Matthew Dulle

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Welcome to #SommChat everyone! Tell your friends to join us to learn from Advanced #Sommelier Matthew Dulle @dullettante fr @lazybearsf!

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: We’d like to introduce you to Advanced #Sommelier Matthew Dulle @dullettante fr @lazybearsf #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: We're about ready to dive in w/questions, so shout out to Advanced #Sommelier Matthew Dulle to say hello & so he knows you're here! #WineWednesday #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Don't forget that EVERY tweet during this chat should include the #SommChat hashtag in order for everyone to see it!

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: As we ask @dullettante our Qs, you can ask Advanced #Sommelier Matthew Dulle your Qs as well! He'll do his best to answer all Qs in the order they come #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: W so many participants lots of gr8 Q's R asked! Even if u dont ask 1--give a S/O 2 @keepercoll & @dullettante 2 let us know u R here! #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Let's start talking #wine with Advanced #Sommelier Matthew Dulle @dullettante #WineWednesday #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Matthew Dulle @dullettante How did you start in the #wine business? #SommChat

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: I started in the restaurant business at age 14 when me dad dropped me off in the middle of Clayton, MO and said, "Get a job. I'll pick you up in two hours." #SommChat

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: Then it just evolved from there. I found wine was a vehicle to extend even greater hospitality beyond anything else I could do on the floor or in the kitchen. #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Matthew Dulle @dullettante Tell us about @lazybearsf! How did you get started with this restaurant in #SanFrancisco? #SommChat

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: I moved out to CA about 2.5yrs ago. I had the great fortune to help open SingleThread. The opportunity at Lazy Bear came up. I wanted to get back to a city and to running my own program. About 30 SF somms were going for the gig, and I thought I didn't have a chance. #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Q fr #SommChat #Somm how did you decide to pursue MS and are you planning to go beyond Advanced #Sommelier @dullettante

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: Yes, I have sat for MS Theory and come very close. I don't plan on giving up anytime soon. I live with three other guys also involved. Two just passed this year and another will soon. I'm been a big believer in surrounding yourself with people smarter than yourself. #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Q fr #SommChat #Somm how did you get from MO to #SanFrancisco Did you stop anywhere in between @dullettante ?

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: I moved straight form STL to CA, but I spent a few years in Chicago about a decade ago.

Douglas Trapasso @demilove: Chicago in the house here! Do you ever make it back - I'm sure the restaurant world has changed a lot in a decade - #SommChat

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: I LOVE CHICAGO!! Miss it all the time! I still have a lot of great friends there and would like to make it back more. I was back in January for Somm Slam that @JonMcDaniel was hosting. Such an amazing city with some of my favorites in this industry. #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Q Fr #SommChat #Somm @dullettante what skill sets do you think set you apart from the 30 other candidates who applied @lazybearsf ? did you get autonomy in starting #wine list and how is it structured?

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: Coming from SingleThread didn't hurt either. As for autonomy, I don't think I could've asked for more. From June of last year, we went from about 150-200 selections to just under 1,100 today. So, it's been a fun year...#SommChat

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: There were a lot of great candidates. I think it was that I was just brutally honest, which I think is always important in an interview (if you can be honest at that point...). I also really focused on the hospitality first and the wine as a vehicle for that.... #SommChat

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: Chef/Owner David Barzelay gave me a dream directive to "not worry about cost and just pour cool s***." So, I've been trying to run him out of business ever since. Ha! Seriously, though, it's an amazing thing to have the support to build a dream list #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Matthew Dulle @dullettante What is a typical day in your life working at @lazybearsf? How many days a wk do your work? #SommChat

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: 8 days a week, though I have been making a point to find more balance now that I'm not also studying all the time. I work and live on the same block, so it's easy to get sucked in. Plus, the occupational hazard of loving what you do is that you're never off the clock. #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Q fr #SommChat #Somm how is the #Sommelier Community in #SanFrancisco - are there job opportunities or all taken in your opinion? How many #Somms do you have on your team @dullettante ?

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: Since I got here, I've seen this community grow exponentially closer and more supportive of each other. We try to foster a lot of that at Lazy Bear by hosting GuildSomm events, tasting groups, having guest somms, etc....#SommChat

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: There are going to be opportunities if you're looking to move. I'm happy to help anyone I can. A community can't have enough good somms. I have a team of three full-time somms, but I also have a rotation of guest somms such as...#SommChat

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: @ivanovstl (MS), Jen Estevez, and Aubrey Terrazas. #SommChat

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: There are plenty of opportunities opening up every day. The only thing is that they don't always last long. Just like renting an apartment here, if you're planning on coming in a few months, you won't find anything that far out. Wait until the month you're coming...#SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Q fr #SommChat #Somm do you pick the @lazybearsf #wine list by what #Chef is preparing or vice versa? Do your guests buy > Bottles or BTG? What is $ of locals dining vs Tourists @dullettante ?

