The Oregon Wine History Archive Podcast

This interview is with Andrew Kirkland of Ruby Vineyard. In this interview, Andrew speaks about finding his way into wine and some influential times spent in Beaujolais and Australia as he was learning the industry. He also talks about finding his way to Oregon and eventually to Ruby, and his mentors and experiences along the way, along with what he’s looking forward to in the future. This intervi...

This interview is with Vanessa Hadick of Double Tap Marketing. In this interview, Vanessa speaks about working in different regions of the wine world. She describes the places she’s been during her travels, which includes her work and education in California and Australia. She goes over how why she settled in Oregon and what her first impressions were of Oregon’s wine industry. She goes on to desc...

This interview is with Amy Streger of Endless Season Wine. Amy talks about her love of wine and desire to make her own project, especially after she met with the powerhouse duo behind Landmass Wines and got to work with them. She also talks about her background in marketing and advertising, and some of the projects she's worked on, as well as all the details that go into designing a wine brand. Th...

This interview is with Alisa Le of Authentique Wine Cellars. In this interview, Alisa shares what it is like being a female winemaker in the Oregon wine industry. She compares the different jobs and experiences she’s had so far and talks about her intentions when it comes to creating wine. Alisa also speaks about her future goals and gives advice to those curious about working in the wine industry...

This interview is with Alan Mitchell of Territorial Vineyards and Wine Company. In this interview, Alan speaks about finding wine completely by accident and sticking with the industry even though it wasn't what he had planned or expected. He talks about his working in developing vineyards and transitioning into winemaking as well, and about the establishment and growth of Territorial, as well as t...

This interview is with AJ Trommello and Katie McConnell of Throughline Wines. In this interview, the couple speak about their wine journeys, which both began on the east coast. They talk about meeting in in Atlanta, Georgia while they were both pursuing law - Katie still practices while AJ is now what he calls a "retired lawyer." The two describe first coming to Oregon on a whim where the wine com...

This interview is with Vic Winquist, who planted the initial vines in multiple vineyards in Oregon. In this interview, Vic speaks about dropping out of law school for his passion in wine, seeing the transition of the wine industry, and current challenges with growing and making Pinot noir. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt outside Nicholson Library at Linfield University in McMinnville...

This oral history interview is with Wei-En Tan of STEM Wine Bar in Portland. Wei-En talks about her background and interest in wine, as well as her education and careers in Silicon Valley and elsewhere before moving to Oregon and starting STEM. She also talks about building a wine program and a clientele for a new wine business. In addition, Wei-En talks about her pilot training and work in aeroba...

This interview is with Claire Jarreau of Brooks Wine. In this interview, Claire speaks about her first introductions to wine, and how she ended up in Oregon after her experiences traveling and working harvest abroad. She shares what lessons she learned from working at wineries in Austria, South Africa, and New Zealand. Later on she reflects on the struggles of maintaining the winery and relationsh...

This interview is with Alex Fullerton of Fullerton Wines. In this interview, Alex speaks about visiting Burgundy, where his interest in wine began, and getting his first job in the industry at Penner-Ash Cellars. He talks about growing in confidence and learning more about winemaking at his jobs, as well as traveling to New Zealand to get more experience. Later, Alex shares how Fullerton Wines was...

This interview is with Sashi Moorman. In this interview, Sashi speaks about his culinary background, and how it connects to wine for him. He shares his experiences entering the industry as an underdog, and gaining confidence in his process throughout the years. He also shares his philosophy of embracing risk in the process of making and drinking wine. Later, Sashi shares his thoughts on the changi...

This oral history interview is with Alex Nichols of WillaKenzie Estate. Alex talks about starting his wine path at Oregon State and getting excited after a harvest interview and other early roles in the industry. He then talks about his path from that point to now, including multiple times he was part of a new winery building being constructed. Later, he talks about the impact of 2020 on himself a...

