Today we’d like to introduce you to Meghan Vergara.
Meghan, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started out in the wine business nearly 15 years ago and had loved every single minute of it. There is nothing as thrilling to me as being in this fun and inspiring industry. My lifelong fascination with wine began in NYC where I became a Certified Sommelier through the Sommelier Society of America.
From there, I had the honor of running multi-million dollar businesses and working with world-class industry leaders. The next part of my journey took me to the beautiful Napa Valley where I was thrilled to get to work with some of the wine industry’s most beloved names. Working in such a special place where some of the best wine in the world is made really elevated my knowledge and cemented my absolute love of wine.
The next part of my adventure brought me to the beautiful coastal town of Carlsbad where I began my wine events and education business just over a year ago. Having come from Napa, I noticed that there was a great opportunity to use my skill set to make meaningful contributions to the growing wine scene here and prove myself to be a useful member of the budding and exciting epicurean world in San Diego.
I have never believed in what I am doing more than now. My heart is 100% in my small, up and coming business. It has been both the challenge of a lifetime and the most exciting thing I’ve ever done. I am excited to be connecting with people one on one to help enhance their love of an understanding of wine.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a road paved with immense support as well as challenges and setbacks. I believe that in every set back there are lessons and I’ve tried to adapt and grow my business and am grateful for the lessons learned along the way.
One of the major obstacles I faced was helping people understand what it is I do and how it can fit into their lives. Once they’ve experienced an event with me, I get a lot of great feedback about how much they have learned and how it’s helped them enjoy wine more. Another obstacle is learning to handle all the aspects of business on your own.
I came from a more corporate background where I had whole teams of people running other areas of business like marketing and accounting, as a ‘solopreneur’ you have to quickly learn how to wear all of those hats and wear them well. It’s been a fun road though, and I’m loving every minute of it.
Veritas Consultants – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I specialize in wine events and education, creating very special wine experiences for my clients. I am known for my love of wine and my ability to share knowledge of it in a way that makes people feel comfortable and happy.
I am proud of the impact that I’ve had on helping to share the joy of wine with people and helping to remove some of the misconceptions and fear surrounding talking about and enjoying wine when you are just starting out. I am very proud of the charity work I’ve been able to do this year as well.
I’ve been fortunate enough to help raise tens of thousands of dollars through events for causes that help children like working with the Mitchell Thorpe Foundation and the La Jolla Art & Wine Festival. I am also proud of my good reviews on Yelp and Facebook, it means the world to me to read them because I like bringing happiness to peoples lives.
I think what sets me apart is that I can truly customize a unique experience for my clients and I believe in what I’m doing passionately. I love making people happy, and wine does that.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
One highlight of my career was being given a private tasting and tour of Harlan wines from an invitation from owner Bill Harlan. He is one of the most respected vintners in America and the wines are usually something you only read about. To sit at the stunning estate and taste a vertical of wines was completely awe-inspiring and priceless for young Sommelier.
Another very proud moment was having an amazing vineyard in Tuscany, Italy comes here to San Diego just to do private events with me. It was a great honor and one of the most beautiful events I’ve done. Finally, if not most importantly I would say seeing my son be so proud of me for starting and running my own business.
I want to show him, not just tell him, how to chase his dreams and I think he actually sees and understands it now though watching me work. He talks like an entrepreneur now at the age of 10, and it makes me unbelievably proud.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.veritasconsultant.com
- Phone: 707-235-2471
- Email: veritasconsultants1@gmail.com
- Instagram: mvino1
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/veritasconsultant/?eid=ARC-rC26vWg06qrBiS72SoVcdtaXM82zm2vaf_8BRcrvbQZss6sZ5ZiW3U9L_QbGAWUj1NWeAN_3FKiK
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/veritas-consultants-carlsbad-2
Image Credit:
Crushdart Photography, Chef Roula Tabbaa
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