ’s v i d e o ga m es a n d s u i tca ses f u l l of packed clothing — a loss of more than $4,500. Mitts isn’t sure how the crook got in the car.

Despite the loss, the M i t ts fa m i l y st i l l e n j oye d their vacation — after a q u i c k s t o p a t Ta r g e t f o r some new clothes, that is.

5.3.2010

YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YO U ’ L L F I N D W H AT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR. Mark Lemons plays golf at N o r t hwo o d Co u n t r y C l u b to relieve stress, improve business relationships and wo r k o n h i s s h o r t ga m e.

However on a spring evening his golf clubs valued at $1,500 were taken from his 2005 Chevy Suburban.

The thieves ripped out the back doors to get his clubs and he wrote them off for good, but Lady Luck was a ringer for Lemons and he go t t h e m ba c k i n a m ost unusual way.

An anonymous man, who wo r k s fo r S o u t h we s t A r t Gallery, visits pawn shops

to buy military jewelry paw n e d by ve te ra n s. H e b u ys t h e j e we l r y a n d returns them to veterans as a thank you for their service.

A couple of days after Lemons had reported the break in of his vehicle the anonymous man was in the parking lot of a pawn shop and was approached by so m e o n e se l l i n g Le mons’clubs. He bought them and returned them back to N o r t hwo o d Co u n t r y C l u b because Lemons’ name tag wa s st i l l a t t a c h e d to t h e golf bag. That evening the golf shop at the club called Lemons and said his clubs were waiting to be picked up. 4.23.2008

THEY SQUEEZED THE TRAILER OUT OF THE TIGHTEST OF SPOTS. James and Holly Lee love spending time out in the country with their sons at their deer lease in Seymour. They enjoy hunting dove and deer, and generally have a great time as a family.

Recently, they had their 16-foot trailer at home for an upcoming trip to the lease.

T h e H o l l y ’s h a d planned to haul some o t h e r i t e m s t o S e ymour, and the trailer had been parked in the rear driveway of their Prestonwood East home for several days.

Around the same time, however, the Lees had

some work done on their home, including replacing the garage door. Because of this, they parked the trailer on the street in the front for one day while the replacement was underway. They moved their cars, parking them close to both ends of the trailer so that someone wouldn’t be able drive up, hitch the trailer to a truck, and drive off.

Despite their efforts, the next morning the trailer was gone. The Lees had forgotten to lock the trailer latch, and crooks had somehow managed slide the trailer away from the curb so that it could be driven off. 2.16.15

THE VEHICLE SMELLED OF BEER. Anne Myint and her fa m i l y ra n g i n 2 0 1 0 with a simple night at home — hanging o u t a s a fa m i l y a n d catching some television. It was a relaxing evening, but the first day of January would quickly make their home the scene of a senseless act of vandalism and theft.

“Happy New Year to me,” Myint says, trying to ke e p a j ov i al at t itude about the crime.

“My back window was smashed with a beer bottle. There was beer all in the back of the car.”

After smashing the rear window of her Chevy Suburban, the suspect removed her re a r s e a t s f ro m t h e vehicle. 5.3.2010

THE BARNETTS’ RED GOLF CART WAS A COMMON SIGHT. The cart could often be seen in the Barnetts’ Preston Hollow neighborhood, puttering around nearby streets and to neighbors’ homes.

That changed Jan. 17 when a small mistake led to the burglary of their home. On Friday afternoon, Tracy Barnett brought her son home after school.

Thinking she would s o o n t a ke h i m t o a friend’s home, she left

her car unlocked in the driveway. Her husband drove her son instead, and her unlocked door completely slipped her mind.

Sometime after midnight, a burglar retrieved her garage door opener from her vehicle and stole their 1995 Club Cart golf cart and charger, a total value of $2,700.

“I don’t know how they got it out of the neighborhood,” Barnett says.

“You can’t drive it too far without being seen.”

4.30.2010

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METALLICA MOZART TO

The genre-spanning journey to becoming Texas’ top high school bassist Story by NIKI GUMMADI | Photography by LAUREN ALLEN

ELECTRIC BASS, PERCUSSION, VOICE, GUITAR, DOUBLE BASS, DRUMS, BASS GU I TA R .

