The Oregon Wine History Archive Podcast

This interview is with AJ Weinzettel of Weinnotes. In this interview, AJ speaks about his upbringing in Tennessee and how his passion for wine began when he moved to Oregon. His interests in technology and science go hand in hand with his love for sharing stories over a glass of wine.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Hazelfern Cellars on November 3, 2021.

This interview is with Elaine Brown, a traveling wine writer. She starts off talking about the transition from higher education to the wine industry and the challenges of writing about wine. Elaine also discusses her favorite things to write about and the future of the industry.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Linfield College on February 26th, 2018.

This interview is with Dick Erath of Erath Winery. In this interview, Dick shares his experience of working in the Oregon wine industry. He speaks about the benchmark moments in the Oregon Wine Industry, tells stories about others in the industry, and goes over struggles the industry faced - like the appearance of phylloxera. He describes the early days at Erath, as well as the challenges and questions he encountered. He discusses growing his business, selling his wine, and adapting as the industry grew. He also talks about the past and present of Oregon Wine and predicts what will be in its future.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Linfield University Library in McMinnville on May 27, 2021.

This interview is with Diana Schultz of Augustina Cellars. In this interview, Diana speaks about her passion for art, creative ventures, and storytelling. She discusses her involvement in theater and dance, which have aided her love of travel and taken her to California, New York, and Oregon. She tells us that along the way she discovered an interest in wine and began learning all she could. Diana describes what it is like now educating others about wine, her teaching philosophy, and the types of classes she leads. She also shares the story of her own brand Augustina Cellars and everything she has planned for the future - which hopefully includes a trip to Italy to complement her love of Italian Wines!

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Nicholson Library in McMinnville on July 18th, 2022.

This interview is with Dennis and Marlene Grant of Parrett Mountain Cellars. In this interview, the couple speak about building their business and figuring out how to make wine. They describe the process of finding grapes, forming their brand, and selling their product. They also talk about making big reds, building their tasting room, and creating a wine club.

The couple talk about teaching people who are curious about wine, making wines they enjoy, and delighting in the interactions they have with others in the Oregon Wine community. They go on describe the giving nature of the Oregon Wine Industry, where people are always willing to help, give advice, or lend tools.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Parrett Mountain Cellars in Newberg on May 20, 2021.

This interview is with David Hendrickson of Carola Wines. In this interview, David speaks about his love of wine, cider, and surfing. David shares stories from his journey so far and discusses how he learned about the winemaking process. He talks about his interest in cider and describes his methodology, including how he collects his apples and sells his product. His brand is just beginning, but David goes over his plans for the future and what he hopes to accomplish.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at David’s home in Wheeler on June 17th, 2022.

This oral history interview is with David Brown of Mitchell Wine Group and Threemile Vineyard. David talks about growing up in Portland and being intrigued by growing things and building businesses from an early age. He talks about starting the Mitchell Wine Group, building a team and his leadership philosophy.

Later, he talks about finding, purchasing and developing Threemile Vineyard in The Dalles, as well as looking at the future of the Oregon wine industry, specifically in the Columbia Gorge.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at David's home in Wilsonville on April 7, 2022.

This interview is with Danie Lafayette and Drew White of Lafayette & White Cellars. In this interview, the two speak about the new wine brand they are starting together. Danie also discusses her current work at Wine by Joe and Dobbes Family Estate, while Drew speaks about his role at Walnut City Wineworks.

The duo describe the process so far, the “hopeful terror” they feel when people try their wine, and the lessons they’ve learned about running a small business. They also talk about about their favorite mentors in the industry and what it was like harvesting their second vintage in 2020 when the skies were orange.

Fun fact: their label design is inspired by wine’s relationship with terroir and Danie’s love of dinosaurs!

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Rocky Hill Vineyard in McMinnville on July 15th, 2022.

This oral history interview is with Dana Frank of Bar Norman in Portland. Dana talks about her introduction to wine and all the various roles she's had in the industry in Oregon. She always felt that service was her calling, and eventually started her own wine bar to focus on natural wines and serving customers.

She also talks about the growth of the Oregon industry and the adjustments she and her team made to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Bar Norman in Portland on March 3, 2022.

This interview is with Dan Duryee of Lady Hill Winery. Dan was a semi-professional soccer player turned elementary school science teacher before finally discovering winemaking. In this interview, Dan speaks about beginning his wine journey working in restaurants and getting a job in Cana’s Feast Winery, where he stayed for 11 years. He also discusses his current role as Winemaker at Lady Hill Winery. Dan compares his work as a wine seller versus a wine maker, and explains how his chemist background adds to his style. He talks about how the Oregon palate has progressed throughout his 16 years in the industry and what he expects to see in the future of Oregon winemaking.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Nicholson Library on June 6th, 2022.