The Oregon Wine History Archive Podcast

This oral history interview is with Jess Sandrock. Jess talks about her accidental introduction to wine through a love of horticulture and her discovery of a love of teaching. Her work as an instructor at Chemeketa Community College and with the nonprofit AHIVOY are discussed, as are the changes in the Oregon wine industry and some possibilities for the future.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Linfield University on February 22, 2022.

This interview is with Joe Cushman of Threemile Vineyard. Joe talks about growing up in a wine family, and being surrounded by it - if not necessarily enamored with it - from a young age. He then talks about discovering a love of viticulture through horticulture, and developing his passion while attending Oregon State University.

Later, Joe talks about returning to the Columbia Gorge and working with a number of vineyards, even starting his own vineyard management company, before coming to work at Threemile. He talks about the development of the vineyard, and of the Gorge in general, and about his views on the future of Oregon wine.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Threemile Vineyard in The Dalles on June 3, 2022.

This interview is with Joe Wright of Left Coast Cellars. In this interview, Joe speaks about his upbringing, his early interests, and why he decided to move from Southern California to Oregon. He talks about learning the ins and outs of winemaking, as well as, his first experiences in the Oregon Wine Industry. He also shares stories and discusses memorable moments in his wine career. He goes on to talk about his growth as a winemaker and describes his style and philosophy when it comes to making wine.

Later, Joe describes his work at Left Coast Cellars. He also discusses his own label and what he has planned for his future. At the end, he offers advice for anyone interested in joining the world of wine.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Left Coast Cellars in Rickreall on June 15, 2021.

This interview is with Joel Gunderson of Coopers Hall. In this interview, Joel speaks of his journey from poet to Restaurant/Winery and Taproom owner. He begins with his unconventional early childhood, falling in love and moving to Portland, and his decision to pursue a career in the wine industry for his child and romantic vision of life. Joel speaks about getting his certification through the International Sommeliers Guild, and serving as the Wine Director for Restaurant St. Jack. He tells of learning how to buy wine for a restaurant and explains his method that works for him. In this interview, Joel gives in great detail his hospitality philosophy and how his goal is to make sure his guests feel safe, have fun, and have an authentic experience. Joel goes on to speak about his partnership at Coopers Hall and describes the stunning space, his unique experience with getting fine wines into kegs, and the decision to have wine on tap. Towards the end of the interview, Joel tells his hopes and fears for the future of the Oregon Wine Industry, some changes he hopes to see, and explains some of the impact COVID-19 has had on his space already. Finally, Joel tells what he sees as wine’s role in society.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Coopers Hall in Portland on June 23, 2020.

This interview is with Matt Vuylsteke of Amaterra Winery. In this interview, Matt speaks about growing up around wine in the Portland area and his subsequent study of winemaking and the industry at Oregon State.

Matt and his wife Nancy started 51Weeks Winemaking as a passion project while Matt worked in government and consulting related to wine sales.

Matt discusses working with the team at Amaterra to develop architecture and technology to support Amaterra’s gravity-flow winemaking technique, as well as his impressions of the Oregon wine industry past, present, and future.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Amaterra Winery in Portland on January 11, 2023.

This interview is with Cheryl Wakerhauser of Pix Pâtisserie. In this interview, Cheryl speaks about growing up in Wisconsin and then, through traveling abroad, finding a deep passion for French baking. She eventually came to Portland and started making confections and growing a business.

Along the way, Cheryl started building a wine list - focused largely on sparkling wine - that would win international awards. Learning about wine, and finding things to pair with it, helped her turn Pix into a Portland staple.

She talks about her recent retirement and what comes next, as well as the myriad of challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic and what she's seen in the Oregon wine industry.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Pix Pâtisserie on January 4, 2023.

This interview is with Jonathan Oberlander of J. Scott Cellars. In this interview, Jonathan speaks about his time before wine, back when he was a self-described “surf bum.” He talks about his first job out of college as a wine and spirits distributer, which exposed him to the idea of winemaking as a career. Jonathan discusses his decision to enroll in the winemaking school at Cal State Fresno and what the wine education contained. Later, Jonathan describes post-grad life working as assistant winemaker with Bernardus and later at Silvan Ridge. He also shares what it is like running his own brand, his interest for variety, and his experience working with over 30 varietals.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at the J. Scott Cellars tasting room in Eugene on July 13, 2022.

This interview is with Josh McDaniels of Doubleback Winery and Bledsoe Family Winery. In this interview, Josh speaks about growing up in Walla Walla and starting his own winery in high school. He talks about why he was attracted to wine in the first place and what it was like learning the ins and outs of winemaking and viticulture. He goes over his experience working with Chris Figgins at Leonetti and his time interning in Argentina. Josh also describes his work with Drew Bledsoe and his goals as winemaker for their labels. Later, Josh talks about Walla Walla’s development when it concerns winemaking and what he hopes to see in its future.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Nicholson Library in McMinnville on June 23, 2022.

This interview is with Josh Segal of Prufrock Wines. In this interview, Josh talked about his career working in music, including creating scores for films and touring with a number of bands. He found his interest in wine while on a tour bus, and started down the path of wine education and discovery.

That path eventually led him to Oregon, and into wine sales and distribution. He talks about getting into that world, and then starting his own business with Prufrock Wines. And as an added bonus, this talented musician wraps the interview with a saxophone solo.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Prufrock Wines on July 25, 2022.

This interview is with Juan Pablo Valot and Doris Cancel-Tirado of Valcan Cellars. In this interview, the couple speak about how they met and what began their interest in the wine industry. They talk about why they decided to move to Oregon and they compare the Argentina and Oregon Wine industries. They go on to describe the Oregon environment and community and what their first experiences were like.

Later they discuss Valcan Cellars and what it was like releasing their own label in 2017. They go over the process of creating a family label and how they decided on the name, branding, and goals. They go over the different roles they fill for their business and talk about what they first envisioned for Valcan.

They each tell different stories of their time in the industry so far and what wine means to them. Throughout, they emphasize the importance of family, friends, and relationships. At the end, they go over the projects they are working on for Valcan and what they hope for in the future.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Linfield University in McMinnville on May 5, 2021.