The Oregon Wine History Archive Podcast

This interview is with Teddi Fuller of Lushington Wines. In this interview, Teddi discusses the lifestyle she has built through wine and art.

Teddi talks about how she ended up in Lyle, Washington. She graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in fine arts without a defined career path. After she moved to California to ski, she worked in restaurants and a wine bar where she learned a lot about wine through their wine education programs. After working harvests in Tasmania and New Zealand, Teddi set out for a place with mountains, eventually finding Lyle.

This interview is with Brandon Hasart of Lingua Franca. In this interview, Brandon talks about his wine journey and how he came to be the vineyard manager at Lingua Franca.

Brandon speaks about his original intention to work in veterinary medicine, but becoming interested in wine while attending Washington State University. He charts his path from the initial interest to a variety of internships in Oregon and abroad.

From there, Brandon talks about his work at Abacela Winery in the Umpqua Valley and Brittan Vineyards in the Willamette. He speaks about the lessons he learned...

This interview is with Carrie Alexander of Holocene Wines. In this interview, Carrie discusses the many different roads she has taken that eventually led her to wine.

Carrie talks about the various career paths she has taken. She started pursuing a degree in teaching which she later changed and graduated with a fine arts degree. While she played with owning coffee shops, skate shops, and being a hairdresser, she was introduced to wine by working in restaurants. 

Carrie discusses how she first began tasting wine while working in restaurants and ho...

This interview is with Eric Weisinger of Weisinger Family Winery. In this interview, Eric discusses his 30 years in the industry and how he came right back to where he started.
 
Eric talks about how his father always had a dream of owning a winery. Eric was roped into this dream when his father suffered an injury and he had to take over. From there, he realized he was drawn to wine and could make a living from it. For many years, Eric would switch from the two hemispheres for harvest. It was when he hadn’t seen spr...

This interview is with Mike Brunson of Valley View Winery. In this interview, Mike discusses what it is like to be a winemaker and how that passion brought him to Oregon.

Mike talks about his journey into the wine industry and how he had a natural gift for it. Mike has a good sense of smell and strong palate. This paired well with his former boss, Fred Payne, who passed the job down to Mike. Fred had his PHD in food science and Mike had the natural abilities. Mike reminisces about Fred serving as a m...

This interview is with Mike and Mark Wisnovsky of Valley View Winery. In this interview, the brothers discuss the responsibility of continuing the legacy their parents passed onto them.

The brothers talk about how they were almost born into the industry. They started planting at four and eight years old, learning the ins and outs of harvest. When they were made partners after their father passed away, they were forced to make big decisions about the winery earlier than most. After their mother passed away, they took on full responsibility of the winery. Now, Mark’s c...

This interview is with Soléna Andrus Montalieu of Soléna Estate and her mother Danielle Andrus. In this interview, the duo discusses being raised in the industry and the memories that come with it. 

Danielle talks about growing up in Napa Valley with her father Gary Andrus of Pine Ridge Vineyards and eventually moving with him to Oregon to start Archery Summit in 1995. After doing a lot of the grunt work, Danielle was asked to create  a hospitality department for the winery until she got married and created Northwest Wine Company and Soléna Estate...

This interview is with Jen Parr of Valli Wines in New Zealand. In this interview, Jen talks about her plethora of experiences in different wine regions of the world.

Jen talks about growing up in Portland and eventually heading to Stanford University pursuing a degree in English literature. During her time at Stanford, she discovered the wine industry for the first time. After graduating, she transitioned into financial software sales until she found she was hitting snooze on her alarm every morning, not excited to go to work. From there, she decided she wanted to w...

This interview is with Bruce Felix of Pacific Winemaking. In this interview, Bruce explains how he transitioned into the wine industry and his thoughts on the future of Oregon wine.

Bruce talks about working in petrochemicals and paint after he moved to Australia with an exchange student. Not only did Bruce sell petrochemicals, he also sold tartaric acid to winemakers, sparking his initial interest in wine. Through these jobs, Bruce was able to travel all over the world and try different wines. It was when his friend moved into the wine industry and started a w...

This interview is with Jason Flaig of Northwest Distribution and Storage. In this interview, Jason explains his long road into the wine industry and the unique service his company provides.

