The Oregon Wine History Archive Podcast

This interview is with KC Marold of Winderlea Vineyard and Winery. In this interview, KC speaks about her time at Linfield, specifically her time studying abroad and landing her first job in a tasting room. She talks about gaining experience in the wine industry, including her first harvest, interning in New Zealand, and working in the lab. She also talks about her experience selling wine, meeting people, and traveling.

Later, KC talks about her role as National Sales and Marketing Manager for Winderlea. KC also discusses the effects of 2020 fires on her work. She finishes by talking about the changes she’s seen in the Oregon Wine Industry and what she sees in the future of Oregon and herself.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt outside Nicholson Library in McMinnville on May 17, 2021.

This interview is with Kerry McDaniel Boenisch. In this interview, Kerry shares what it was like growing up on a vineyard, and how it influenced her to stay in the wine business. She is the owner of DirtVineWine, which provides media and communications for the food and beverage industry. Kerry is also an author, consultant, and more.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt in Dundee, Oregon on October 28, 2021.

This interview with Kevin and Carla Chambers focuses on their time in the Oregon wine industry. In the interview they talk about how they got into wine, the different roles they took on in the industry and the wine culture in Oregon.

This interview took place in the Austin Reading Room at Linfield College on April 21, 2016 by Rich Schmidt and Jordan Hitchcock.

This interview is with Kimberly Conyers of BitCork. In this interview, Kimberly speaks about her experiences with Oregon Wine - the good and the bad. She talks briefly about her life before wine and then goes over all the jobs she’s had in the industry, including her work at Eola Hills, BitCork, Archer, and Pioneer Packaging. She describes her work on the buying side, selling side, and packaging side. She also compares being a buyer to being a seller, and describes the hardest parts of distributing. She goes over what stories resonate with others and what stories get people sales. At the end, Kimberly discusses COVID-19 and what short-term and long-term changes she foresees in the Oregon Wine Industry.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Cafe du Berry in Portland on June 8, 2021.

This interview is with Kirk Sutherland of Erde Wines. In this interview, Kirk talks about his experience with wine and his journey into the Oregon wine world. He speaks about developing his palate, initially through coffee and later through wine and wine tastings. He goes over what it was like living on the East Coast and how that experienced compared after moving to Oregon. He describes his wine education, the various jobs he’s held in the industry, and what he’s been able to accomplish so far. Later, he talks about his new project Erde Wines. Kirk tells us why decided to tackle this new project, the first steps he took, and what success he has seen so far. He goes on to tell us how he chose the name, what his goals are for the brand, and what it was like starting Erde Wines in 2020. Kirk ends by discussing the challenges that quarantine and the 2020 fires brought as well as what he’s hoping to see in the future for himself and his business.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Coava Coffee in Portland on August 6, 2021.

This interview is with Kristen Marchesi of Beck Family Estates. In this interview, Kristin talks about growing up around wine and eventually entering the industry herself. She goes over some over her original interests, including theater and the culinary world, and explains how she began working for her dad, who was running a winery. She describes what it was like working as the daughter of the company’s owner and the challenges that came with that. She speaks about learning the sales ropes and figuring out how to sell biodynamic wine.

Kristin talks about the nature of marketing biodynamic wine and customer response to it. She also discusses what it was like when her dad sold the winery and what she found herself doing after that. Later, she speaks about her work at Beck Family Estates and how being at home during quarantine affected her work.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Abbott Claim Winery in Carlton on April 28, 2021.

This interview is with Larry Ferar of Soderstrom Architects. Larry talks about his education and path into architecture, and how a chance meeting with David Adelsheim led him down the road of designing wineries and tasting rooms.

Larry talked about the challenges of designing wine buildings, and the research that he undertook along the way, as well as the changes in what clients want from winery spaces. His list of projects is extensive, mainly in Oregon but also in California, Canada, Washington and New Zealand. He talks about some of his favorite projects and some of the things he's proudest of.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Soderstrom in Portland on April 21, 2022.

This Oral History Interview is with Larry Miller of Stangeland Vineyards. Larry talks about how he found an enjoyment for wine, and how his family happened to own a site that was ideal for grape growing. From there, Stangeland was born and slowly grew, first as a vineyard and later as a winery too.

Larry also talks about the growth of the Oregon wine industry, specifically around him in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA and about the people he's met through the wine industry who have been meaningful to him.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt on February 18, 2022 at Stangeland Vineyards in Salem.

This interview is with Ron Acierto of ōkta Restaurant in McMinnville. In this interview, Ron speaks about his journey from a village in the far north of the Philippines to ōkta, where he has served as the Wine and Beverage Director since its opening six months ago.

Ron shared how Filipino culture shaped his approach to hospitality, and how his interest in fine dining and wine began in a retirement home in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He also discussed how his approach to wine programs has evolved from his first California-name-heavy lists in Indianapolis to the up-and-coming Oregon-focused lists he now produces. Towards the end of our chat, he shared his observations regarding current and anticipated trends in the Oregon wine industry and personal hopes for the future.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at ōkta in McMinnville on December 19, 2022.

This interview is with Larry Stone of Lingua Franca. In this interview, Larry takes us through his journey to where he is today: moving from developing a passion for food and wine from a very young age, to his chemistry background, to his work in the humanities, to becoming the best sommelier in the world, and later becoming a Master sommelier. Larry’s knowledge of food and wine takes him to describing the various places that he worked at, the accomplishments that he has had in the wine world and restaurant business, to the process of coming to Oregon and starting Lingua Franca. Towards the end of the interview, Larry speaks about his decision in choosing what to plant and farm organically, building the brand of Lingua Franca with the goal of accurately reflecting place within each wine and creating world peace through wine to bring people together. To conclude, Larry touches on the future for Lingua Franca, offers advice for people looking to pursue their dreams, the future for the Oregon Wine Industry, and what he’s most proud of thus far.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Lingua Franca on August 8, 2019.