Willamette Valley Wine and Brewery Tours

A View From the Hilltop

Society EN ↓ 5 episodes

Long-form audio essays exploring the land, people, and forgotten history of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. From wine and agriculture to settlement, geology, and social history, each episode follows a single story—told slowly, carefully, and in depth.

Author

Willamette Valley Wine and Brewery Tours

Episodes

Episode 5 - The Gospel of Pinot 18.03.2026 1:11:59

We arrive now at the development phase of the contemporary Pinot Noir Movement in the Willamette Valley

Episode 4 - A Hermit Among The Vines 23.02.2026 27:19

A brief exploration of the life and career of Richard Sommer, a pioneer in the post prohibition production of wine in Oregon.

Episode 3 - Harvesting Shadows, Pouring Light 14.02.2026 45:22

A look at the first, tentative efforts to establish wine as a commercial crop in Oregon and the Willamette Valley.

Episode 2 - Where the Good Rains Fall Aplenty 02.02.2026 43:45

This episode is a journey into the unique history and settlement of Oregon as a preliminary to diving into a more focused history of wine in the region. From the earliest days of the Hudson Bay Company to the statehood of Oregon, this is a succinct, but detailed treatment of a fascinating episode of American history.

Episode 1 - Terroir 02.02.2026 25:32

A background sketch on how and why the Willamette Valley of Oregon emerged in the twentieth century as a major world wine growing region. In this episode we look at soil type, climate, and the episodic glacial floods that were so important in the establishment of Willamette Valley Terroir. This is the first of three episode that are foundational to understanding the history of Wine in Oregon.