Jason talks about the beginning of his journey that is rather complicated. He started out as pre-med student before he got married and had a family. When he returned to school he decided to pursue a degree in education. When that didn’t work out, Jason pursued the law and became a paralegal. After he realized that wasn’t his path either, he started working in lo...

This interview is with Brian Zielinski of Scenic Valley Farms. In this interview, Brian shares about growing up on the farm and how wine worked its way into the family’s livelihood.
 
Brian talks about how grapes made their way into the family’s farm. The farm was constantly rotating the crops to best utilize the land. From strawberries to beans to corn, the farm has seen a lot of produce. Once the farm settled on grapes, they realized they could coordinate with winemakers and make wine directly from their own fruit. The family planted grapes in 2008 and h...

This interview is with Jillian Barnhart of Lux Nova Creative. In this interview, Jillian shares her many experiences as a photographer, marketer, and the many hobbies she has collected along the way. She believes these experiences give her a unique set of skills that benefit her clients.

Jillian talks about how she began in photography by moving to Los Angeles to work in the music industry and fell in love with metal music. She photographed many famous names during concerts and even photographed album covers. After working in photography, Jillian began working in LA...

This interview is with Avery Hadley of Gala Creative Agency. In this interview, Avery talks about his young company and what it aims to do for hospitality-based clients.

Avery talks about after graduating from Oregon State University, he sent out 380 applications in search for a job. Originally from Salem, Avery knew some local businesses that he was able to photograph for and eventually manage their social media. Word of mouth spread his work throughout the community where he secured more clients. After collecting consistent clients, he and his partner discussed opening their own creative...

This interview is with Diego Valeri of Conur Wines. In this interview, Diego talks about his journey of becoming a professional soccer player with the Portland Timbers and eventually creating his own wine company.

Diego talks about how creating a wine company was not actually his idea, but his wife, Florencia’s scheme. However, Diego planned to wait until he retired to begin the endeavor. After nine reasons with the Timbers, Diego and his family moved to Florida where he met Frederico Garobbio and his wife Luci who were from the same area of Ar...

This interview is with Jim Maresh of Arterberry Maresh. In this interview, Jim talks about growing up on the family farm, becoming interested in wine, and starting his own wine label.

Jim talks about his family’s history in Dundee. His grandparents Jim and Loie purchased the property on Worden Hill Road in 1959 and began planting many different crops. Jim’s dad, Fred Arterberry, met his mom, Martha Maresh, while working at Erath. Fred started making wine under the Arterberry label in 1979.

Jim discusses getting into the wine industry hims...

This interview is with Emily Rozga of Soter Vineyards. Emily is originally from Santa Rosa, California, and talks about growing up around food, agriculture, and the outdoors. She shares how those early interests led her to attend Cal Poly with the focus on wine and viticulture, initially believing winemaking would be her future. Through internships, harvest experiences, and working in tasting rooms and cellars, she discovered she was more drawn to vineyard health and grape growing than production itself. 

Emily discusses wanting to see more of the world after college, traveling internationally, gaining hands-on vineyard experience abroad, i...

This interview is with Wayne Oppenheimer of A Great Oregon Wine Tour and WineUp.

Wayne is originally from Seattle, Washington, and was raised in Beaverton, Oregon. He talks about first becoming interested in wine in his early twenties after attending a tasting and realizing how different wines could be from one another. The curiosity led him to dive deeper into what he describes as “liquid geography,” eventually pushing him toward a career centered around wine and hospitality. 

Wayne discusses attending Portland State University for economics while always feeling drawn toward the wine industry. After visiting Napa...

This interview is with Jay Pscheidt of Oregon State University. In this interview, Jay talks about how he came to be in Oregon, transitioning from studying potatoes to all kinds of woody perennials.

Jay talks about his journey from pre-med to bacteriology at the University of Wisconsin. After attending a lecture by a plant pathologist, he realized he could apply all his newfound knowledge for the betterment of growers in his area.

Jay discusses beginning to work at Cornell, where he switched his focus from potato plants to grapevines...

This interview is with Anna Jesse of Forest Hills Farms, a third-generation farmer helping lead a family operation that has grown from strawberry fields in the 1950s into thousands of acres producing blueberries, wine grapes, corn, and other crops across Oregon. 