Each of these instruments are part of W.T. White High School senior Jonthan Peña’s growing instrumental repertoire. The musical journey during which he mastered each of these instruments began when he was just a toddler and eventually led him to be named Texas’ top double bass player.

It was Peña’s father that first showed him the heavy metal band Metallica, which quickly became his favorite band. Inspired by Metallica’s lead guitarist, Peña decided he wanted to learn to play the electric bass. He was gifted his first electric bass at 8 years old, turning music from a hobby into a means of expressing himself. Since then, Peña has continued to pick up new instruments as a creative outlet.

“It’s a way of communicating and expressing yourself through notes and lines ... You have to learn how to be musically educated so you could express how you feel,” he says.

In his freshman year of high school, Peña’s band teacher introduced him to jazz music, showing him artists like Miles Davis and Charlie Parker. Once again feeling inspired, he took on the double bass and became a jazz musician, eventually becoming drawn to classical music.

During Peña’s sophomore year, however, he had to quit the double bass when his band directors requested he focus more on being a percussionist.

But the double bass had left an impression on him.

Out of all the instruments he plays, Peña says the double bass is his favorite because of how versatile it is. By his junior year, he had persuaded his directors to let him play the double bass again, marking the beginning of a string of wins for Peña in regional jazz and classical music competitions.

In 2024, Peña was selected to be part of the Texas Music Educators Association’s All-State Orchestra. Close to 1,000 students auditioned for the orchestra’s 40 double bass spots. Peña not only earned one of these coveted spots but also earned the highest bass score, making him W.T. White’s first first chair in All-State Orchestra since 1989.

After graduating, Peña plans to attend the Oberlin Conservatory in Oberlin, Ohio. He hopes to later get a master’s degree then pursue a career with a professional orchestra. Peña also hopes that after college, he will be able to teach music, a passion he developed at W.T. White, where he currently helps teach music to underclassmen.

“I like showing them the music, taking them under my wing, telling them how to think as a musician and telling them what mistakes I did so they don’t do them when they get older,” he says. Most importantly, Peña says, he teaches them leadership.

With graduation looming in a few short months, Peña did not hesitate to name what he would miss the most about high school: the people.

“I grew up musically and as a person at W.T. White,” he says. “And I’m really grateful to be able to attend and meet all these kinds of people here that taught me and gave me all their wisdom.”

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COMMUNITY FROM CRITIQUE Preston Hollow’s Women’s Club art critique group offers a space for women to develop their skills Story by CHRISTINE ODWESSO

R

aquel Cordón, originally from Spain, fell in love with a Texan and moved to the Lone Star State in 2000. After living in Austin for a few years, the couple relocated to Miami, but four years ago, they decided to come back and make a new home for themselves in Dallas. Cordón says the phrase “you can leave Texas, but you’ ll always come back” rings true.

Moving to Dallas was initially intimidating for Cordón. Her kids are older, so it was harder to meet people, but soon after settling in, she learned about the Preston Hollow Women’s Club’s art critique group. Cordón has always been an artist. She earned her master’s degree in fine arts, but she still considers herself an amateur.

Cordón joined the PHWC’s art critique group two years ago and began leading the group this year. The club gets together at the beginning of every other month to present their art and receive feedback. Holding bimonthly meetings gives them time to develop their work, but paintings aren’t expected to be fully completed.

“Some are finished, some are halfway done,” Cordón says. “It’s helpful to critique them when they’re in different phases to help you figure out how you want to finish them.

The ladies are amazing artists, so it’s great to be there.”

The meetings are usually around two hours to give each member time to receive substantial feedback. The group has 25 members and about six to eight people each gathering. Cordón says the group has helped her grow significantly as a painter.

“You never know everything,” Cordón says. “There are always people — even if they haven’t gone to university — I mean you don’t have to do fine arts to know, tons of people just learned by doing it.”

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INWOOD - FOREST Photo courtesy of PHWC’s art critique group.

None of the group members are “professionals,” but they all have a passion for art. They nurture their passion through their personal practice and the art they see and experience in their daily lives. Cordón says at times she’s shocked by the other women’s perspectives. She can present a piece thinking it’s finished and hear feedback about ways it could be enhanced. She also loves the camaraderie between the women.

“We share something in common even though we come from different cultures and backgrounds,” Cordón says. “I can be surprised by the connection I have with them. Last time when we were talking about a piece, someone mentioned a museum she had been to with her family, and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I had that same fact in my brain.’ We’re connected in ways that impress me.”

