Today we’d like to introduce you to Melanie Garibay.
Hi Melanie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
At its core and since the beginning, Nectar of the Dogs Wine was inspired by the love of the rescue dogs that changed our lives and our love of wine. I established the company with a business partner in 2015. The original plan was just to bottle some wine for personal consumption, but once we gave it a little more thought we decided to create something that had a bigger meaning and we knew we wanted to give back to help dogs in need. The first wine we created was a 2014 Chardonnay from Lodi. It was so well received, it just seemed like a natural next step to move forward with building a business that gives back to non-profit rescue groups helping dogs get another chance to live happy love-filled lives.
I am now the sole owner, carrying on the mission to create elegant, easy-drinking wine that everyone can enjoy. I’ve found that sometimes wine can be intimidating to people, so I really wanted to ensure our wines are approachable for anyone that appreciates a nice glass of wine. We at Nectar of The Dogs Wine believe the best wine is wine shared with family and friends and in the end, the more wine we sell, the more we are able to give back to organizations that help dogs in need. It’s as simple as that.
When you buy and enjoy Nectar of The Dogs Wine, you are drinking for a great cause!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have been many obstacles along the way, that’s for sure! However, I don’t think anything worth doing is ever really an easy road. I have learned a lot about being in business, first with a friend and now as the sole owner. We are six years old now and when we changed the structure of the ownership in 2019 all the responsibility fell on my shoulders. It was tough and then of course, 2020 hit and everything came to a halt with sales because all our events were canceled and that was our primary way of getting the brand in front of people.
It’s a lot of work to keep this company going, and I still work a full-time corporate job. Time management is a big challenge, but I am super blessed to have a strong support system of family and friends who help however they can. My husband, Todd Sobleski is my biggest support and keeps me motivated when times get tough and I feel like giving up. I have my good friend, Monica Pontrelli, who is the Director of PR for the company, who does everything she does because she simply believes in what we are doing. These two, and a few other close friends, all help in so many ways, but especially with the toughest part…tasting all the wine we research for bottling. We look for a very specific profile in the wines we offer, so we try everything before deciding what we want to bottle. It’s a tough job but someone has to do it!
I think our biggest challenge at this time is that we don’t have a tasting room (although we are working on that) and it’s been tough to sell wine direct to consumers, especially during 2020 when all our events were canceled. Most people want to taste wine before they buy, especially if it’s a wine that costs more than $10, and I understand that. So it’s really important for us to be out at events for people to hear our story and try the wine until we can get a tasting room up and running.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Nectar of The Dogs Wine?
We are a boutique wine company located in Simi Valley, CA. We sell DTC through our website and our Wine Club. Details to join the club and all our current events can also be found on our website or on our IG page @nectarofthedogswine
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
We work with boutique wineries in the Central Coast and Central Valley of California. All the wines we create are limited edition varietals that we personally taste and/ or blend before we bottle to ensure the quality and taste profile meets our expectations. We love to bottle easy-drinking, approachable wines for many to enjoy because the more wine we sell, the more money we are able to donate to organizations that help animals in need.
Join us in our mission to “sip for a cause” and remember…it’s not really drinking alone if your dog is with you!
Pricing:
- Rosé Wines – Start at $26
- White Wines – Start at $28
- Red Wines – Start at $40
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.nectarofthedogswine.com
- Instagram: @nectarofthedogswine
- Facebook: @nectarofthedogswine
Image Credits:
Michael Coons / Beyond The Acorn Michael Pool
