The Oregon Wine History Archive Podcast

This interview is with Helmut and Andreas Wetzel, of Chateau Bianca Winery.  Wine has had a place in the Wetzel’s family history for four generations, starting in Northern Bavaria. After selling off a distributorship, they bought their current property in Dallas, Oregon, in 1990 and built Chateau Bianca Winery.  In the interview, the Wetzels discuss what it was like in the early days of the Oregon...

This interview is with Katie Santora, winemaker at Chehalem Winery. In this interview, Katie discusses how she got into the wine industry after her dad’s friend suggested she study winemaking. She talks about the program she entered at UC Davis, the education she received, and how she ended up in Oregon working at various other wineries before ending up at Chehalem. Katie speaks about her travels...

This interview is with Veronique Boss-Drouhin of Domaine Drouhin Oregon. In this interview, Veronique first discusses how she got into wine after originally wanting to be a pianist— born into a wine family in Burgundy France. She then goes on to discuss her education and how she ended up in Oregon. Further into the interview, Veronique talks about the people she worked with, the difficulties in ba...

This interview is with Doyle Hinman who has been a part of almost every aspect of the wine industry during his life time. In this interview he talks about his start in the wine business, international sales and the future of the Oregon wine industry. This interview was conducted on January 15th, 2016 at the Hinman home.

This interview is with Bruno Corneaux, owner of Domaine Divio. In this interview, Bruno discusses how he was born into the wine industry and explains his journey from working in the pharmaceutical industry for over ten years to travelling the world pursuing his passion of wine. Bruno also discusses the adversity faced during his time in Tahiti, as well as his philosophy of seeing his farm as a liv...

This interview is with Paul Durant of Durant Vineyards. In this interview, Paul discusses his love for farming and how that has informed his career in wine after being a mechanical engineer. He talks about the learning curve when coming back— learning how to create a sustainable business, having the right team in place, and his vision for a diverse, multi-ethnic customer base. He then goes on to d...

This interview is with Ken and Penny Durant of Durant Vineyards. In this interview, the couple discuss how they started as home winemakers just for fun, then decided to transition fully into the wine industry. They speak of the challenges and successes that came with their business, as well as how they uniquely decided to make and sell olive oil alongside their grapes and wines. Towards the end of...

This interview is with Grace Evenstad, owner of Domaine Serene. In this interview, Grace discusses how she and her husband came into the wine industry and fell in love, learning as much as they could. The couple loved pinot noir and knew they wanted to make it. Grace tells how they ended up in Oregon, as well as the complex yet balanced style of their wine. To end, Grace explains her relationship...

This interview is with Joe Dobbes, the owner of Wine by Joe and Dobbes Family Estate. In this interview, he talks about the start of both of the labels, making wine in the Willamette Valley and the Oregon wine industry as a whole. Dobbes wraps up the interview to talk about the future of Oregon wine. This interview took place on April 11, 2017 by Rich Schmidt at the Austin Reading Room in Nicolson...

This interview is with Scott and Lisa Neal, owners of Coeur de Terre Vineyard. In this interview, the couple discuss how they found themselves in the wine industry in Oregon and how they acquired the land with the help of such a giving community. They then talk about what it means to be “second generation” and how grateful they are to be a part of this community. Lisa describes the difficulties in...

This interview is with Jimmy Leyden, owner of Courting Hill Vineyard. In this interview, conducted on Jimmy’s 97th birthday, he discusses how he found himself in the wine industry in Oregon. Jimmy discusses how he aquired the land for his vineyard, as well as the wide array of occupations he held: from a musician to jingle maker, to selling Christmas trees, and finally transitioning to growing gap...

This interview is with Tim and Denise Wilson, owners and winemaker of Denison Cellars in McMinnville, Oregon. They discuss the start of their label, Tim’s winemaker philosophy and Denise’s favorite part of the industry. They also talk about the future of the winery and their hopes for the Oregon wine industry. This interview is conducted by Stephanie Hofmann at the Austin Reading Room at Linfield...

