The Oregon Wine History Archive Podcast

This interview is with Patrick Taylor of Cana’s Feast. In this interview, Patrick speaks about how he ended up in the wine industry. He describes his time studying viticulture and enology at OSU, traveling abroad, and working his first harvests. He then talks about Cana’s Feast and how he came to work there. He goes over his role as winemaker, the decisions he makes in regards to the wine, and recounts some of his favorite memories. Patrick also talks about how Cana’s Feast has changed and grown since he began working there in 2004. Later, he discusses some of his other projects and his hopes for the future of himself and Cana’s Feast.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Cana’s Feast in Carlton on August 5, 2021.

This interview is with Phil Taratko of Artisan Barrels. Originally from Long Island, Phil speaks about his decision to move out west to attend University of Oregon where he was also given the opportunity to travel and study in Lyon, France. He talks about his initial interest in becoming a chef and his experiences working in restaurants. Even though those restaurants focused on beer, Phil explains how he eventually got the opportunity to work in a wine tasting room, which later gave him a chance to work in production.

Phil speaks about how he mastered the ins and outs of wine, often saying “Best way to learn is to teach.” He also talks about his first three harvests, his work in New Zealand, his experience apprenticing , and his time at Beckham Estate. Later, he discusses what drew him to his current position with Artisan Barrels and the new relationship it offers him with the wine industry.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Nicholson Library on June 1, 2022.

This Oral History Interview is with Piper Underbrink of Privé Vineyard. A native of Florida, Piper started her winemaking journey in California and Utah, before discovering her love of Oregon wine and purchasing Privé right before the COVID-19 lockdown.

In this interview she talks about her journey through the industry, her introduction to the Oregon Wine industry during the pandemic, and the exciting future of the vineyard and winery.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt on January 27, 2022 at Privé Vineyard in Newberg.

This interview is with Rachael Woody, who started the Oregon Wine History Archives at Linfield University. In this interview, she shares the history of the Oregon Wine History Archive itself. At the start, she speaks about her early life, education, and initial interest in archives. She takes us through her time at Pacific University where she studied History and Anthropology, and then through her time at Simmons University where she studied Archives Management. Rachael then describes the work she did after earning her Archives degree, which included working at the Smithsonian where she became a Project Manager and Program Coordinator responsible for promoting and organizing the Smithsonian Collections Blog.

Later, Rachael discusses her move back to Oregon and why she made the decision to become Director of Archives at what was then Linfield College. She talks about the establishing the Oregon Wine History Archive and goes over the steps they took to make it successful. She shares her favorite memories of the job, as well as the successes and difficulties that stand out. Rachael also discusses the initial goals of the Oregon Wine History Archive, going on to talk about how the archives has met those goals, what it has accomplished, and what she hopes it can do in its future.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Ponzi Vineyards in Sherwood on July 30, 2021.

This interview is with Rachel Rose, the winemaker at Bryn Mawr Vineyards. In this interview, Rachel describes her unconventional upbringing, how she got into wine through her passion for the culinary world, the education she received, and her time studying Viticulture and Oenology in Australia. She then goes on to speak about what it was like coming to Oregon and working harvest at Ponzi and eventually making her way to help develop vineyards at Bryn Mawr. Later, Rachel talks about the Innovation Series at Bryn Mawr, work-life balance, and being a woman winemaker in the wine industry. Towards the end of the interview, Rachel touches on what she sees within the future, and what she has had to change over the past few months due to COVID-19. To conclude, she speaks of the changes in the Oregon wine industry since she started and what the role of wine in society is.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Bryn Mawr on June 29, 2020.

This oral history interview is with Ray Walsh of Capitello Wines. Ray talks about growing up in New Zealand, discovering an enthusiasm for wine production in Europe, and then pursuing wine education and eventually coming to Oregon.

He then talks about working at King Estate, starting his own label and working on a variety of other projects. He also talks about the changes he's seen in Oregon and how he's handled the past couple difficult years.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Territorial Vineyards and Wine Company in Eugene on March 10, 2022.

This interview is with Carrie Kalscheuer of Rex Hill Wines and A to Z Wineworks. In this interview, Carrie speaks about her life before wine and the years before she moved to Oregon. She talks about her love for travel and how a few months spent in Florence Italy led to the discovery of a wine passion. She realized it was what she wanted to pursue, loving that it was a connector and educator that would allow her to travel places just through a glass. Carrie describes her arrival in Oregon, including how she landed her job at Rex Hill Wines. She also discusses the wine certifications she has earned, the committees she has served on, and the responsibilities she has as Director of Sales and Education at Rex Hill and A to Z Wineworks. Later, Carrie even shares her motto and advice to others: “Always say yes and take every opportunity.”

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Rex Hill Wines in Newberg on July 11, 2022.

This interview is with Remy Drabkin of Remy Wines. This is a follow-up from our first interview with Remy back in 2017. In this interview, Remy speaks about Wine Country Pride and the upcoming Queer Wine Festival. She describes the process of putting the festival together, their objectives, and the community’s reactions so far. She tells us about the national attention the festival has received and the contributers they have from Oregon, Washington, and California. She also goes over what it is like being mayor of McMinnville, sharing some of the projects she’s working on and the new responsibilities she has.

Later, Remy talks about her own brand: Remy Wines. She discusses how her business has changed and what they are currently working on. She also goes over what it is like balancing her role as mayor, winemaker, festival coordinator, and queer individual. At the end, Remy speaks about the goals she has for herself, the wine industry, and the city of McMinnville.

To check out our first conversation with Remy follow the link:

https://youtu.be/aY_D5dZfOnc

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Remy Wines in Dayton on June 15th, 2022.

This interview is with Rob Schultz of Nomia Vineyard. In this interview, Rob talks about how he got into wine, his experiences traveling, and what led him to Oregon. He speaks about what made him want to start growing his own grapes, his philosophy, and the meaning behind Nomia Vineyards. Towards the end of the interview, Rob touches on how he’s handled the recent pandemic, what he sees for the future of Oregon wine and organic farming, and for himself.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Nomia Vineyards on July 6, 2020.

This interview is with Robert Lauer of Botaniety. In this interview, Robert speaks about his journey through the wine world, which so far has taken him from Michigan to California to New Zealand to Oregon. He goes over his initial interest in wine and the process of developing his palate and learning about the different regions of wine. He then talks about his decision to pursue winemaking instead of becoming a Sommelier. Robert takes us through his time spent studying wine and viticulture at UC Davis, as well as his time working with Growing Relations Manager Doug Spinger of Mumm Napa where he got to scout vineyard sources. Later, Robert talks about his move to Oregon and his work at Botaniety. He discusses his role at the brand, what his winemaking strategy is, and what he’s looking forward to in the future for him and the label.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Robert’s home in Salem on August 2, 2021.