The Oregon Wine History Archive Podcast

This interview is with Kevin Pogue, of VinTerra. Kevin is a geologist, educator, and wine industry consultant whose career has taken him from the caves and mountains of Kentucky to studying tectonics in Pakistan, teaching geology for decades, and eventually becoming deeply involved in viticulture and wine regions across the country.  Kevin is originally from the Bluegrass region of Lexington, Kent...

This interview is with Tim and Kathy O’Leary of Long Walk Vineyard. Tim is originally from Palo Alto, California, and Kathy is from Sacramento, California. Although their careers began far from the wine industry, both eventually found themselves building a life centered around farming, community, and wine. Kathy talks about attending Stanford, where she met her husband, Tim; switching to an engine...

This interview is with Joe Ferris of Lingua Franca in Salem, Oregon. In this interview, Joe shares his background and how he found his way into the world of winemaking through travel, science, and hands-on experience.  Joe grew up in Wisconsin and attended UW Madison, where he studied biomedical engineering. His interest in wine first started casually, but after traveling through South America wit...

This interview is with Scott Kelley of Paul O’Brien Winery. In this interview, Scott talks about starting to work in the wine industry as a teenager, his experience with big, corporate wineries, and starting his own project in Oregon.  Scott shares about beginning to work in the industry at 17 years old cleaning mobile grape presses. When his boss learned about his affinity for chemistry, he start...

This interview is with Charlie Becker of Becker Vineyard in Roseburg. In this interview, Charlie shares his background and how he got started in winemaking. Charlie grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and made his first wine at just 10 years old out of store bought grape juice and yeast. He later studied biology in college and eventually moved to Seattle, where he worked as a painter for many years. After...

This interview is with Rob Ikola of Whitetail Ridge. In this interview, Rob shares his background, career path, and how he became involved in the wine industry. Rob was born in Portland and grew up moving all around Oregon, including time in Bend and Roseburg. He attended Umpqua Community College, where he earned a business degree. Before entering the wine industry, he spent many years working in...

This interview is with Bryan and Pam Freed of Freed Estate. In this interview, Pam talks about growing up in Honolulu and working as a flight attendant. She talks about meeting her husband Mike and his desire to be a farmer. Later, she talks about finding land in Roseburg and starting Freed Estate. Bryan talks about growing up watching his father Mike farm, and eventually deciding he wanted to fol...

This interview is with Andrew Wenzl of Abacela Winery. In this interview, Andrew talks about his journey from biology and chemistry for veterinary school to applying those principles to winemaking. Andrew shares about his family’s history in present-day Austria growing lesser known varietals, making wine, and running bed and breakfast-type inns. With that history of winemaking and hospitality, it...

This interview is with Denise and Bryan White of Troon Vineyards in Grants Pass. In this interview they share their journey into winemaking, their professional backgrounds, and how they built their vineyard and business together. Both Denise and Bryan originally came from medical backgrounds. Bryan worked in internal medicine and is board certified in hospice and palliative care, while Denise atte...

This interview is with Andy Myer of Goldback & Trivia Wine Room. In this interview, Andy talks about his path into winemaking, starting with studying philosophy in Pennsylvania before transferring to Willamette University to study environmental science. He shares how a summer job at Cristom sparked his interest, describing his first experience in a vineyard as a “lightning catalyst” that got h...

This interview is with Rachael Martin of Red Lily Vineyards. In this interview, Rachael talks about growing up in the Rogue Valley before leaving to pursue a career in law. After deciding that wasn't her path and returning to the Rogue Valley with a desire to own some land and grow something, her dad's suggestion to try wine grapes launched her into a new career. She talks about her time honing he...

This interview is with Nichole Schulte of Quady North/Barrel 42. In this interview, Nichole talks about her background studying law and working in insurance, and her current journey working in wine. Nichole talks about growing up in Florida and starting to work in insurance. After managing a call center, she became an adjuster, following storms across the country to help those affected settle insu...

This interview is with Herb Quady of Quady North and Barrel 42. In this interview, Herb talks about his family starting a wine brand in California the same year he was born, and thus growing up in the industry. Despite initially not wanting to work in wine, he soon found himself working for Randall Grahm at Bonny Doon and launching his wine career. Later, Herb talks about coming to Southern Oregon...

