@jacksonwr

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Welcome to #SommChat everyone! Tell your friends to join us to learn about #wine from #Master #Sommelier Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr !

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: We're about ready to dive in w/questions, so shout out to #Master #Sommelier Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr 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 Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr our Qs, you can ask 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 & @jacksonwr 2 let us know u R here! #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Let's start talking #wine with #Master #Sommelier Jackson Rohrbaugh tweeting on @jacksonwr ! #SommChat

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: Hey there everybody! Coming in live from rainy Seattle. I’m excited to be here, shout out and let me know if you have any questions

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: @jacksonwr When did you first become interested in learning about #wine? #SommChat

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: I first became interested in wine while working at @canlis and seeing how knowledgable and humble the sommeliers were. I didn't start as a somm #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Q fr #SommChat #Somm can you share your journey to becoming a Master #Sommelier with the @MasterSommUS and who long did it take, etc @jacksonwr

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: I first started taking exams in 2010, and then passed Cert in 2011 and Advanced in 2012. it then took 6 years to pass the MS exam, if that gives you an idea of the difficulty level... #SommChat

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: a lot of things in my life had to sacrifice: family, friendships, hobbies, other things that you just don't have time for...#SommChat

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: but also in that time I got married, had two kids, bought and renovated a house, and had to study through it all. it was tough but not impossible. IT FEELS GOOD TO BE DONE :) #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: @jacksonwr We hear you are a great mentor for young somms following a similar path to yours… do you/did you have any great #Sommelier mentors? #SommChat

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: The person with the biggest impact on me was Nelson Daquip, he has been the Wine Director at @canlis for 11 years and I really learned a lot from him. Not facts and figures, but hospitality... #SommChat

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: the hospitality and humility being a somm are the most important things. It was like Karate Kid. Like Daniel-San and Mr. Miyagi, I had to learn those first before I was allowed to hold bottles and sell wine on the floor #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: @winecompass great to see you today on #SommChat always enjoy learning from your questions

WineCompass @winecompass: @jacksonwr Tell us about the #sherry hashtag on your twitter profile? #SommChat

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: HAHA thanks for noticing. Sherry is the unloved stepchild of the wine world. No one seems to know what to do with it. But I love it. I think it's a special wine with a lot of history and nuance, and it flies under the radar quite a bit! #SommChat

WineCompass @winecompass: There's definitely a general lack of consumer knowledge regarding #sherry styles. Maybe a future #SommChat topic?

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Yes @winecompass I think you are on to an idea for #SommChat - it is time to explore the #sherry subject again!

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Welcome to #SommChat today @VinoTravels21 look forward to hearing your questions to our guest

Charles Comm PR @CharlesComm: Happy #WW! Q @jacksonwr What is your process for selecting #wines to be included on your extensive wine list at @canlis ? #SommChat @keepercoll

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: It has to be of high quality. It has to be representative of a place, it has to be what our guests are looking for, and it has to offer value. We apply the same rules to mass-market cabernet or unsulfured orange wine from Friuli #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: @CharlesComm happy #WW to you too! Great to see you back on #SommChat today and thanks for the questions so all can learn

Courtney Quinn @Path2Wine: Thanks @jacksonwr for joining #SommChat today. Each week I study #wine with an Advanced Sommelier who is preparing for the MS exam in 2019. She gave me a couple of questions to ask you.

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: cool let em fly! #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: @Path2Wine this is great - we always like when you can join in on #SommChat and like that you can ask the questions for others that want to learn too!

Katarina Andersson @ricasoli99: Hi everyone, finally I manage to stop by…#SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: @ricasoli99 so glad you could stop by #SommChat today!

