The Oregon Wine History Archive Podcast

This interview is with Jon Casteel, owner of Casteel Custom Bottling. In this interview, Jon dives into all things wine, equipment, and bottling. Jon talks about life growing up as a Casteel. He shares how wine has always been a huge constant in his life, but his passion has always been with equipment rather than winemaking. He then goes on to talk about how being a self-proclaimed “gear-head” has shaped his path. Later in the interview, Jon dives into the creation of his company, Casteel Custom Bottling. He shares how it started with a handshake, deal, and one truck and has now grown to be two trucks and a physical location. Jon also talks about both his hopes for his own future and the future of Oregon wine. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Casteel Custom Bottling Company in McMinnville on May 31, 2024.

This interview is with Chris Czarnecki, head chef and owner of the Joel Palmer House Restaurant. In this interview, Chris dives into all things truffles, wine, and Nicolas Cage.Chris talks about growing up in the restaurant industry and shares some of his core memories. He goes on to talk about backpacking around Europe in his twenties and how he then found himself part of the Army. He then shares how he landed in Oregon after being a cook in the Army. Later in the interview, Chris talks about taking over his parent’s restaurant. He shares about the Joel Palmer house history and dives into all the changes he has made. He then goes on to share about his experience with Nicolas Cage and the Pig movie. Finally, before he leaves, Chris shares his hopes and plans for his restaurant in the future.This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at the Joel Palmer House Restaurant in Dayton on May 30, 2024.

This interview is with Sebastian Traviesa of Sunridge Nurseries. In this interview, Sebastian talks about all things agriculture, vines, and adaptation.Sebastian shares about his growing up in Chile. He talks about his time spent at a university in Chile learning about agriculture. Sebastian then goes on to share about his time in France. He talks about wanting to learn French and how he got involved with grapes while there. Sebastian then goes on to share how he found himself part of the California vine nursery scene. Later in the interview, Sebastian shares how he found himself in Oregon. He also dives into some of his views and beliefs regarding vine adaptation and climate change in relation to wine.This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt in the Nicholson Library at Linfield University on May 28, 2024.

This interview is with Cameron & Bernadette Bower of Ghost Hill Cellars. In this interview, Cameron & Bernadette dive into all things life and wine.Early in the interview, the Bowers dive into their time before Ghost Hill Cellars. Cameron shares about his time spent in the Air Force as well as his days as an engineer. Bernadette talks about growing up on her family’s farm in Oregon and her time as a teacher. The couple also shares their meet-cute story, which features rugby and Guam. Later in the interview, the couple talks about their hopes and plans for their winery and label in the coming years. They also share about some of their accomplishments in both wine and life. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Ghost Hill Cellars in Carlton on May 28, 2024.

This interview is with Peter Liem. In this interview, Peter shares about his life and winding wine journey that led to France, Champagne, and books.Peter shares about his early life and regales us with tales about his European travels and how wine was entwined with these trips. He dives into his discovery of Burgundy and how this region and wine style shaped his core values of wine. Later in the interview, Peter shares about the different jobs he took in the wine industry. He then talks about how he found himself moving about from the west coast, to the east coast, and finally ending up in France. Peter then shares about some of his wine writing accomplishments and what he is looking forward to in the future.This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt on April 25, 2024.

This interview is with Arron Bell of Domaine Drouhin. In this interview, Arron shares about his journey to finding wine and the many adventures his path has led him on.Arron shares about being raised in Oregon and how that led him to Hawaii and California for a time. He talks about getting his degree in Philosophy and how his restaurant jobs throughout college introduced him to wine. Arron then dives into all things wine. He shares about his journey from being involved with the hospitality side of wine, to finding a consuming passion in the wine-making process. Arron leaves us with some of his hopes and expectations for his future wine projects.This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Domaine Drouhin in Dayton, Oregon on April 10, 2024.

This interview is with Danell and Kipp Myers of Anacréon Winery. In this interview, Danell and Kipp dive into their lives before and after wine.The couple talks about their early lives and all that led them to each other and Oregon. Danell shares about being born in Colorado and moving to Utah early in her life. Kipp then shares about being adopted and raised in Utah. The couple then talks about their separate, but parallel, lives, which did not entwine until later in life. Later in the interview, the couple talks about their wine journey. They dive into how they fell in love with wine through travel and food. They then open up about how their love for wine ignited a dream. Danell and Kipp talk about everything from their winery name, Anacréon, to their food pairing model.This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Anacréon Winery in Newberg on April 9, 2024.

This interview is with Jordan Michelman. In this interview, Jordan speaks about his many careers. From music to all things coffee, Jordan talks about his winding path that led him to find wine. Jordan talks about growing up in Washington, but being raised by New Yorkers. He shares about his highschool drama era and how his passion for music led him to pursue a career in the music industry. He goes on to share about his involvement in creating Sprudge, a website for all things coffee. Later in the interview, Jordan dives into all things wine. He shares about his kinship with garage-band or underground unique wines. Jordan goes on to discuss wine writing and his methodologies when it comes to composing and editing.. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt in the Nicholson Library at Linfield University on April 5, 2024.

This interview is with César Medina Maldonado. In this interview, César speaks about the entwined journey of finding both himself and wine. He goes on to share how wine has always been there for him during his major adult-life milestones.César talks about his early life and how he found himself with a degree in Audio Production & Design. He then dives into how he found wine and the journey his wine passion led him on. He talks about his many jobs along the way and dives into his other passions of food and travel.Later in the interview, César talks about his Oregon journey, finding a vineyard to care for, and his wine philosophy. He shares his excitement for the up-and-coming wine generation and imparts his key philosophy of “Hakuna Matata ”This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt in the Nicholson Library at Linfield University on April 3, 2024.

