The Oregon Wine History Archive Podcast

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 discuss his role in the olive oil business and speaks about how wine and oil compliment each other. Towards the end of the interview, Paul discusses why he doesn’t blend wines, his business model of wanting people to have a real connection to the land and farm, the future for his business, as well as the future of the Oregon Wine Industry itself.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Durant Vineyards on June 4, 2019.

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 the interview, the couple acknowledge how fortunate they are to have built something that has lasted and that can survive, as well as what they see for the future of the Oregon Wine Industry.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt on June 4, 2019.

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 to Linfield and the generous donation she and her husband gave to the new wine program.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Domaine Serene on August 24, 2018.

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 Library at Linfield College.

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 starting their vineyard, as well as the big help they received from multiple sources. Scott shares what it is about Pinot that is so captivating. Lisa also offers her reasoning as to why they chose to farm sustainably: “We always used our hearts to follow he direction that we needed to go.” They also tell the story of how they got the fitting name Coeur de Terre, translating to “rock of the earth.” Towards the latter part of the interview, the couple talk about how they make their partnership work with the business, the future of Coeur de Terre, and the Oregon Wine Industry.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Coeur de Terre vineyard on January 15th, 2019.

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 gapes.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Jimmy’s home at Banks, Oregon on June 12th, 2018.

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 College on July 13, 2017.

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 industry, as well as his own business. He believes that there will be a change in climate and culture that will result in sub AVAs breaking apart and establishing themselves with different grape varieties. Toward the end, Chad discusses his hopes to donate and turn his business into a non-profit organization to create an independently funded trade school to help people learn about the many aspects of the wine industry. He wants to create something that can be perpetuated for years and last generations beyond him.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Craft Wine Cellars on August 2, 2018.

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’ companionship and open-mindedness as characteristics that continue to define the rapidly growing industry today. The interview concludes with Doerner elaborating on the hardships he had to overcome as a winemaker and the importance of patience with regard to the winemaking process.

This interview was conducted by Camille Weber on February 5, 2015.

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 putting in their own vineyard. Both parties were skeptical with the little farming experience Dick and Betty had, but later they got the “okay” by her parents and they began with five acres. Over the years they learned the ups and downs of grape growing and established themselves as significant grape growers in the area.

In this interview, the O’Briens share the story of how they entered the wine industry, their background, and how they continue to be involved. The O’Briens offer insight based on their own learning experiences “doing things the ‘Oregon’ way.”

This interview was conducted by Camille Weber on March 5, 2015.