@SerafinAlvarado

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Welcome to #SommChat everyone! Tell your friends to join us to learn about #wine from Master Sommelier at Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits in #Chicago Serafin Alvarado @SerafinAlvarado !

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: We're about ready to dive in w/questions, so shout out to #Chicago Serafin Alvarado, MS @SerafinAlvarado 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 Serafin Alvarado, MS @SerafinAlvarado 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 & @SerafinAlvarado 2 let us know u R here! #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Let's start talking #wine with #Chicago Master Sommelier Serafin Alvarado tweeting on @SerafinAlvarado ! #SommChat

Serafin Alvarado @SerafinAlvarado: Ready and excited to be here on #SommChat - appreciate the opportunity and excited to talk about my 2 passions #wine and #Music

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

Serafin Alvarado @SerafinAlvarado: I started learning abt #wine late in my college years - worked PT in #resto and was introduced to #wine 4 the 1st time - it was fascinating. #Music helped me connect quickly with learning #wine #Sommchat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Q fr #SommChat #Somm how long have you now been in the #wine biz and what R some of greatest lessons learned @SerafinAlvarado

Serafin Alvarado @SerafinAlvarado: Been in #wine biz since ’92 and 1 great lesson learned is what #wine really entails and this got me into teaching about it - there is a connectiveness and community around #wine #SommChat ...

Serafin Alvarado @SerafinAlvarado: Many things have community and consecutiveness as a social component like drinking together a #beer, but #wine has a humanistic part that makes it very intriguing - lots of meaning surrounding wine. #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: @SerafinAlvarado could you tell us about how you merge your love for #wine and #music? #SommChat

Serafin Alvarado @SerafinAlvarado: #Music was my 1st love - been playing since early teen yrs. When #wine emerged in my life, I found lots of consistent parallels bw the 2. They both share the same esthetic qualities - so it was seamless 4 me to pursue wine as a career #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Q fr #SommChat #Somm @SerafinAlvarado How has your #wine career propelled your #music career and vice versa? #SommChat

Serafin Alvarado @SerafinAlvarado: #music sensibility I had coming into #wine career propelled me to connect with #wine - it made me want to learn more about #wine and do itas career and learn as much as I could, so then I pursued @MasterSommUS for MS which all started bc of music…. #SommChat

Serafin Alvarado @SerafinAlvarado: During this period of time I had to put #music on the side while studying for @MasterSommUS. after I got MS, I went back 2 #music with fresh eyes, saw new level of understanding in music bc of #wine #SommChat ….

Serafin Alvarado @SerafinAlvarado: and then I could see music tones in the terroir of the vineyards.#wine and #Music is a big wonderful circle that I get to experience everyday #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Q fr #SommChat #Somm @SerafinAlvarado What instruments do you play and what are some of your favorite #music Genres and why? #SommChat

Serafin Alvarado @SerafinAlvarado: I started #music with percussion instruments from my upbringing in #PuertoRico. Then that led to drums, but my main instrument from HS to present is the base #guitar. #SommChat

Serafin Alvarado @SerafinAlvarado: #Jazz is my fav #Music genre - it is one of the most challenging genre to perform bc you really have to understand your instruments well bc of its spontaneity. You have to know the rules to break the rules #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: @SerafinAlvarado Could you explain to us a bit about the idea of #wine #emotion? #SommChat

Serafin Alvarado @SerafinAlvarado: BC of my interest in #music I approach wine differently - I pay attention to how #wine makes us feel - our emotions, just like #music evokes emotions when we listen, some makes us smile, some makes us cry. #wine offers the same emotions … #SommChat

Serafin Alvarado @SerafinAlvarado: 1st realized @TEXSOM bc of amazing #winemaker Serge Hochar @chateaumusar. Serge was answering qs from audience & they were all technical Qs. He could & did answer some, but finally stopped the audience & said HOW do the #wines make you feel? #SommChat ...