Cordón cherishes the women’s Southern hospitality and open-mindedness.

The group has helped her release her fears and make her ideas a reality.

“Sometimes it’s easy to think, ‘I don’t know how I’m gonna do this! This is impossible, they’re going to laugh at what I’ve done,’” Cordón says. “But it’s not that kind of group. If you need help, we’ll give you the help you need.

We share different techniques and materials.”

There is a new host at each meeting which gives women a chance to peek into one another’s studios. ”You not only see their art but also the art people collect in their houses,” Cordón says. “It’s kind of cool to see, because you can learn a lot about a person.”

Cordón says the best part of the group is the sense of community.

“It’s so good to have a space where you feel comfortable with women,” Cordón says. “Sharing different facts, different things happening in your life — sharing plans for the future and having the kind of warmth that I’ve received from the group — I have to say I really treasure it.”

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fo o d

Where beer drinkers and coffee sippers “collide” Story by AUSTIN WOOD | Photography by KATHY TRAN

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T

he atmosphere at Civil Pour is a crossroads: beer drinkers and coffee sippers, social butterflies and laptop-hidden workaholics. It’s a reflection of the business’s something-for-everyone model, and owner Chad Montgomery says even he has trouble putting a label on it.

Civil Pour opened in The Hill Shopping Center in 2018 offering artisanal coffee and craft beer. As one might expect, the combination creates an eclectic atmosphere filled with a wide array of patrons.

“It’s hard to say ‘I want it to be one thing for everybody,’ because it’s really a community space,” Montgomery says. “We have lots of people that come in and work and study, but then we also have groups that meet up, and sometimes that’s a group of beer drinkers in the evening, or sometimes it’s a company off-site meeting, and we get a lot of that.”

Montgomery started the business with his wife, Nellie. They had previously launched Big Texas Beer Fest in 2011. Coffee was also an interest, so the pair decided to combine both into the new venture.

Since then, Civil Pour has become a cornerstone tenant at The Hill and expanded to a second location in Richardson.

Beer accounts for 10-15% of sales “in a good month,” food represents around 25% and coffee sales comprise the rest of the business.

Montgomery says he didn’t want a full kitchen but “had to have food with beer drinkers in the mix.”

His business sells an array of ready-made paninis and baked goods from three local vendors, including Liteful Foods, a gluten-free exclusive baker.

Civil Pour’s tap list is a rotating collection of 25 drafts from local, U.S. and international brewers.

Local favorites like Lakewood Brewing Co.’s Temptress and Peticolas Velvet Hammer can almost always be found alongside brews from Colorado, Oregon and the Northeast. Most of the curating is done by staff, Montgomery says, and tap lines are cleaned every two weeks to ensure the highest-quality draft.

For certain drafts, it’s just better to look outside the city, state and even country, Montgomery says.

“We’ll pick some international favorites too,” he says. “Because, in some cases, like Belgian beers in particular, nobody really makes a Belgian beer exactly like the Belgians do, and it’s just that flavor is hard to get. It’s hard to replicate.”

Most of his drip coffee is pour-over, which means hot water is trickled over coffee grinds in a filter before dripping to the bottom of the pot to create the finished product. It’s typically richer and features heightened flavor profiles. The staff uses a machine called Pour Steady to ensure that every cup is brewed the exact same way every time.

“And we’re really, really diligent about the coffees

Civil Pour sources its beer from local, national and international vendors.

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that we put on what we call a slow bar,” he says. “I mean, we’ve probably sampled 170 different roasters over a period of time, and maybe 10% of those are the ones that we really love.”

Coffee is sourced from local vendors such as Noble Coyote Coffee Roasters in addition to countries like Costa Rica and Ethiopia.

Espresso-based beverage offerings lean heavily on traditional Italian influences. Lattes, cappuccinos and cortados are prepared with respect to Old World formulas, which cuts against the corporate coffee grain, Montgomery says.

“A lot of people think a macchiato is always a caramel macchiato, but a real Italian macchiato is just two ounces of espresso and just a dollop of milk, and that’s it,” Montgomery says.