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: I play to the Chefs' menu, and as @keepercoll can attest, it is a FUN menu to work with that is constantly changing. It's easier that way, because essentially, I get to add the last ingredient/seasoning to a dish...#SommChat

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: We do a lot of pairings (two options each night), so that's about 50%. Up until now, we hadn't focused on bottle sales as much, but with the new list, that is changing. BTG is a small amount. With of our format, guests want to make decisions that last beyond one glass. #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Heard you have a new #wine program @lazybearsf unveiling soon @dullettante:) can you share abt this so our #SommChat peeps can be in the know!

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: YES! It covers the whole world of winemaking as well as a lot of history. The best thing about being in CA is the access to mature wines. I have been lucky enough to get my hands on well-stored, aged representations of things we often only get a chance to study...#SommChat

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: ...We also explore the history of CA wine beyond Napa (which we have plenty of). Sonoma, Santa Cruz, Mendocino, Santa Barbara...there some much amazing history here, and it's truly mesmerizing to get that into a glass...#SommChat

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: Also, there's a lot of my latest obsession over the past few years....AGED ZINFANDEL!!! Such a misunderstood an under appreciated grape! We have a huge library, including 70+ labels of old Ridge #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Q fr #SommChat #Somm what skills do you look for in hiring for your @lazybearsf #wine team @dullettante ?

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: Over the years, I've tried to simplify the answer to that question. What I've come to is that I look for three things....HUMILITY, SENSE OF URGENCY, and EXCITABILITY. If you can't get excited about a wine, how can we expect our guests to? #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: @dullettante know you have been a #Somm @TEXSOM over the years. Can you share what is special about this Conference in education for the #wine industry? #SommChat

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: I couldn't say enough about the experience! I have made some of my best friends and strongest connections through that, and that has made my community more nation-, even world-, wide. You have some of the best somms and beverage directors in the industry all together... #SommChat

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: ...and, they're all working together. It breeds a humility that you might not see everywhere else, and that breeds some great learning opportunities and better friendships. It's become something truly special and will continue to do so. #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Matthew Dulle @dullettante Where have you traveled for #wine? Where do you want to go that you haven’t yet? #SommChat

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: Outside of the US, I've spent some time in Italy and in Germany, but there are far more places I want to explore (curse of the workaholic). Austria, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Greece, Rhone, Loire, I could go on. Those are tops, though. #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: .@dullettante What is something you think sets @lazybearsf apart from other restos? How have people responded to the ticket dining program #SommChat

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: Easy. It's the communal, dinner party format. There's nothing like it. It truly is a party. Since you're all seated communally, the focus is less on the food and wine (both are pretty great). It's on the interaction with others. That's true EXPERIENTAL dining. #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Q fr #SommChat #Somm what training techniques do you use with your #Wine team @lazybearsf with so many pairings and such a large list @dullettante ?

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: @keepercoll mentioned the stories and being engaging. That's a huge part of how we train our somms at LB. When putting together a pairing or spiels for that pairing, I call it "The Mixtape." If every song sounds the same, listeners lose interest... #SommChat

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: One spiel might be a funny story about the producer. The next might be about the what this is supposed to bring out in the dish. The next might be a hidden lesson on wine (like why we serve our sake in a wine glass). It grows from there....#SommChat

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: ...We also focus a lot on talking about the WHY rather than the WHAT. It puts the wine and the pairing in a new list and it keeps people from just saying that they like it or they don't. We shoot for A-HA moments over trying to magically pick someone's favorite wine... #SommChat

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: ...That's with the pairings. For the bottle list, we keep our questions short and to the point and focus on the objective rather than the subjective. Even with 1,000+ selections, our somms should be able to get you to 2-3 wine recommendations within 2-4 questions. #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Time to wrap up! Hope you enjoyed this hour of #wine talk with Advanced #Sommelier Matthew Dulle @dullettante fr @lazybearsf #WineWednesday #SommChat

Matthew Dulle @Dullettante: It was great to be here! Thanks to @keepercoll for having me on to talk about what we do and for all that you do for the sommelier community around the country! Truly an honor, and it's always a pleasure to talk to you, Diane. #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: It was great to have #Advanced Sommelier Matthew Dulle @dullettante fr @lazybearsf join us today for #SommChat. We hope everyone learned as much as we did! #WineWednesday

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Please join us in thanking Advanced #Sommelier Matthew Dulle fr @lazybearsf in #SanFrancisco for his time #SommChat