The Oregon Wine History Archive Podcast

This interview is with Calli Daly and Deven Morganstern of Joyful Noise. They began the interview with speaking about their upbringings and education, their lives before wine, and how they met.

Later, they spoke about starting out making garage wine, and how their business has progressed over the past few years. Next, they shared about their winemaking and business philosophies. Calli and Deven spoke about working with single vineyards in their wine and the benefits of doing so. They spoke about their relationship with R. Stuart and the collaborative nature of the wine industry.

Towards the end of the interview they spoke about the bright future they see for Oregon wine. Calli and Deven reflected on the changes in the industry and then looked to the future. To conclude, they gave their advice to be open and willing to try all aspects of the wine industry when starting out.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt on June 22, 2021 in McMinnville.

This interview is with Scotty and Jennifer Henry of Season Cellars. In this interview, the couple speak about their lives growing up in wine country. Both of them came from Oregon wine families and together they have over 60 years of winemaking experience. The couple go on to talk about their 10-year-old brand Season Cellars and describe what it is like making Southern Oregon wine with varieties like Malbec, Grenache, and Syrah. They also share their notes on different wine properties and wine pairings.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Season Cellars in Roseburg on June 24th, 2022.

This interview is with Sofia Torres-McKay and Ryan McKay of Cramoisi Vineyard. In this interview, the couple speak about each of their lives before wine, how they met, and what got them interested in Oregon Wine. They talk about beginning Cramoisi Vineyard and go through their learning process of how to grow, make, and sell wine. They also discuss biodynamic farming, naming their brand, and creating their tasting room and wine club.

Sofia discusses her role as Co-Founder and Vice President of AHIVOY, a non-profit aiming to empower and educate Vineyard Stewards and create opportunities for Latinx and Hispanic vineyard workers. She goes over the program's origins, its milestones, and what she sees in its future.

Later, the couple describe the year 2020 and what the pandemic and harvest fires meant for their lives and their business. At the end, they talk about the growth of the industry and what they see for the future of themselves, Cramoisi, and Oregon Wine.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Cramoisi Tasting Room in Dundee on June 4, 2021.

This interview is with Spencer Spetnagel of Durant Vineyards. In this interview, Spencer speaks about his childhood in Tennessee, his college education in Atlanta, Georgia, and his eventual career in wine. He tells us that, while completing his undergrad, he waited tables in fine dining and quickly realized the impact wine has on consumers and the environment. He talks about his time working in Sonoma, California where he learned the ins and outs of winemaking. From there, Spencer shares that he traveled to New Zealand to pursue an organic chemistry education. Later, he also discusses his move to Oregon and his current role as Winemaker for Durant Vineyards.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Durant Vineyards in Dayton on July 12, 2022.

This interview is with Bruce Sonnen of Van Duzer Vineyards. In this interview, Bruce speaks finding viticulture through landscaping, and then working to hone his craft at a number of vineyards before coming to work for Van Duzer.

He talks about his time at Van Duzer and how the project has matured, as well as some of the things he's proudest of, and of how he's seen Oregon's wine industry change in the time he's been part of it.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Van Duzer Vineyards on August 19, 2022.

This interview is with Bethany Kimmel. In this interview, Bethany speaks about her love for Oregon wine and what drew her to the industry.

She talks about her love of music and art, and how they connect to the processes of making and enjoying wine.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt in White Salmon, Wash., on March 30, 2022.

This interview is with Sterling Whitted of Holden Wine Company. In this interview, Sterling talks about how he got into wine, how he got his education, what it was like starting Holden Wine Company, his vision, how his perception of wine has changed, what he looks for in his wines, his label design, and how the pandemic has affected his wine life. Towards the end of the interview, Sterling reflects on what he sees for the future for himself and the industry,

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Sterling’s home in Sheridan on August 11, 2020.

This interview is with Bill and Sandy Sanchez of Potter’s Vineyard. In this interview, the couple speak about how they were inspired to make their own wine and create their own tasting room. They describe finding and purchasing Laura Volkman’s estate vineyard in 2012 and go over the process of making it their own. They also discuss why they wanted to combine wine and art, specifically clay art and pottery. They go over building their brand, finding local artists, and refining their winemaking style. The couple also talks about the experiences they wanna customers to have, focusing on a relaxing and comfortable environment. Near the end, they discuss the most recent vintage, 2020 and what that year had in store for them.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Potter’s Vineyard in Newberg on July 27, 2021.

This interview is with Steve Saxton of Bravuro Cellars. In this interview, Steve speaks about what inspired him to enter the wine industry. He compares California’s wines and wine tasting experiences to that of Oregon’s. He then goes on to talk about why he chose to set up shop in Oregon and what his initial goals were for Bravuro Cellars. He describes the process of starting the business, which included buying land, selecting a name, and choosing the brand’s missions. He goes over the experience he wants customers to have when tasting their wines, as well as, the steps he takes to bring about the desired experience. Steve also discusses how he learned to make wine and source ingredients, as well as how his winemaking style has grown. Later, he speaks about the pandemic and what he wants the future of Bravuro Cellars to look like.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Bravuro Cellars in Amity on July 7, 2021.

This interview is with Steven Westby of Witness Tree Vineyard. In this interview, Steven speaks about his college life where his interest in wine began with a project on the grapevine. He goes on to talk about working in a wine shop, backpacking across Europe, and later returning to work as a wine buyer for another store. He discusses his work as Winemaker and Vineyard Manager for Witness Tree Vineyard, shares some stories about his time there, and describes his winemaking process. Later, he talks about what he sees changing in the Oregon Wine Industry, what he sees in the future of the Oregon Wine community, and what advice he has for those interested in working with wine.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Witness Tree Vineyard in Salem on May 19, 2021.