Vino Veritas changed ownership this week, moving from one group of dedicated wine specialists to an equally knowledgeable and passionate partnership of family and friends. The three new owners intend to build on the successes of this renowned Portland wine bar and bottle shop at 7835 SE Stark Street with subtle enhancements and expanded offerings.
Vino Veritas opened in April 2017 to a receptive customer base, winning the Willamette Week Reader’s Choice award for Best Portland Wine Bar in 2018. The shop continued to win accolades through 2022, becoming a fixture for wine enthusiasts in the region. Dana Cofer left the group of original owners in 2020. The remaining partners, Sami Khawaja, Trevor Gorham, Manuel Mederle, and Neil Mattson, continued building Vino Veritas through the pandemic, maintaining high standards in a challenging environment. After six and a half years embedded in the community, the ownership group had to make the difficult decision to find new leadership for the bar. Manuel Mederle has decided to return to his roots in northern Italy to be among family and friends. Trevor Gorham also feels it is time to move on from Vino Veritas with the perspective that it is “good for a business to have a fresh pair of eyes and new ideas.” On September 22nd, the owners finalized the sale and began gracefully bringing the new owners into the business.
Friends Andrew King, Nick Ferreira, and Cristiano Ferreira knew they wanted to start a wine bar together. Instead of opening one from scratch, they searched for an existing business with an established reputation they could use as a foundation for their aspirations. After reviewing several options, they were ecstatic to find Vino Veritas. Nick Ferreira has worked as a sommelier for the last decade and knows the bar well. Unlike other options, this space was close to what they wanted to build.
The new owners are looking to expand on Vino Veritas’ existing brand while maintaining what people already love. “I think they’ve laid a lot of the groundwork for things that we would want to do with a wine shop. For us, it’s really just expanding a little bit on the legacy. We’ve talked about expanding the by-the-glass selection and bringing in more food options,” explained King. Nick Ferreira has worked in places that offer 600 by-the-glass options and found that to be an invaluable tool in exploring a customer’s tastes. Although Vino Veritas will not have that level of selection, they do hope to offer customers an experience that covers wine’s flavorful variations across the world. Expanding the food menu will take more time and some kitchen upgrades. They will develop that part of the business after they have time to settle into operations and see what type of food service is possible.
Wine education is a large component of what they want to offer patrons at Vino Veritas. Nick Ferreira is working towards becoming a Master Sommelier. When he passes his fourth and final test, Ferreira will join a group of 273 professionals worldwide and become Portland’s only title holder. Currently, he is one of four advanced sommeliers in the area. Andrew King met Ferreira through work and became good friends. Kings’ relationship with wine came later in life compared to Ferreira. “It started out as a hobby that I discovered during the pandemic and just quickly grew into a full-on second career for me,” said King.
All the new owners intend to work at Vino Veritas. Nick Ferreira will be in the shop the most, acting as the buyer, bartender, and wine expert. King will split his time between this new venture and his existing job. Nick Ferreira’s brother, Cristiano, is the third owner. He works full-time at Meta, keeping him out of the bar during the week. However, the friends expect to be at the shop constantly. “We picked a spot like this because it’s where we want to spend all our time. That was a big thing for us, making sure that we continue the owner-operator model. My favorite businesses to go to are the ones where the people building the business are actually inside the business,” said King. This type of work is a calling for Nick Ferreira, and he knows he will become a fixture in the place. “I love selling wine; it’s my favorite thing,” said Ferreira. “I could pass it off eventually when we find somebody to help out, but I don’t see a situation where we’re not going to be behind the bar.”
As passionate as they are about wine, they know it is vital to remain a place where people can casually drink and listen to music after a long day. “We also want to be a great place to take a date,” remarked Ferreira. People interested in meeting the new owners can visit any day between 4 and 10 p.m. Jazz fans will continue to enjoy music programming supervised by Montavilla Jazz Executive Director Neil Mattson. The departing owners are proud to have created a meaningful space for a community that has supported them for many years. They look forward to seeing how Vino Veritas will continue that legacy under new stewardship.
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