Katarina Andersson @ricasoli99: Thanks...nice to learn more about @jacksonwr here at #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: @jacksonwr Jackson, tell us a little bit abt your role as the Assistant #Wine Director at @canlis ? #SommChat

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: Well currently I am Wine Director. My mentor Nelson has been on sabbatical for a few months to study for the MS exam (he's also been working hard at @canlis for 16 years) so I've taken over administrative tasks for a time... #SommChat

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: ...so I do a lot of buying, editing and growing the wine list, organizing the cellar, moving boxes, meeting with suppliers, getting to know our staff, sitting in meetings. Some of it's glamorous, some not so much #SommChat

Charles Comm PR @CharlesComm: Q @jacksonwr What is your favorite new #wine @canlis has to offer? #SommChat @keepercoll

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: One of my favorite new wines on the list is a little Chenin Blanc from Touraine in the Loire Valley - it's called Domaine des Haut-Baigneux, and the cuvée is Les Chênes... #SommChat

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: also I love the champagnes of Robert Moncuit. so solid. #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Q fr #SommChat #Somm any best practices for working towards certification with @MasterSommUS @jacksonwr

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: Start big and then go small. Think of an archery target. You need to learn the outer rings (country, larger regions, climates, etc) before you focus on the goofy little rules that govern the most obscure places and wines... #SommChat

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: Try to be excellent. Imagine the types of things a MS should know. I figured at some point that one should be able to tell you about any piece of text on a bottle you pick up. So I started looking up those things and I learned a lot... #SommChat

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: for example, what does the S.A. stand for in the R. López de Heredia, S.A. title? What is the picture of on the bottle? Why is the Reserva bottle covered in gold wiring? These questions help you form a deeper understanding... #SommChat

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: Also get hands-on experience. You can't be a somm if you aren't working around wine. You have to expose yourself to a diversity of settings and people to teach you. Seek out mentors. Work hard. Put in late night hours studying. Say no to wastes of time in your life. #sommchat

Courtney Quinn @Path2Wine: Q. @jacksonwr When you prepared for the MS exam, what sources (besides Guildsomm) did you find helpful for studying? #SommChat

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: Get maps and put them up in your house (to the dismay of your SO and roommates), read books about the lore and history of wine, not just the facts. You need to understand the larger picture before the facts make sense. Travel and learn from the source. #sommchat

Charles Comm PR @CharlesComm: Q @jacksonwr Are there any #wine regions you have not traveled to that are on your bucket list? #SommChat @keepercoll

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: Of course. I’m actually leaving Sunday to go to France (Burgundy and Champagne) for the first time. Super excited. Other places I'd love to visit: Mosel/Rheingau, Wachau, Alsace, Stellenbosch, Australia (esp. Tasmania, Margaret River, and Mornington Peninsula) #sommchat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Q fr #SommChat #Somm how would you describe the #wine consumer in #Seattle and do you gear your #wine list towards their tastes or do you try to expand what they drink? If so how @jacksonwr

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: I'm fortunate to have a big list to offer lots of taste profiles to different guests. In WA State, it's super important for us to champion Washington Wine and to showcase the best producers and the up-and-comers. But we also get to put geeky stuff on there that we like #sommchat

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: The general consumer in Seattle I would say has recently started learning about wine, and a lot of their understanding is local, so for someone who's a fan of WA Syrah, sometimes I'm the first one to introduce them to Côte-Rôtie, which is fun #sommchat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Q fr #SommChat #Somm does the #wine team all get input on @canlis #wine additions or is it a solo decision? How many BTG do you have and what % of your sales is BTG vs bottle? @jacksonwr

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: They certainly get some input, but buying decisions fall to the WD and AWD ultimately. We keep about 22 btg including fortified, dessert, and sparkling. % of sales can vary wildly based on the season and year. It's usually about 20% #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: .@jacksonwr what are some of your favorite #wine and #food pairings @canlis ? #SommChat

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: 1. Canlis Salad and Sancerre - a minty, citrusy, herbal salad with a green, citrusy wine. 2. Rutabaga with Dungeness Crab and Grüner Veltliner - earthy vegetal notes with an earthy, vegetal, smoky wine. Pretty spot-on. @WTVintners has an awesome Grüner from Columbia Gorge in WA

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Q fr #SommChat #Somm what are some of the biggest changes you have seen in the #wine world in the last 5 yrs and any thoughts on what you see coming in next 5 yrs @jacksonwr

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: Natural wine is something that gets talked about more than anything. I would love to learn more about it. It's polarizing but there's a lot of exciting stuff happening there. Plus the labels are the coolest... #SommChat #naturalwine

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: #SommChat I'd also say that people are not after the biggest, goopiest most over-ripe wines any more, and that's refreshing. People are interested in leaner wines that express place...

