The Oregon Wine History Archive Podcast

The Oregon Wine History Archive
  • 4.8 (13)
  • Society & Culture

The Oregon Wine History Archive at Linfield University was created to collect, preserve, share, and continue the narrative of Oregon wine. The growth of the Oregon wine industry extends from the farmers and winemakers to the marketers, scientists, innovators, and dreamers of the enterprise — all of whom are vital to the industry’s success. It is our aim to link the past, present, and future of the industry in hopes of sharing the story of Oregon wine. Some oral history interviews are conducted on site and may contain background noise from nature, winery, or tasting room operations.

  1. 2d ago

    Myles Nelson: Oral History Interview

    This interview is with Myles Nelson of Jachter Family Wines. In this interview, Myles discusses his many different experiences within the industry and how he ended up at Jachter. Myles talks about starting in sociology at Fresno State until he experienced their wine program. His friend was a viticulture major so he decided to take an intro wine class, eventually changing his major to enology. From there, Myles participated in many different internships including vineyard scout, lab assistant, viticulture technician, and harvest intern. These internships took him to California, Australia, and eventually Oregon where he settled at Gran Moraine for 9 years. Myles discusses his time at Gran Moraine and moving up the ranks. Myles started at Gran Moraine in 2016 where he experienced gradual growth throughout the years. Before Myles made the transition to Jachter, he was the assistant winemaker at Gran Moraine and felt that he was ready to take the next step of becoming head winemaker. Due to his love and comfort with Gran Moraine, Myles waited for the perfect opportunity to make the transition to a different winery as head winemaker. Looking at jobs online, Myles found the position at Jachter which had the young, family feel that Myles appreciated. Later in the interview, Myles talks about his beginnings at Jachter and hopes for the future. After meeting the crew, Myles was confident he made the right decision. It was his first harvest with Jachter that cemented his thoughts about his future with Jachter. Myles is excited to continue making wines at Jachter and getting to know the vineyard better. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Jachter Family Wines in Newberg on July 30, 2026.

  2. 3d ago

    Cassondra Bird: Oral History Interview

    This interview is with Cassondra Bird of The Scout Wine Bar. In this interview, Cassondra discusses growing her passion and education of wine.  Cassondra talks about starting in restaurants and hospitality, developing a love for serving others. It was when she moved to Spain for a year that she was engulfed in the word of wine. She enjoyed that wine was apart of everyday life in Spain, something she was unfamiliar with. While working in restaurants, Cassondra continued to learn about wine even becoming a certified sommelier in 2018. Cassondra thought she would always be in restaurants until 2020 changes her plans. During this time, Cassondra got her WSET diploma and worked a harvest in California. Cassondra discusses her next steps after the pandemic and how she got to where she is now. Cassondra switched gears and started working in wine PR with Play Nice Public Relations. It was when her best friend since high school’s husband, and now business partner, approached Cassondra and asked her to start a wine bar with him that The Scout became a twinkle in their eyes. After a lot of hard work, The Scout was officially opened in 2025. The wine bar also sells beer, ciders, and even has a monthly book club. Later in the interview, Cassondra talks about the future of The Scout and the Oregon wine industry. Cassondra has started teaching wine courses at the wine bar and has been asked by club members to increase the number of courses. As for the Oregon wine industry, Cassondra believes that the grapes Oregon isn’t famous for are going to explode in popularity. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at The Scout Wine Bar in Gresham on July 29, 2026.

  3. 3d ago

    Shaun Vrooman: Oral History Interview

    This interview is with Shaun Vrooman of Adelsheim Vineyard. In this interview, Shaun discusses his journey to wine and time spent at Adelsheim. Shaun talks about starting in hospitality through restaurants, bars, and eventually fine dining. While working in fine dining, Shaun got to experience wine. Shaun learned about wine through tasting and went through the beginnings of becoming a sommelier before he decided he wanted to make wine himself. When deciding where he wanted to do his first harvest, he took a road trip across the west coast and decided the spot would be Oregon before the trip was over. Shaun discusses his first harvest at Adelsheim and his decision to stay. Shaun’s first harvest at Adelsheim was in 2016, a time when the industry was experience immense growth. Shaun learned a lot about the industry his first harvest by asking a lot of questions and loved the Adelsheim environment. After harvest, Shaun was offered a full-time job as cellar hand at Adelsheim in 2017. Throughout Shaun’s 11 harvests with Adlesheim, he kept moving up the ranks. From cellar master to assistant winemaker to now head winemaker, Shaun has devoted a lot of hard work to Adelsheim. Later in the interview, Shaun talks about the future of the Oregon wine industry. Since Shaun joined the industry during a successful time, he has seen the industry change throughout the years. Shaun believes that the industry is all about cycles and it will see success again. He believes there is still growth to be had and the people within the industry have a natural resilience.   This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Adelsheim Vineyard in Newberg on July 28, 2026.

