Miguel Garcia, Manuel Mederle and Trevor Gorham: Oral History Interview

This interview is with Miguel Garcia, Manuel Mederle and Trevor Gorham of Vino Veritas wine shop in Portland. The trio come from three very different backgrounds, and discuss how they became interested in wine, food, and hospitality before eventually meeting each other in Portland. Manuel grew up in northern Italy and got into hospitality at an early age before transitioning toward wine and moving to the United States. Miguel grew up in Mexico where his family has long owned a restaurant. His interest in wine came from an interest in having a cultural impact - wine as activism. And Trevor was in the culinary industry in California before catching the wine bug and moving to Oregon to work in wine production. They also discuss how Vino Veritas got started with Trevor and Manuel as early employees and Miguel joining after. Later, they describe food and wine, their integration of music, and their philosophy to treat their shop like a living room-- welcoming to all. The three of them explain what it is like for each of them as wine educators, and how Vino Veritas plays a part in educating their consumers and putting on events. To conclude, they each describe their initial impressions of the Oregon wine industry, and follow up with how Oregon wine fits in with Vino Veritas. Finally, the trio looks to the future of the Oregon wine industry, and look to what comes next for each of them. This Interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Vino Veritas on Tuesday November 10, 2020.