There’s still plenty of syrup and experimentation on the beverages menu. The 1885, an ode to Dr. Pepper’s founding date, comes with a double shot of Civil Pour’s custom espresso blend and Dr. Pepper served over ice.

Montgomery gives the credit for the house special Warlock, a Mexican-mocha-inspired mix of espresso, chocolate syrup, housemade vanilla, Vietnamese cinnamon, cayenne and steamed milk, to Indianapolis-area coffee house Quills.

Looking forward, Montgomery says that his business may look to roast its own beans in the future.

Civil Pour, 8061 Walnut Hill Lane, 972.290.0216, civil-pour. square.site

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E Y N A G O L Y P N N O N AA J C AH

M

Making the game accessible for all Story by CHRISTINE ODWESSO | Photography by LAUREN ALLEN MAY 2025 prestonhollow.advocatemag.com

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W

hen Shayne Moore was asked to lead Preston Hollow Women’s mahjong group, her immediate response was “No!” Now, she’s happy she changed her mind.

Moore and her husband m ove d t o Prest o n H o l l ow about three years ago.

They had spent 28 years of marriage in Moore’s hometown in Chicago but decided to move to her husband’s hometown in Preston Hollow after COVID. Moore and her husband are empty nesters, so moving to a new but fa m i l i a r p l a ce w i t h fa m i l y ties was a much welcomed change. Soon after their move, Moore learned about Preston Hollow’s mahjong group from a neighbor.

“My neighbor was so swe e t ,” M o o re says. “ S h e to l d m e I h a d to j o i n t h i s group, and it was the best thing I did. I did not know how to play mahjong, I only learned three years ago.”

Soon after she joined the group, she met the vice president of Preston Hollow special interest groups, Ginger Bodino. Bodino asked Moore if she’d like to lead t h e c l u b, t o w h i c h M o o re said no. The following week while playing mahjong, Bodino asked her to reconsider, and Moore said, “OK, fine.”

“I took it on with a different kind of vision and mission for it,” Moore says. “A lot of women see mahjong as kind of this mysterious elusive thing like you need a secret handshake to learn i t a n d ge t i n to t h e g ro u p.

When I took it on, I had the vision for it to be open play for any women in the club.”

A N N I TH O W G ’S LE OY O A B NJ H W T T S E RE W HA AY HE O N T LW T K AT A R’S R I E N E V W D EV E N O O A N I T D E, H I S M W

Moore opened up her home to any women who were interested in learning, and the ladies play every Monday from 1 to 3 p.m.

Moore has six tables available, women sign up online and reserve their spot on a first come, first served basis. Moore even tea c h es c l a sses tw i ce a yea r for free. “ I t ’s l i t e r a l l y a c a rd ga m e w i t h s u i ts, j u st l i ke a d e c k of cards with hands, just like poker or Yahtzee. I say, ‘Ladies, you can do this,’ and they’re playi n g w i t h i n t h e fi rst two h o u rs of talking through the tiles and just getting the lay of the land.”

Mahjong is by far one of PHWC‘s most popular special interest groups with an email list with over 180 women. A lot of women have even started their own groups.

“I’m not against people wanting to get together with their special girlfriends,” Moore says.

“We have a lot of groups that

j u st m e e t by t h e m se l ves, b u t then we do a Christmas party or we do a mahjong party in the fall. It’s really fun! We all dress up, get together and there’s big prizes.”

Moore hosted a “Mimosas and Mahjong” party in April to celebrate the new mahjong card that comes out every year. She b e l i eves t h e g ro u p i s s p e c i a l b e c a u s e i t ’s b o t h s o c i a l a n d challenging.

“Personally, I don’t drink and do mahjong,” Moore says. “You h ave to co n ce n t ra te o n w h a t yo u ’ re d o i n g . Pe o p l e s a y i t ’s 50% luck and 50% strategy.”

Moore also believes the club can be a lifeline for some women. Most members of the club are older, they have storied histories and have weathered big changes. Some are retired from their careers and have lost their spouses, so these opportunities to connect are crucial.

Moore loves to see the women

who have never played finally crack the game.

“It’s intellectually stimulating, and it’s just fun,” Moore says. “ Es p e c i a l l y i f yo u ’ re a ga m e r and you love games. To me, it’s the best game. I’ve never really been into gin or bridge, but when I got introduced to mahjong, I was like, ‘OK, I get it now.’”

