At what point does a hobby become a career?  At what point does interest turn to obsession?  At what point does grape juice become wine?  Michael Meagher entered into the hospitality industry as a jack-of-all-trades for the Elizabeth Creed & Co. catering company in Beverly, MA while pursuing his undergraduate degree in Sociology at Harvard University.  Not convinced that law school was the best use of his talents, Michael enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America.  After a few years of earning his keep in the kitchen, Michael packed his bags and moved to Australia, enrolling in the Masters degree program in Gastronomy at the University of Adelaide.  Writing his master’s thesis on screw capped wines in the United States, (and seeing it published in part in the Journal of Culinary Science and Technology), Michael realized that it was the study of wine, from grape to glass, which captured his enthusiasm. He has since worked in the beverage departments at several award-winning establishments including BOKX 109, Sel de la Terre and L’Espalier.  Currently, he is the New England Luxury Account Manager for the Heirloom Wine Group, and is part of the team that includes Master Sommeliers Fred Dame, Brian Koziol and Brian McClintic.  Michael is a Master Sommelier Candidate of the Court of Master Sommeliers and he is in the process of completing his Diploma of Wine Studies from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust.  In 2011 he placed third at TOP|SOMM The US Sommelier Championships and took fourth place at the American Sommelier Association’s Best Sommelier in America competition. In 2010, he placed second at the International Best Young Sommelier Finals in Santander, Spain, finished third at TOP|SOMM, and won the title of Best Young Sommelier in the United States from the Chaine des Rotisseurs.  Michael enjoys trying to avoid studying through running, hiking, cold beer and deluding himself into thinking that he can catch up on sleep.  bostonsommeliersociety.com