  4. 3d ago

    Rich Cushman: Oral History Interview

    This interview is with Rich Cushman of Viento Wines. In this interview, Rich revisits his Oregon wine story and shares updates on his journey since his previous interview in 2014. Rich talks about the spark that set him on the winemaking path. Rich took a tasting class at Oregon State University in 1977 and fell in love with wine. With a passion for science and art, Rich decided to get his masters at UC Davis. After graduating, Rich did a harvest internship in Germany in 1980 where he learned a lot about the winemaker he wanted to become. When he returned, a friend gave him his extra vines so Rich planted them in 1981, creating his brand Viento Wines.  Rich discusses his role in the industry now that he is pseudo-retired. Rich still has five clients that he guides throughout harvest. Rich also has two sons that are involved in the wine industry as well. His son, Peter, is a winemaker at Jacob Williams and his son, Joe, is on the vineyard side at Threemile Vineyard. Rich is incredibly proud that his children continue to contribute to the Oregon wine industry. As for himself, Rich currently enjoys gardening, cooking, cycling, swimming, and traveling. Later in the interview, Rich talks about the changes he has seen within the Oregon wine industry since his beginnings in the 80s. Rich believes that wine used to be more simple and friendly even though he claims it is easier to make wine these days compared to when he started. He wants the truthfulness of the Oregon wine industry to be maintained, but he has hope for the future.  This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Linfield University in McMinnville on July 27, 2026.

  5. 3d ago

    Maxine Braune-Williams & Joe Williams: Oral History Interview

    This interview is with Maxine Braune-Williams & Joe Williams of DAnu Wines. In this interview, the couple discusses how hospitality got them in the wine industry. Joe talks about starting in restaurants at 14 years old. He has work every job imaginable within a restaurant, even owning his own at one point. After 30 years in the restaurant business, Joe decided to dip his toe into wine with the goal of creating his own brand. Maxine went to school at Penn State for restaurant management and did just that. She even worked in Yellowstone National Park and learned how to work with many different people. Joe discusses opening up the tasting room and bringing Maxine along. Joe started his label in 2011 and opened a tasting room in 2017. In 2019, the two started talking after meeting in the 90s and started a long-distance relationship until 2020 when Maxine moved with Joe and started helping manage the DAnu tasting room. The couple explains that they were able to survive COVID-19 because of the Hillsboro community. Now, they continue to run their small-scale tasting room. Later in the interview, the two talk about the future of the Oregon wine industry and what it needs to survive. They believe that there needs to be “the small guy” in the industry because the Oregon wine industry is about trying new things. They don’t want to loose the Oregon identity by the market being overrun by big corporations. For themselves, they plan on maintaining their role in the community and never loosing their passion for wine. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at DAnu Wines in Hillsboro on July 24, 2026.

  6. 4d ago

    Jo Spencer: Oral History Interview

    This interview is with Jo Spencer of Roth’s Fresh Markets. In this interview, Jo discusses how she views the relationships between wine and retail consumers. Jo talks about how she started drinking wine and created a brand. When Jo and her husband first met, they would drive around Oregon tasting different wines. Her husband’s mother had made fruit wines growing up, and he wanted to make some himself. After the two took wine courses at Chemeketa, they decided to open a winery in 2002 with their brand Mia Sonatina Cellars, eventually opening a tasting room in 2006 in Amity. Jo discusses how she got into being a wine steward. After her husband had passed, Jo could no longer keep their business open and decided to shift gears in her career. She wanted to stay in the wine industry and the only role that appealed to her was being a wine steward. Jo remembered that Roth’s had wine steward positions because she used to sell her wine to them. After being trained at different stores, Jo took the permanent position of wine steward at the West Salem store. Later in the interview, Jo talks about selling in the store and the future of the wine industry. Jo has learned to ask the right questions to ensure her customers are getting exactly what they are looking for. Jo has noticed that younger customers are leaning more towards Asian products compared to European wines. Jo believes that the industry should listen to their younger customers to learn what products they are looking for. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at the Roth’s Fresh Market in West Salem on July 22, 2026.

