Episode #21: Sommelier and Entrepreneur, Andres Martell EWMBA '19, started off in the United States Marine Corps. Before launching his Vin Ambassador business in the Bay Area, he recounts his over-the-phone wine tasting tradition with his father, which inspired him to recognize a gap in the hospitality industry for wines. Andres shares the journey to becoming a sommelier, the connoisseur of wines, and the challenges he faced launching his business. He walks us through some knowledge of wine regions, sub-regions, and finally shares with us his favorite region. Andres is artful at storytelling which is a talent he leverages for his wine experiences business. We go in-depth on what some of these experiences are like, and the places he gets to travel for his business. If you are on a budget, Andres even shares with us where he finds exceptional wine in California to start learning about wine without breaking the bank. He further guides us on how to approach a glass of wine which I never learned to appreciate until now. We then discuss the economics and the business side of the wine industry. Part of that is related to his education at Haas through his MBA classes. Check out Vin Ambassador here, and feel free to reach out to Andres through the Haas Student Directory!

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