Anna is from Cornelius, Oregon, and talks about growing up in Forest Hills Farms, spending years working in vineyards and agriculture, and learning firsthand what is means to be part of a multigenerational farming family. She shares how attending Oregon State University initially led her towards business, changing majors, and developing a stronger appreciation for the c...

This interview is with Davis Palmer of McMenamins Edgefield Winery. In this interview, Davis talks about his early fascination with fermentation leading him to working at McMenamins in beer production. Working in a variety of brewpubs within the company allowed him to work on honing the house style while also experimenting with new fun recipes.

He talks about being intrigued by winemaking and viewing it as more dynamic work, and joining the winemaking team at Edgefield for harvest in 2000. Soon after he joined as the cellar master, then later the head winemaker. He talks about the evolution...

This interview is with Morgan White of Amaterra. In this interview, Morgan talks about her career in the wine industry, from moving to Oregon without having a harvest job lined up to becoming the winemaker at Amaterra.

Morgan shares about going to the University of Florida for physiology & kinesiology with plans of becoming a physical therapist. After graduation, she and a friend visited Mendoza, Argentina, and she fell in love with the wine culture there. Upon returning to Florida, she took a sommelier course and began working at wine bars and restaurants.

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This interview is with John Platt of Helvetia Winery. In this interview, John talks about moving off a houseboat to Helvetia, planting grapes, and expanding his business into a winery.

John shares about moving to the Helvetia area after a piece of land came up for sale and meeting with an extension agent to determine what kinds of crops he should plant. Among the list was grapes, which John and his wife Elizabeth planted with the intention of selling fruit to home winemakers.

John talks about his other work...

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, Kentucky and talks about spending much of his early life outdoors; he enjoys caving, climbing, skiing, and exploring the mountains, which sparked his interest in geology. Hediscusses his decades-long career in education, beginning college-level teaching at 22 and s...

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 engineering major from a math and science major; and spending years traveling internationally for consulting work. She reflects on reaching a point where constant travel no longer fit the life she wanted, leading her toward bu...

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 with his wife and visiting wineries along the way, he became fascinated by the culture and science behind winemaking. After moving to Los Angeles and working in the biotech field, Joe r...

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 started taking grape samples in the vineyard to help determine pick dates. During this time, he met a winemaker who encouraged him to go to UC Davis. 

Scott talks abou...

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 some time, he move to southern Oregon and bought property in Drain, where he began pursuing winemaking more seriously.

He...

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 hands-on trades, including running a horse trailer company for about 20 years and operating a machine shop through a long-term business partnership. 

In 2012, R...

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 follow in his footsteps.

They talk about Bryan's time at Oregon State learning enology and viticulture, and starting to take over more of the business. They...

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 made sense for Andrew to take his scientific education and start working at King Estate performing “bucket chemistry.”

Andrew talks about enjoying cellar work first at King Estate and then a...

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 attended medical school and worked in a clinic, including time in neurology. Before entering the wine industry, they were involved in starting medical nonprofits in California and in Texas.

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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 him hooked.

Andy discusses his hands-on learning journey, including harvests in New Zealand and Australia, working in Sonoma and Seattle, and spending time in Italy studying archaeology to understand early winemaking practices. He shares that...

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 her craft at RoxyAnn Winery under the mentorship of Sarah Powell.

Later, she discusses starting Red Lily, first getting vineyards planted and later starting...

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 insurance claims in the aftermath. At the suggestion of a colleague, she went to law school and spent a semester studying wine law abroad in Lyon, France.

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 and working at Troon, and the growth of the Rogue Valley wine industry while he was a part of it. He then talks about the decision to...

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 and her coworkers to learn more. Her career trajectory changed in 2015 when she started her first harvest with Quady North / Barrel 42.

Sa...

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 grapes in a single harvest. He then discusses coming to Naumes Crush and Fermentation as it was just getting started and the roles he has held while the business has grown. 

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 for Oregon at that time, she went back to California after graduation and started her real estate career. She met Doug when he came to her to purchase a house.<...

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 wine. He talks about the decision to move to Oregon and the various places he has worked in the industry, including helping to found Barrel 42 and now...

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, Calif., getting to be part of every process as the Benzinger brand was growing and taking off.

Later, he talks about coming to Oregon and various winemaking roles he held...