This interview is with Akiko Shiba of Shiba Wichern Cellars. In this interview, Akiko speaks about her life before wine in Japan and her initial interest in the alcohol industry. She describes her education in Germany at Hochschule Geisenheim University and goes over what her first work in the vineyard was like. Akiko also talks about her decision to move to Oregon and pursue winemaking there, com...

This interview is with Ted Johnson of Catman Cellars. In this interview, Ted speaks about his appreciation for the history and culture of wine, and how this has developed throughout his life. He shares his earliest memories of first drinking fruit wines, and how his taste has developed over the years. He shares his thoughts on his initial impressions of the Oregon wine industry and the major chang...

This interview is with Tom Elliot of Northwest Wines Ltd. Tom speaks about how he entered the Oregon wine industry after starting in San Francisco and Napa Valley. He shares the many successes and some failures that led him to where he is today and the critical relationships he built along the way. Later in the interview, he shares his thoughts on the various changes Oregon wines have gone through...

This interview is with Judy Nedry, an Oregon wine writer and co-founder of Chehalem Winery. In this interview, Judy speaks on how she began writing about early Oregon Wine. She talks about how the industry has changed since she began writing about the industry and how that has affected her work. She describes what it’s like working on a story and goes over some of her past projects. She discusses...

This interview is with Anne Sery of Westmount and NW Wine Company. In this interview, Anne speaks about growing up in France where wine was a standard and necessary part of the culture she was a part of. She explains that the way she grew up made her future role as a winemaker almost inevitable. She describes what it was like working her first job on a vineyard and how she eventually became a wine...

This interview is with Terry Sherwood of Crush2Cellar. In this interview, Terry speaks about how he got into the wine industry and what it was like starting a business for the winemaking community. He talks about what it was like seeing the Oregon Wine Industry grow and how he has had to change or adapt his business overtime. He goes over some of the challenges he and the industry faced and how th...

This interview is with Kathy Joseph of Fiddlehead Cellars. In this interview, Kathy talks about what it’s like to be constantly learning, whether it is in the world of science, business, or wine. She speaks about her introduction to the wine industry in California, and what it was like to eventually make her own wine and have her own vineyard. She describes creating a sustainable business plan and...

This interview is with Brian Irvine, winemaker at NW Wine Company. During his interview he shared what brought him to Oregon, and a bit about his first years working harvest around the Willamette Valley. Brian discussed how he ended up at NW Wine Company, his interest in Hyland Vineyard, and his connection to the team. Later he shared the differences among some of the wineries at which he has work...

his interview is with Erica Miller of Stoller Family Estate. In this interview, Erica speaks about growing up surrounded by farming and agriculture, going to Oregon State University, and eventually making her way into the Oregon Wine Industry. She talks about her style of growing grapes and how she manages a vineyard. She describes her role at Stoller, what it was like getting to know the property...

This interview is with Luke Pedotti of Results Partners. In this interview, Luke speaks about how his family was was involved in agriculture and what it was like growing up in that environment. He talks about his introduction into viticulture and what it has been like working for Results Partners. He describes his role as Director of Development and goes over what he looks for in a site, how he ma...

This oral history interview is with Gabi Vignes. During her interview, she discussed her education in Chile and France studying Viticulture and Enology. Gabi described her travels working harvests in New Zealand, Napa Valley, and Australia. From these harvests, she discovered a love for Pinot Noir and cool climate varieties, which naturally led her to come to Oregon. She applied in 2016 to work as...

This oral history interview is with Sheryl WuDunn, Caroline Kristof, and Nick Kristof of Kristof Farms. In this interview the family shared about the long history of Kristof Farms, and why they chose to plant grapes and cider apples on their property. Sheryl and Nick began with describing how they met, their work with the New York Times, and memorable projects they have worked on. They shared abou...

This interview is with DeAnna Ornelas. She is the brand ambassador for Winderlea Vineyard and Winery, as well as the president of AHIVOY. Along with speaking about each of her positions in the wine industry, she also discussed her education in wine, what brought her to Oregon, and why she fell in love with the wine industry in the first place. DeAnna spoke about the disparities of the Oregon wine...