This interview is with Sara Garr of Circadian Cellars. In this interview, Sara talks about growing up as a creative individual and finally finding her preferred medium in wine. Sara talks about first entering the wine industry from a sales point of view, working at the Harry & David bottle shop in Medford. Though initially she didn’t know much about fine wine, she worked with the wine buyer an...

This interview is with Dustin Andries of Naumes Crush and Fermentation. In this interview, Dustin talks about growing up around the Rogue Valley wine industry with an interest in science, then attending Oregon State University with the desire of being a winemaker. Next, Dustin talks about a variety of internships he did, including being part of a team at Gallo that was crushing 350,000 tons of gra...

This interview is with Doug & Dionne Irvine of Irvine & Roberts Vineyards. In this interview, Doug and Dionne talk about moving to Ashland to raise their family, discovering a love for wine in Europe, and beginning their brand. Dionne shares about growing up in Los Angeles county until high school, when her family moved to Brookings. Though she now realizes that she developed a fondness fo...

This interview is with Brian Gruber of Irvine & Roberts Vineyards. In this interview, Brian talks about growing up in Minnesota and then attending the Air Force Academy. He talks about his career in the military, including some of the specific projects he worked on. He then talks about his growing interest in wine, first as a consumer and then his desire to grow his own grapes and make his own...

This interview is with Bryan Wilson of Cuckoo's Nest Cellars. In this interview, Bryan talks about his winding path in wine, culminating in starting his own brand in Southern Oregon. Bryan talks about growing up interested in wine, and finding his way into the industry after attending the University of Oregon. He later talks about his coming-of-age work at Benzinger Family Winery in Glen Ellen, Ca...

This interview is with Cal and Judy Schmidt of Schmidt Family Vineyards. In this interview Cal and Judy talk about their journey into winemaking, their background, and how they built their vineyard and business together in Grants Pass. Cal describes his early life, including his time in the military and aerospace before earning a degree in business. He explains how his path eventually led him to w...

This interview is with Josh Kimball of Kimball’s Artisan Wines. In this interview, Josh talks about growing up in Coos Bay and attending Southern Oregon University in Ashland, where he studied political science. He tells about his first real exposure to wine his senior year, which sparked his interest in the industry. Josh describes getting his start in wine at Weisinger Family Winery starting in...

This interview is with Rob Folin and Carole Stevens of Ryan Rose Wine. In this interview, Rob and Carole talk about their respective paths into wine and how that has culminated in their Ryan Rose brand. Carole talks about growing up in the Willamette Valley and finding a passion for working in value-added agriculture. She talks about her work at Willakenzie and Domaine Serene and traveling all ove...

This interview is with John Pratt of Celestina Vineyard. In this interview, John talks about transitioning from working as a teacher in northern California to becoming a grape farmer in southern Oregon. John talks about beginning to enjoy wine in his 20s, noticing that wine could make an ordinary social situation into a more enjoyable and memorable one. Growing up on a farm between Stockton and Lo...

This interview is with Brian McCormick of Idiot's Grace Wines. In this interview, Brian talks about growing up in a family centered around food, with parents who owned a restaurant, and how that early exposure sparked his interest in cooking and flavor. Brian talks about attending Dartmouth College, where he studied religion, and how after graduating he had no clear idea what he wanted to do. He e...

This interview is with Steven Thompson and Kris Fade of Analemma Wines. In this interview, Steven and Kris talk about their unique paths into the wine industry, from Kris’s background in the Pacific Northwest studying wildlife, geology, and GIS mapping, to Steven’s experiences with international biking tours and harvest work in Italy that sparked his passion for wine. Kris talks about her early in...

This interview is with Dean Underwood of Barakel Vineyards. In this interview, Dean talks about spending his life as a farmer and his decision to grow wine grapes. He speaks about growing up in Albany and working on his family's farm, focusing on row crops at first. Later he discusses his burgeoning interest in wine and wine grapes, working with his neighbors at Olsen Family Vineyards and going th...