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: In the next 5 years I feel like we'll see less Cabernet consumed, and growers will begin to plant other things. I love great Cabernet just as much as the next person, but do we need La Mancha cab? Piedmontese cab? Brazilian cab? my answer? NO. #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Q fr #SommChat #Somm @jacksonwr What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out in the #wine industry? Besides resto work, any other areas you would suggest pursuing and why?

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: Consume as much lore as possible. Learn the great stories, read the great books (like Billionaire's Vinegar, The Widow Clicquot, etc). Don't start by trying to memorize facts. Resto work is fine, but so is winery work. Winemakers drink even more beer than somms :) #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Q fr #SommChat #Somm do you have any #Canadian #wines on your list @canlis ? Why or why not @jacksonwr

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: One, which is @InniskillinWine Vidal Ice Wine. Other than that, importing Canadian wines is hard for us, and it's hard for the producers in Okanagan to get them over the border. Plus we have a LOT of local competition for similar wines in WA. #sommchat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: @jacksonwr if you weren’t in the #wine biz, what would be your dream job? #SommChat

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: Probably playing music. I’ve played guitar since middle school and I just love it. It was my first thing I really got into. #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Q fr #SommChat #Somm what is the #Sommelier community like in #Seattle @jacksonwr Also, what is the #wine job market like in the area?

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: Seattle has an awesome somm community. An abundance of talent, for sure. We also have very few large restaurant wine programs compared to NYC, SF or Chicago, so there's not as many somm jobs. But lots of wine jobs in distribution, import, winemaking, tasting rooms, etc. #SommChat

Charles Comm PR @CharlesComm: Q @jacksonwr When you’re not drinking #wine what do you like to drink? #SommChat @keepercoll

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: Tiki Drinks rank high up there, as do sour beer or lager, pourover coffee and lots of sparkling water #sommchat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Q fr #SommChat #Somm does your work on the business side of your job like costs/profits interfere with your time on the floor and how do you balance all of this with family life @jacksonwr

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: I gotta be honest, restaurant work is hard to balance with family life. I probably won't do it for the rest of my life. My son's in kindergarted and our schedules are totally flipped... #sommchat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Q fr #SommChat #Somm does your work on the business side of your job like costs/profits interfere with your time on the floor and how do you balance all of this with family life @jacksonwr

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: Business side of the job does certainly get in the way of the floor, as I know it does for many somms. There's always emails to send, but if a guest needs wine out there on the floor, the urgency of that priorit

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Q fr #SommChat #Somm would you describe the #Seattle #wine scene as casual and laid back or more formal or how? Is your customer base @canlis more regulars or lots of visitors or ? @jacksonwry crowds out any admin. #SommChat

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: Seattle in general is more casual. The grunge spirit is alive and well. People wear socks and sandals here. In terms of the wine scene, it's certainly more casual. But people are enthusiastic and eager to learn, which is the most important thing in a wine scene...

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: Canlis has lots of regulars, sure. But in the current season, we start to see a lot more out of town visitors, and this will continue until about September. #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Time to wrap up! Hope you enjoyed this hour of #wine talk w/ Master Sommelier Jackson Rohrbaugh on @jacksonwr fr @canlis ! #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: It was great to have #Master #Sommelier Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr join us today for #SommChat. We hope everyone learned as much as we did!

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Please join us in thanking #Master #Sommelier Jackson Rohrbaugh for his time teaching us about the beautiful #wines fr @canlis ! #SommChat

Jackson Rohrbaugh @jacksonwr: Thank you guys so much! It was great getting to answer your questions. Thanks for having me! #SommChat