When you hear words such as "vintage," "palate" and "taste-testing," you probably think of wine.
But Thursday afternoon, several cities and utility districts across the state put their tap water to the test.
There were long, intense gazes accompanied by the occasional swirl and almost borderline excessive inhales as a panel of three judges decided the best tasting water in Texas at the Fort Worth Convention Center.
"They all were very, very good," said judge and local brewer Fritz Rahr. "Maybe one or two had some odor and taste issues but, overall, they were all very good water samples."
After 11 thorough examinations and a cracker or two in between samples, the numbers were tallied. The city of Jacksboro finished third, behind Midlothian and the winner -- Arlington.
"We're very proud of what we do," said Julie Hunt, director of Arlington Water Utilities. "We know our water tastes great, and it's a great day for Arlington."
Arlington's win means the city can enter its water in the national convention's water competition.
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"We think we'll be a strong contender at the national convention," Hunt said.
The city of Fort Worth did not have an entry because of a monitoring violation that barred it from competition.
