For those of you wine connoisseurs who don’t already know Stefan Merriam, you may want to think about introducing yourself. This junior Sociology major who loves snowboarding, fishing, and long walks on the beach spent his summer working as a self-proclaimed “wine consultant.”
So Stefan, tell us about your title as “wine consultant.”
I spent my summer working as a consultant for my parent’s vineyard. I traveled around New England promoting our wine at tastings, and helping the vineyard become certified organic. I also learned a lot about a variety of wines.
That’s really cool! How did you decide that you guys wanted to become organic?
Well, when we started the vineyard my dad decided it was the ‘right, responsible’ thing to farm organically. We have on-site man made wetlands that we use to recycle the irrigation water. This summer I spent a lot of time gathering records and filling out paperwork to submit to the state and county to be granted our certification.
Did you enjoy your job? Do you think it may be a possible career interest?
I really enjoyed it as I had first hand experience running a small business (there are 6 full time employees!) I found it really interesting to learn the ins and outs of managing a small business as well as what goes into making the actual wine and distributing the finished product. I’m not sure at the moment if I want to pursue this for my career, but it definitely sparked my interest in business and management.
We have to ask, do you enjoy drinking wine? What’s your favorite?
I do. My favorite is probably the one that my parents named after my brothers, my sister and I. Its called “SNED Red.”
What else are you involved with on the hill?
I’m a member of the Colby Freeride Club. It’s welcome to anyone who has an affinity for winter sports. We’re hoping to get a good turnout this winter.