In the two years Moore has b e e n h ost i n g t h e ga m e s h e ’s n eve r h a d t h e s a m e t a b l e o f women.

“I never know who’s gonna sit down at that table with me, and I always enjoy whoever’s there,” Moore says. “I think that female relationships and camaraderie are so important. I get so much w i sd o m f ro m t h ese wo m e n . I l ove h ea r i n g t h e m t a l k a b o u t their lives. Women will tell their story sitting around a mahjong table. You’ll hear about the divorces, the kids in trouble, the grandbabies being born. It’s like an old timey sewing circle.”

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A SENSORY SCOOPIN’ BOOGIE

Young children have fun engaging their senses at free event Story by MADELYN EDWARDS

K I D - F R I E N D LY P O P M US I C blared over the green space at The Shops at Park Lane on a sunny day in late March while parents watched and assisted their children with scooping sensory mixes into plastic eggs.

This was — as described by Gabriela Bogran, head of hands-on fun at arts and crafts store My Festi Goodies — a free sensory event that is designed to allow children to have fun, be creative and engage their senses.

For young children, activities like identifying colors, feeling textures and holding objects are developmental and educational milestones. Sensory play can help them do that by engaging their senses, like touching playdough or sand, hearing different sounds or recognizing smells. My Festi Goodies’ sensory kits usually include a scoop, a mix of textured materials, a tray and other items to play with. It’s like a small zen garden for children.

Bogran hosted the first activity in

her series in March and plans to have another one from 1-3 p.m. on the last Saturday in May at the park area between Starbucks and Chipotle. After that, she may even continue the events further into the year.

The activities are intended for children as young as 3 years old with parent supervision, but older children can enjoy it as well. Bogran decided to start the series because she wanted to host an Easter-themed event that would be full of learning and fun. This was her first time hosting this event for the public, but she has led the activity at schools. “ The kids love it,” she says. “ They really don’ t want to leave once they start exploring and getting their hands on the sensory mixes. It’s very fun and satisfactory for me to see how there’s different minds creating different things with the same theme.”

In Bogran’s opinion, sensory events that give children space to be creative and develop fine motor skills aren’t very common, so her series is filling a need. In her personal experience, she has engaged her oldest child in sensory activities since he was 1 year old, and

when he started pre-kindergarten, his teacher was praising his fine motor skills. “ The kids have a lot of creativity, but sometimes we just don’t have the right resources or places to take them to, and so I think this is a great opportunity for kids to explore the world of sensory,” she says.

Parents in attendance described coming to the event because it was something fun for their children to do in the spring while temperatures range between cold and hot.

“The weather is nice, so now we are ready to do more outdoor things,” says Erika Amaya, who brought her daughter and her daughter’s friend to the sensory activity. “And they love crafting — arts, crafts, so I thought it was a good experience for them.”

And the fact that the event came at no cost to families also likely helped attract participants.

“I love free stuff sometimes to just get her out of the house instead of just sitting around looking at an iPad,” says Dominique Hall, who attended with her 3-year-old daughter. “Sometimes, it’s a hit or miss if she’s actually going to enjoy it, so when it’s free, it’s perfect. If she enjoys it, perfect.

If not, I didn’t waste any money.”

During the event, Bogran seemed impressed with the turnout and participation. The children could be creative, and the parents were able to enjoy themselves as well. She even recalled one parent playing with the sensory mix. At first, she tried to make the event more structured with different activities at each station, but she decided to just let the children play how they wanted to.

“I enjoy whenever they do whatever they want, and they use their creativity,” Bogran says. “That’s the whole point is to use their creativity and learn.”

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FOR SALE

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W HERE C AN I FIND L OC AL ...?

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MAY 2025 prestonhollow.advocatemag.com

21

OFF THE VINE Texas’ first female sommelier has built a life worth toasting | Story by NIKI GUMMADI

22 prestonhollow.advocatemag.com MAY 2025

F

E

THESE DAYS, REBECCA MURPHY’S LIFE educational sessions were held. Then-commissioner of the APPEARS LIKE A SCENE FROM A MOVIE. It Texas Department of Agriculture Jim Hightower spoke at is full of wine tastings, travels and evenings spent sharing bottles of wine with her husband, Keith Marton. Murphy and Marton have just returned from a trip to Portugal, and they are in the process of planning a wine tasting at the local senior living facility Edgemere, where they now live.