Serafin Alvarado @SerafinAlvarado: Serge stressed to the audience the emotional part of experiencing #wines - this reminded me of how #music makes us feel and the lightbulb went off. We all share these primal emotions. You don’t have to be a #wine expert to feel these emotions #SommChat

KC:Q fr #SommChat #Somm @SerafinAlvarado What kind of #wine evokes the strongest emotions? #SommChat

Serafin Alvarado @SerafinAlvarado: There is a subjectivity component that makes emotions come out for 4 ppl in diff ways in same #wine. For me, I connect w/ #Burgundy #PinotNoir on a very high level. something abt this grape that brings a sensibility to me as others R > hedonistic #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: @SerafinAlvarado Could you tell us abt your role at Southern Glazer’s of Illinois? #SommChat

Serafin Alvarado @SerafinAlvarado: As director of #wine education for Southern Glazers, I train sales force on #wine which I enjoy very much. I get to impact ppl that are coming into the career right out of college. It is great to have a pos. Influence on ppl entering the industry #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: @SerafinAlvarado please tell us about your experience as a Judge @texsomiwa? #SommChat

Serafin Alvarado @SerafinAlvarado: I was honored to be invited by @winejames to be a Judge @texsomiwa. I was STARSTRUCK to be in the same room as the elite Judges from all over the world! Being able to exchange ideas about the #wines even if we did not agree was gr8 experience #SommChat ….

Serafin Alvarado @SerafinAlvarado: @texsomiwa Judges have gr8 intellectual discussions surrounding #wines they R tasting. I have never done anything like this BF. We each had to build arguments about our thoughts on the wines if there was a disagreement. From this we all learned #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: @SerafinAlvarado what do you think sets @texsomiwa apart from other #wine competitions? #SommChat

Serafin Alvarado @SerafinAlvarado: I think @texsomiwa runs a well organized competition that lets the Judges focus on the #wines. The level of knowledge, different backgrounds and expertise of Judges is exceptional, and this makes the Competition very powerful and outstanding #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: @SerafinAlvarado are there some #Music genres that are more conducive to #wine enjoyment than others? #SommChat

Serafin Alvarado @SerafinAlvarado: I think this is subjective. I do an exercise where we have say 12 #wines and then I play a genre like Reggae and the audience decides which #wine is better with that #music… #SommChat

Serafin Alvarado @SerafinAlvarado: This is a very interesting exercise as not all #music genre goes with all #wines like not all #cheese goes with red #wine. There is a resonance that it either brings out the #wine good or bad, just like #food …. #SommChat

Serafin Alvarado @SerafinAlvarado: For example I have seen often that heavy metal #music brings out harsher qualities in a #CabernetSauvignon than other music genre. We do not know exactly why at this time. Some say there is a brain chemistry effect #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: @SerafinAlvarado do you know of any science articles that back the concept of #music affecting #wine and vice versa? #SommChat

Serafin Alvarado @SerafinAlvarado: I just saw an article on @Decanter about some science on #wine and #music - not should be online. Clark Smith has also done research on this #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Q fr #SommChat #Somm @SerafinAlvarado what advice do you have for those pursuing the @MasterSommUS certification?

Serafin Alvarado @SerafinAlvarado: U must pursue @MasterSommUS 4 right reason. U cannot do it based on title or prestige. Long process and makes it tough to sustain, like ppl that want to be actor, only to be famous or play music to be a rockstar. You must have passion 1st #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Time to wrap up! Hope you enjoyed this hour of #wine talk w/ #Chicago Serafin Alvarado, MS on @SerafinAlvarado! #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: It was great to have #Chicago Serafin Alvarado, MS @SerafinAlvarado join us today for #SommChat. We hope everyone learned as much as we did!

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Please join us in thanking #Chicago Serafin Alvarado @SerafinAlvarado for his time teaching us about #wine fr Southern Glazer’s of Illinois ! #SommChat

Serafin Alvarado @SerafinAlvarado: Thx @keepercoll 4 giving opportunity 2 talk 2 UR #SommChat audience on another topic abt #wine i.e. #Music. This is gr8 forum 4 intellectual #wine discussions Wine is not as abstract as we think it is, just enjoy & feel the emotions just like we do w/ Music