Phil Laramore

Keeper Collection @keepercoll: Welcome to #SommChat everyone! Tell your friends to join us to learn from 2019 Somms Under Fire Grand Prize winner Advanced #Sommelier Phil Laramore of @PELaramore!

Keeper Collection @keepercoll: We’d like to introduce you to Advanced #Sommelier Phil Laramore @PELaramore #SommChat

Keeper Collection @keepercoll: We're about ready to dive in w/questions, so shout out to Phil Laramore @PELaramore to say hello & so he knows you're here! #WineWednesday #SommChat

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

Keeper Collection @keepercoll: As we ask @ our Qs, you can ask Phil your Qs as well! He'll do his best to answer all Qs in the order they come #SommChat

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

Keeper Collection @keepercoll: Let's start talking #wine with 2019 SUF Grand Prize winner Advanced #Sommelier Phil Laramore @PELaramore #WineWednesday #SommChat

Keeper Collection @keepercoll: @PELaramore Phil, how did you start in the #wine business? #SommChat

Phil Laramore @PELaramore: For #restos you are learning a lot abt some specific #wines but not necessarily a broad category. In retail at any decent wine shop you will learn abt #wines from everywhere, so you are getting a broader category of learning... #SommChat

Phil Laramore @PELaramore: I worked my way through #restaurants while in College at @AuburnU & wanted to move to #Colorado so continued in #resto biz until I went into #wine Retail spanning about a 10 yr timeframe. #SommChat

TEXSOM IWA @texsomiwa: #sommchat You’ve worked in restaurant, retail, and distribution. What are some things about each you found surprising or helped most with your educational pursuits?

Keeper Collection @keepercoll: Q fr #SommChat #Somm @PELaramore You are an #Advanced #Sommelier, when do you plan on becoming a Master or is that a part of your future?

Phil Laramore @PELaramore: I have been working on becoming a Master #Sommelier for 20 yrs. I have applied to take the theory portion of the Master Exam in July 2019. Wish me luck!!!! #SommChat

Keeper Collection @keepercoll: @PELaramore Congratulations on winning 2019 #Somms Under Fire, can you tell us what that feels like and what your Grand Prize is for those listening who might not have attended #SommsUF this year? #SommChat

Phil Laramore @PELaramore: The feeling of winning the 2019 #Somms UF was one of disbelief and joy. I won a Grand Prize of a 1 week internship in #Burgundy sponsored by @BeckyWasserman with producers that I have idolized along with my 1st visit to #champagne thx to @TaittingerUSA #SommChat

Keeper Collection @keepercoll: Q fr #SommChat #Somm @PELaramore would you advise an Aspiring #Somm to enter #Somms Under Fire and if so why?

Phil Laramore @PELaramore: They absolutely should enter #Somms Under Fire!!!! Any chance to practice Theory, especially with a little pressure on you, can only help increase UR knowledge of #wine. #SommChat

Keeper Collection @keepercoll: @PELaramore What is the most challenging part of selecting wines to pair and how difficult or unfamiliar was the #sommChat under Fire menu and #wine selection?

Phil Laramore @PELaramore: Most challenging part was that some of the #wines I had not tried in some time and some I had never tried. So relying on UR knowledge and typicity was required for the #Somms Under Fire Competition. #SommChat

Keeper Collection @keepercoll: Q fr #SommChat #Somm @PELaramore How have you seen the #wine world evolve since being in this industry?

Phil Laramore @PELaramore: I think the biggest change I have seen is the proliferation of #wines and #wine brands that are available in the #US now. When I 1st started there were 4-5 importers that every1 used N #US but now U have hundreds to choose from #SommChat

Keeper Collection @keepercoll: Q fr #SommChat #Somm @PELaramore You studied Finance at @AuburnU, how does that help you in the #wine industry? Did you see yourself in the position you are in now when you were studying in college?

Phil Laramore @PELaramore: My Finance degree has helped me tremendously in the #wine biz BC there are lot of #wine lovers that do not know how to run a business. In college I envisioned working internationally in a field that I was passionate about, but never imagined that would be #wine. #SommChat

Keeper Collection @keepercoll: @PELaramore What is a day in your life working look like? #SommChat

Phil Laramore @PELaramore: I typically get up very early around 5 AM to correspond with my #european #wineries & then I will take a break and work out. Then the morning is a lot of compliance work, while 12N on is presenting #wines to my customers. & I intersperse studies during the day #SommChat

Keeper Collection @keepercoll: Q fr #SommChat #Somm @PELaramore How many #wines do you taste on average per day? How do you select #wines for your portfolio?

Phil Laramore @PELaramore: Typically every evening my wife pours me 6 #wines blind to study for the Blind Tasting portion of the Master #Sommelier Exam and I usually take out 6-10 #wines to show my customers daily … #SommChatTypically every evening my wife pours me 6 #wines blind to study for the Blind Tasting portion of the Master #Sommelier Exam and I usually take out 6-10 #wines to show my customers daily … #SommChat

Phil Laramore @PELaramore: and regularly I attend #European #wine shows to look for producers - those numbers to taste can be in the hundreds to but not everyday!!! #SommChat

Keeper Collection @keepercoll: @PELaramore How was 2019 #Somms Under Fire completion different from what you expected or did all it go as planned in the competition? #SommChat #SommsUF

Phil Laramore @PELaramore: #Somms Under Fire was a lot bigger than I expected, with great enthusiasm from the crowd. The event was extremely well organized and flowed very well thx to all of the Volunteer #Somms and crew…. #SommChat

Phil Laramore @PELaramore: I had it in my head that I would be looking at menu of the food to match with the wine, instead of tasting the food without any descriptors in front of the crowd. A little intimidating but a lot more fun #SommChat #SommsUF

Keeper Collection @keepercoll: Q fr #SommChat #Somm @PELaramore How do you select #wines for your company?

Phil Laramore @PELaramore: It is combination of a need in the market w/ a great producer to fill that need. I have made the mistake of bringing in gr8 producers in an overcrowded category OR great producers from an unknown region where there is little demand 4 them on retail shelf or #wine lists #SommChat

Keeper Collection @keepercoll: Q fr #SommChat #Somm did you know your competitors at #Somms Under Fire and how do you feel about them after this competition @PELaramore

Phil Laramore @PELaramore: Surprisingly 2 of us were fr #Denver & @davidreuss & I study and taste together each week, so I knew him well! I didn’t know @yoga_kat B4 the event but it’s a small community where every1 has heard of each other. They were gr8 competitors & I felt fortunate 2 win! #SommChat

Keeper Collection @keepercoll: Time to wrap up! Hope you enjoyed this hour of #wine talk with Advanced Sommelier Phil Laramore @PELaramore #WineWednesday #SommChat

Keeper Collection @keepercoll: It was great to have Phil join us today for #SommChat. We hope everyone learned as much as we did! #WineWednesday

Keeper Collection @keepercoll: Please join us in thanking our 2019 Somms Under Fire Winner Advanced #Sommelier Phil Laramore @PELaramore for his time #SommChat #SommsUF

Phil Laramore @PELaramore: Thanks for joining #SommChat & for all of the gr8 questions. It was a lot of fun 2 spend an hour with you. Look forward to tuning in to the next #SommChat. Have a great week.