A few decades ago, though, Texas’ first female sommelier was living a very different story.

Murphy’s first husband was aide to the commanding general of all American troops in Thailand, so she and her family lived in Bangkok.

“When your husband is an officer, you’re just part of the team. There would always be receptions and important people visiting, because during the Vietnam War, any congressman, senator or whatever who wanted to know what was going on in Vietnam, they came and stayed in Bangkok,” she says.

When these receptions were held, Murphy would work with the general’s protocol officer to host. It was during this time that she first was introduced to fine wines, tasting selections from the general’s collection in preparation for the events.

After she and her ex-husband divorced, Murphy moved back to Dallas with her young twin boys. In need of a job to support them, she became a cocktail waitress at Il Sorrento.

When the restaurant’s “wine guy” left, she asked for the opportunity to take the job on a trial basis.

“The manager said, ‘Well, Rebecca, you can’t carry a box of wine.’ I told them ‘I got twin boys. I can carry one under each arm. I can carry a box of wine,’” she says.

Murphy came in on her night off and proved to her manager she could do the job. After being hired, she became the first known woman in Texas to hold a position of that kind. Though she did not have formal training, Murphy was a fast learner. Others took notice. A manager from Arthur’s, which D Magazine says was “the sexiest restaurant in Dallas” in the early 1970s, saw Murphy working at Il Sorrento one night and offered her a job at Arthur’s.

Murphy credits the independence she was given at Arthur’s with allowing her to grow into her own as a sommelier. She tasted every wine she opened, created a catalog so diners could become more familiar with the all-American wine list and donned the traditional sommelier tastevin, which she says reflects light in a way that allows one to see the true color of a wine.

As she continued to develop her knowledge of wine, Murphy’s natural instincts for hospitality allowed her to gain more prominence in the Dallas food and wine scene.

Eventually, she was in charge of ordering the food, wine, beverages and supplies for five different restaurants at once.

By 1984, Murphy had become a well-known figure in the wine industry, particularly in Texas. That year, she worked with Texas officials to put on the state’s first wine trade show.

Wineries shipped their products directly to the venue, and

the event, and renowned winemakers like Robert Mondavi were in attendance. The next year, she introduced to the trade show a wine competition sponsored by The Dallas Morning News. The competition is still going strong, now known as the TexSom International Wine Competition.

The success of the trade show bolstered Murphy’s notoriety in the wine world. In 1985, Murphy helped found the Dallas chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffer, a philanthropic organization of women leaders in the food, fine beverage and hospitality industries. She began getting invited to be a judge at wine competitions all around the world and became a wine writer. Murphy estimates she was tasting 1,500-2,000 wines a year.

It was during this time that she met her husband, Keith.

In 1989, Marton was a practicing physician at the time and had been asked to join the board of the American Wine Alliance for Research and Education, of which Murphy was also a part.

“We met at the first meeting, and I kept staring at her.

The rest is history,” he says.

The pair connected over a shared love of wine. Marton had gone to school in northern California, and he says he would often drive to Napa Valley with his friends for the free wine tastings. This inspired him to start buying and collecting wines and eventually led him to become a home winemaker in 1974, a hobby that he introduced to Murphy.

“After we met and married, she became the quality control officer of our wine-making operation,” he says.

Thirty-five years ago, the couple moved out to Seattle and continued making wine until 2001, buying grapes from friends that own vineyards. At the peak of their operation, Murphy and Marton were producing 350-400 bottles a year, all of which were either shared with each other or given to friends and family.

Since they moved back to Dallas six and a half years ago, Murphy and Marton have kept busy. Murphy has continued to write about wine, which often lands her and Marton invitations to wineries around the world.

“We like to think that the best wine we’ve ever tasted we haven’t tasted yet,” Marton says.

In their free time, the couple likes to plan wine tasting events. In February, they held a wine tasting at Edgemere, the third of its kind to be held in a retirement community, which was a hit with the senior living community’s residents.

Though Murphy is now widely-known as an expert in the wine industry, she is the first to admit that she doesn’t know everything, yet.

“I’m still learning,” she says. “That’s one thing about wine, is you never stop learning about it.”

MAY 2025 prestonhollow.advocatemag.com

23

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