Q&A with Mike Veseth ’72
Mike Veseth ’72 is an authority on global wine markets who travels the world studying wine economics and speaking to wine industry groups. He is also professor emeritus of international political economy at Puget Sound, where he taught for 35 years and won many honors. The Arches team asked him to share some thoughts on writing and life.
What were your favorite classes when you were a student?
I loved my math and economics classes and the professors who taught them, but I have special memories of Ancient Philosophy taught by John Regester and Art History with Frances Chubb. Such intensity! I don’t think anyone who took classes from Regester and Chubb will forget the experience.
How did you get started writing about wine?
The long version of the story can be found in the first chapter of my book Wine Wars II. The short version is this. My 2005 book Globaloney was a collection of case studies of how globalization has evolved in different industries. One chapter analyzed the global wine industry, and it was just so interesting to me that I had to learn more. So I started writing The Wine Economist newsletter, and that set me down the path I am still walking today.
What’s the best thing about being a wine economist?
People think it must be the chance to drink great wine, and I admit I enjoy that. But the best thing is getting to work on projects with my wife, Sue Veseth, and meet so many fascinating people as we’ve traveled the world of wine.
