May 5th Meetup: Getting Nerdy for Spanish Wine [Nerds Like Me]
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May 5th Meetup: Getting Nerdy for Spanish Wine

May
05
Tuesday
Tuesday, May 5th, 2026 • 7:15PM to 9:30PM (CDT)
The Merchant
122 North Ave, Highwood, IL
Directions

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This event has already taken place.

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Attendees 43+ registered
The most common skills and interests among attendees are data science, followed by product management, machine learning, and venture investing, represented by leaders from Meta, Figma, AbbVie, and a CTO with a $150M+ value creation track record.

Nerds Like Me: Getting Nerdy for Wine

May will be a double-feature month (two meet-ups, one month) with a May 14th Meetup with David Etlinger speaking on The Inner Workings of AI and….

A one-time event, in a not so usual meetup format.

Have you ever been to a wine tasting where the Sommelier or the people you were with were just over your questions? Have you heard ‘white wine just red wine without the skins on 1000x times?’ Have you wanted to dig deeper without these social pressures or repeat catch-phrases? Well for this special Nerds Like Me event, we will be geeking out over what’s actually in the glass.

(Photo) A group of people are gathered in a dimly lit restaurant or wine bar, many with their hands raised as they listen to a man giving a presentation near a TV screen. people at a presentation or social gathering | indoor restaurant or wine bar | multiple people with hands raised, TV screen showing a landscape, long dining table, bar area | candid | Colors: #1a243d, #8b5e3c, #f4d03f Note: This is a real-life photograph capturing a candid moment of a social and professional gathering in an indoor setting.

The Venue

(Logo) A minimalist logo featuring a dark blue wolf's head above the text 'THE MERCHANT' in a serif font. Text: THE MERCHANT Colors: #1d2b4d, #ffffff Note: The image features a distinct graphic icon paired with a brand name, which is the standard format for a corporate or brand logo.

The Merchant (122 North Ave, Highwood, IL) - a family-owned artisan wine bar and bottle shop that curates international, generational, and handmade wines from Greece, Mexico, Italy, France, and beyond. Intimate, home-like atmosphere. Bring-your-own-food policy means you can grab takeout from any of Highwood’s restaurants and pair it on-site.

More info: shopatthemerchant.com

What to Expect

Think of this as a guided teardown of wine. We’ll dig into how wine is made, what actually differentiates regions and grapes, why certain pairings work (and the science behind it), and how to taste like you know what you’re looking for. No snobbery, no pretense. Just a room full of curious people getting deeper than “I like the red ones.”

(Photo) A group of people are gathered around a long wooden table for a wine tasting event, listening to a speaker presenting a bottle of wine. Text: Hello Chris, Joel, Amy, THE MER..., Wine Club people at a wine tasting | indoor tasting room | wine glasses, food plates, speaker with wine bottle, name tags | candid | Colors: #2c3444, #d4af37, #5d4037, #f5f5dc Note: This is a candid photograph capturing a real-life social event in an indoor setting.

The Speaker: Carlos Hubner Arteta, Vinos Libres Wine Merchants

After getting a degree in Philosophy in Boston, I soon realized that no one was hiring a town philosopher - so I worked for a Banana importer, got involved with brokering Australian Aboriginal Art, worked with a shipping company and finally got my first job in the wine biz as a NYC rep for Frederick Wildman. I loved being a rep but my curiosity led me to Veuve Clicquot Inc., Opus One in Napa, early online ventures with Wineshopper.com then Wine.com and back to New York as Director of Spanish and South American wines for Winebow - and in 2010 I launched Vinos Libres Wine Merchants.

Who Should Come

Anyone who enjoys wine and wants to understand it better. Whether you’re a casual sipper or someone who already knows their way around a wine list, there’s plenty to nerd out about.

The Details
  • Date: May 5th
  • Time: 7:15 PM - 9:30 PM
  • Location: The Merchant, 122 North Ave, Highwood, IL 60040
  • Cost: $20/person – Prepay below!
  • Specifics: 3 imported Spanish wines & light bites

RSVP Now: https://nerdslikeme.dream.page
Prepay here: https://www.shopatthemerchant.com/event-tickets/p/nerds-like-me-wine-tasting

What You Can Do Now
  1. RSVP - reserve your seat HERE
  2. Prepay - please pay ahead of the event HERE
  3. Subscribe for updates: https://nerdslikeme.dream.page
  4. Complete your profile - we’ll use it in an upcoming session to spark deeper conversation.
  5. Whitelist us - add [email protected] to your contacts so you never miss an invite!

Spread the word and bring a friend. The more people in the room, the better the conversation.

Jonathan Shertok
“The Nerd”

(Logo) The image displays a logo featuring the text 'Nerds Like Me' in white, 3D-effect lettering, accompanied by a stylized graphic on the left resembling circuit board traces or a brain pattern. The overall design is set against a solid black background. Text: Nerds Like Me Colors: #FFFFFF, #C0C0C0, #000000 Note: This image is classified as a logo because it combines a distinct textual phrase with a unique graphic element, designed to represent a brand or identity. Its primary purpose appears to be brand recognition.

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