  7. 5d ago

    David, Briana, John (Soren), & Lauren Rasmussen: Oral History Interview

    This interview is with David, Briana, John (Soren), and Lauren Rasmussen of Kristin Hill Winery. In this interview, the family talks about the history of Kristin Hill and how they joined three brands under the same roof. David and Briana talk about their introductions to wine. David built pubs in the 80s and started drinking wine. His friend’s dad started making wine so he worked as an intern for him. After retiring, David decided to start making his own wine. Briana studied abroad in Europe and was able to taste a lot of wines. After returning to the U.S. and finding she had an expensive palate, she decided to get into the wine industry. Soren was born into the industry, doing work for his father while growing up, until he decided that wine was a passion for him as well, and later, he brought his wife, Lauren, into the mix. The group discusses the history of Kristin Hill and how they renovated the property. In the 80s, the Aberg family purchased Kristin Hill and started pursuing their dream of owning and operating a winery. After they decided to let the property go, along with their winery, the property sat for many years. Then in 2017, the Rasmussen family decided to purchase the property to join their brands together at the same location. While they did a lot of renovations, the family wanted to keep the legacy of Kristin Hill alive, keeping the name and selling their wines in the tasting room. Later in the interview, the family talks about running their brands and tasting rooms before purchasing the Kristin Hill property. The family lived in Newberg, but had tasting rooms in Forest Grove. They explained that they would often take two or three trips a day to get everything done for their brands while also balancing Soren’s wrestling schedule. They claim that ever since purchasing the property, their quality of life has improved immensely. Now, the family enjoys working together and creating their own legacy alongside the Kristin Hill legacy. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Kristin Hill Winery in Amity on July 21, 2026.

  8. Jul 31

    Colin Eddy: Oral History Interview

    This interview is with Colin Eddy of NW Wine Company. In this interview, Colin talks about his growth within the industry and the growth of NW Wine Company. Colin talks about growing up in Texas and working in restaurants at an early age. When he transitioned to a big steak house, his wine journey began. This restaurant offered over 100 wines by the glass and were looking for someone to manage their wine program. Colin stepped up and got to taste a plethora of wines, even traveling around the world to taste more. When Colin realized he couldn’t stay in restaurants forever, he reached out to wine reps he had worked with to switch careers. Eventually, Colin was asked to come to Oregon to work at Penner-Ash Wine Cellars until it was sold to Jackson Family Wines. James discusses his next move after losing work at Penner-Ash. Colin had known Laurent Montalieu from being at Penner-Ash and was hired at NW Wine Company through recommendations. In the 10 years he has worked with the company, they have doubled in vineyard acreage and expanded in number of employees as well. Starting in sales, Colin wanted to lead. When the company hired international sales employees, Colin rose to Senior VP of Sales. Now, he also creates his own wine at NW named after his son, Daniel Ford. Later in the interview, Colin talks about his other involvements in the Oregon wine industry. Colin has been largely involved in Oregon Pinot Camp serving as the treasurer, Vice Chair, and eventually Chair. He truly believes in the program and cannot wait to act as a mentor to future members. He was also offered a spot of the board of directors and fulfills in the role with great honor. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at NW Wine Company in Dundee on July 21, 2026.

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About

The Oregon Wine History Archive at Linfield University was created to collect, preserve, share, and continue the narrative of Oregon wine. The growth of the Oregon wine industry extends from the farmers and winemakers to the marketers, scientists, innovators, and dreamers of the enterprise — all of whom are vital to the industry’s success. It is our aim to link the past, present, and future of the industry in hopes of sharing the story of Oregon wine. Some oral history interviews are conducted on site and may contain background noise from nature, winery, or tasting room operations.

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