This interview is with Chad Stock of Craft Wine Cellars in Carlton, OR. In this interview, Chad discusses how he naturally gravitated toward wine and always enjoyed the science part of the industry. He discusses his upfront approach with his ingredients, and states that “wine is not an alcoholic beverage it’s an agricultural product.” Chad then goes on to talk about the future for the Oregon Wine...

This interview is with Steve Doerner, the lead winemaker for Cristom Vineyards, located in Salem, Oregon. Doerner recounts his journey to Oregon and what initially got him fascinated with growing grapes and making wine. Doerner also celebrates the Oregon wine industry’s overall sense of community as he credits the early success of the industry to the pioneers of Oregon wine. He cites the pioneers’...

This interview is with Dick and Betty O’Brien, the owners of Elton Vineyards in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Dick and Betty’s interest in wine began on a 1980 trip to Germany where they stayed with a German family who had a small vineyard of white varietals and made their own wine. The O’Briens were so impressed with the small operation they had witnessed, they approached Betty’s father about putti...

This interview is with David Fish of Fox Farm Vineyards. In this interview, David discusses how he got into wine along with the many jobs he worked, his time being a sommelier, and how that has informed his career. He then goes on to speak about how he ended up in Oregon after he found a love for the land, and the sense of place that Oregon wines produce. David then talks about the generous help h...

This interview is with Dieter Boehm, the owner and winemaker of High Pass Winery. In the interview, Dieter talks about growing grapes in Oregon, the collaborative nature of the industry, problems facing vineyards in the future, as well as the future for the industry as a whole. This interview took place July 13th, 2016 by Rich Schmidt at High Pass Winery.

This interview is with Don Byard, a wine grower right when the Oregon wine industry was taking off in the Willamette Valley. In this interview, Byard talks about his involvement in the industry, his opinions on the best wine, and where he believes the industry is going. This interview was conducted by Camille Weber at Brooks Winery on December 11, 2015.

This interview is with Marcus Goodfellow of Goodfellow Family Cellars. In this interview, Marcus discusses how how he got into the wine industry, specifically Oregon wine. He then goes on to speak about his winemaking philosophy, the process of learning winemaking, how he got where he is today, how he manages his winemaking style with the people he works for, the changes he’s seen in the vineyard...

This interview is with Eugenia Keegan, the General Manager of Oregon for Jackson Family Wines and the winemaker at Gran Moraine Winery. In the interview, Eugenia discusses her start in the industry, working for Jackson Family Wines, being involved in multiple organizations and her main passion, the vineyard. This interview took place on July 26, 2016 by Rachael Woody at Gran Moraine Winery.

This interview is with Allen Holstein, the original owner of Holstein Vineyards and Vineyard Manager of many acclaimed vineyards in the Willamette Valley. Allen talks about the early years in the wine industry and working with some of the most prominent characters at the time. He also speaks about the challenges that the industry will have to face in the future. This interview was conducted by Ric...

This interview is with Carl Dauenhauer who is the owner of a vineyard that changed over to grapes in the early years of the wine industry and the winery, Hauer of the Dauen. In this interview Carl talks about his start in the wine business, challenges of growing grapes in Oregon and the future of the Oregon wine industry. This interview was conducted at the Hauer of the Dauen Winery on February 4t...

This interview is with Tom Huggins (Founder/GM) and Steve Anderson (Winemaker) of Eola Hills Winery. They first talk about how they got into the industry and their philosophy of making wine that people can drink every day. They then talk about the struggles of selling wine and what’s in the future from the winery. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt on August 1, 2017 at the Legacy Estate...

This interview is with Mike and Drenda Bayliss, who are the owners of Ghost Hill Cellars. They discuss their start in the industry, making wine for the first time, how their winery got it’s name and much more. This interview was on May 5th, 2016 at Ghost Hill Cellars by Rachael Woody.

This interview is with Russ and Keely Hayworth of Hayworth Estate Wines. In this interview the couple describe how they found their passion for wine, met each other, and how they decided what to plant. They go on to speak about their initial experiences with the vintage and with their expansion in ’15, their newfound roles at Hayworth, and the progress that they have made to get where they are now...