The Oregon Wine History Archive Podcast

This interview is with Matty Colston of Colston Biblio. In this interview, Matty speaks about his wine journey, from growing up in Ohio to opening his own bar in Kentucky to eventually moving to Chicago and working in a variety of restaurants there. He talks about learning wine along the way and finding kindred spirits among the wine community.

From there, he talks about taking a chance on himself and coming to Oregon to work a harvest. That helped launch his brand, and he talks about the growth and challenges since then.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt on July 22 in Portland.

This interview is with Meghan Olivier of St. Merry Vineyard. In this interview, Meghan shares about her love for agriculture and how this passion led her to wine. 

Meghan talks about growing up in Alabama and running wild in the forest. She goes on to share how this young love for the outdoors shaped her career path. She then talks about how she met her husband and how they both got invested in wine because it combined their different passions.

Later in the interview, Meghan talks about her journey in starting St. Merry Vineyard. She then shares about her regenerative farming practices and philosophies. 

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt on July 23, 2024 at St. Merry Vineyard in Dallas.

This interview is with Tim and Kari Ramey of Zenith Vineyard. In this interview, Tim and Kari share about how they turned their passion for wine into a successful business.

Tim and Kari talk about being raised as Seattle kids and how they ended up together in college. They then share about their time spent on the East Coast, as Tim worked on Wall Street. Tim and Kari share about finding  passion for wine while on the East Coast through their themed dinners with friends. 

Later in the interview, the couple discusses how they came to be in Oregon. They dive into finding, buying, and cultivating Zenith Vineyard. They then talk about their hopes for themselves, Oregon wine, and their business. 

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Zenith Vineyard in Salem, Oregon on July 17, 2024.

This interview is with Kelsey Glasser of Arden Restaurant and Raise a Glass Wines. In this interview, Kelsey speaks about her background as a professional actress and some of her experiences and achievements in that part of her life. She talks about how she came to learn about wine by working in fine dining while working as an actress, and becoming excited enough to pursue education as a sommelier.

From there, she discusses moving to Portland and starting a wine shop before later starting Arden. She talks about Arden’s growth and evolution, surviving the pandemic, and the role wine plays in the restaurant. And she talks about Raise a Glass, her wine education side project designed to make wine accessible to everyone.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt on July 18, 2024 at Arden in Portland.

This interview is with Alice Achayo of The Wine Linguist. In this interview, Alice talks about her journey to finding a passion and career in wine. 

Alice shares about her time growing up in South Sudan and how she found herself, her sister, and her uncle coming to the United States. She goes on to talk about attending college and her first introduction to wine. Alice then discusses her time studying abroad in Italy.

Later in the interview, Alice talks about her previous careers in the wine industry and how she found herself in Oregon. She also shares her passion for bringing positive change to the wine industry and making it approachable for everyone.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt on July 15, 2024 at Cramoisi Vineyard in Dundee.

This interview is with Mark and Pattie Bjornson of Bjornson Vineyard. In this interview, Mark and Pattie speak about their growing interest in wine and their desire to start a vineyard in Oregon. They talk about finding the property and planting it, and adding more vines, a winery, and a tasting room over the years. Mark speaks about vineyard practices and Pattie discusses her winemaking and growing the hospitality program.

In the second part of the interview, Mark takes us to the Pamar Vineyard where he has planted Gouais Blanc. He discusses the history of the now-rare grape, why/how he planted it, and what the plans are for it.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt on July 16, 2024 at Bjornson Vineyard in Salem and Pamar Vineyard in Perrydale.

This interview is with Jared Lloyd of Naked Grazing. In this interview, Jared speaks about growing up in farming and livestock in western Colorado, and learning to become a shepherd. He talks about how he grew his flock and started an interest in wine, as well as grazing-based agriculture.

He then talks about coming to Oregon and using his herds to start viticulture programs while also working in the vineyards himself. From there, he talks about starting Naked Grazing, and how it has grown and will continue to evolve.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt on July 12, 2024 at Laughlin Ranch in Yamhill.

This interview is with Mike and Patty Green of Deux Vert Vineyard. In this interview, Mike and Patty talk about their lives and time in the Oregon Wine Industry. 

Mike and Patty talk about meeting and getting married before Mike had to serve. They also share about their first careers before they became involved with the wine industry. Later in the interview, the couple dives into finding the perfect farmland and starting Deux Vert Vineyard. 

Mike and Patty talk about all things vineyard, from varietals to challenges. They also share what they are looking ahead to as they are now retired and simply enjoying life. 

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at the Green’s home inNewberg, Oregon on July 10, 2024.

This interview is with Jeff Quatraro of Augustine's Restaurant. In this interview, Jeff speaks about his passion for cooking and knowing that being a chef was what he wanted to do from a young age. He talks about the path he took, working in different parts of different restaurants before finding himself in Oregon.

He speaks about deciding he wanted his own restaurant and how he found Augustine's, and all about the wine and food and community served there. He also talks about his work at a number of other Oregon restaurants before finishing his career working for Reser's Fine Foods. Along the way, he talks about his excitement about working with the growing Oregon wine industry and the wine community he got to know and support.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Linfield University in McMinnville on July 11, 2024.

This interview is with Evan Rose, a winemaker at Stoller Family Estate. In this interview, Evan talks about his early love for wine and how his passion paved his career path.

Evan shares about his childhood and growing up in Ohio. He dives into how he stumbled upon wine at the ripe young age of fifteen and has never looked back. He goes on to talk about his first wine job as a kid and how his wine passion was ignited.

Later in the interview, Evan shares about some of his mentors and most memorable moments related to his path in wine. He also talks about finding Stoller and his recent promotion.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt on July 9, 2024 at Stoller Family Estate in Dayton.