This interview is with Peter Gibson of Wine Market Journal. In this interview, Peter speaks about discovering his love for wine and how that guided him through his journey to finding a role in the wine industry. He first dives into his childhood and growing up in Virginia. Peter shares how he was introduced to the world of wine through his brother who was a wine steward throughout college. He goes on to talk about attaining a business degree and how he found himself still finding ways to be involved with wine. Later on, Peter goes on to share about his experience in home-winemaking. He then shares about the process in creating a wine database and becoming an independent wine data consultant. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Portland Wine Storage in Portland on March 26, 2024.

This interview is with Becky Potter of Meraviglioso. In this interview, Becky talks about her journey from nursing to finding wine. She dives into her first introduction with wine and how she found herself owning a vineyard and producing wine. Becky talks about being born and raised in Oregon and how she found her significant other, Terry. She goes on to share about all her different careers that eventually led to wine in 2017. Later in the interview, Becky dives into all the ins and outs of the Oregon wine industry and creating the Meraviglioso label. Becky shares her excitement regarding the label and the Oregon wine industry in general. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Meraviglioso in Newberg on March 19, 2024.

This interview is with Michael Bockstahler & Mariel Hartley of Guerrilla Wine Company. In this interview, Michael & Mariel dive into their wine journey and creating their own label.The couple dives into their earlier lives and what it was like growing up for each of them. They then share how they met right before Covid and what lock-down was like with their full house. Mariel also talks about her path regarding nursing and pharmaceutical sales, while Michael shares about his different jobs in the wine industry.Later in the interview, the couple shares about their process in making wine to sell commercially. They then go on to share some of their hopes for both their brand and Oregon wine. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt in the Nicholson Library at Linfield University in McMinnville on March 11, 2024.

This interview is with Ed Fus of Angelvine. In this interview, Ed talks about his journey to wine and how he found himself in the industry without any formal training. Ed dives into how he was born and raised on the East Coast. He goes on to talk about his college days and how he ended up spending ten years in Denver as an Environmental Consultant. Ed then shares how his life began to shift and focus on the wine industry. Ed talks about all the adventures, people, challenges, and rewards that came with his journey through the wine industry. Before he leaves, Ed shares his retirement plans of traveling, relaxing, and spending time with his family. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Three Angels Vineyard in Amity, Oregon on March 7, 2024.

This interview is with Marissa Kipp of Cru and Domaine. In this interview, Marissa speaks about finding a passion for wine through education and service, especially as it gave her a chance to compete against herself to learn more and more about the world of wine.She talks about her time working in all aspects of food, wine, and hospitality, with education always being a focus. She also talks about her perpetual state of studying for the next exam, improving her credentials and expanding her knowledge while always looking for more.She then talks about how she found her way to Cru and Domaine and what's she's brought to the program, as well as what is coming next.This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Cru and Domaine in Portland on February 28, 2024.

This interview is with Amael Orrego of Benton-Lane Winery. In this interview, Amael shares his wine journey and how he found himself in Oregon after growing up in Chile. Amael talks about his childhood and growing up in rural Chile. He reminisces about the countryside and his family. He then shares how these factors drove him to find a profession in the wine industry. Amael then dives into finding jobs after his time spent at a university in Chile. He talks about being introduced to Pinot and Chardonnay in California and how he has come to fall in love with the varieties while in Oregon. He also shares what all he loves about wine and winemaking. Amael leaves us with some of his aspirations and observations about Oregon wine. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Benton-Lane Winery in Monroe, Oregon on February 27, 2024.

This interview is with Don Heistuman. In this interview, Don shares his journey, first paved with music, to wine and where wine has led him.Don dives into being born in Portland and raised in Washington. He talks about his early love for food, sociology, music, and culture. He then shares how all of his passions and experiences led him to the wine industry. Later in the interview, Don shares what he finds to be his proudest accomplishments and what he hopes to do in the future.This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt in the Nicholson Library at Linfield University on February 26, 2024.

This interview is with Joel Sokoloff. In this interview, Joel talks about how he found farming and how that led him to wine. Joel dives into how he grew up in the suburbs of Illinois and how he found farming later in life. He shares why he loves the industry, the family, and the tight-knit community Joel then talks about how his passion for farming led him to wine.Later in the interview Joel talks about why he is endlessly interested in farming and wine. He leaves us with some of his hopes and advice for the future of Oregon wine.  This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt in Joel’s home in Mcminnville, Oregon.

This interview is with Aldie Howard. In this interview, Aldie speaks about his life before wine, which included time in the Navy sailing to all parts of the world, and in public service in Oregon and Alaska. While in Oregon, he talked about meeting Charles Coury, Dick Erath, Myron Redford, Barney Watson and other early Oregon winemakers.Aldie talked about working with all these different people, learning to make wine, and about then going to work at his brother's winery in New Hampshire. He also talks about his impressions of Oregon wine and its growth, and about his new venture in the industry.This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt in the Nicholson Library at Linfield University on February 12, 2024.

This interview is with Dillon Glusker of Prufrock Wines. In this interview, Dillon talks about all things tea, chocolate, and wine. He shares about his journey to finding wine and how he fell in love with both tea and chocolate along the way.Dillon dives into how he has always loved specialty foods and flavors. He also shares how he wanted to “use his palate to make money.” He talks about finding his love for aged tea in college and how his tea passion transpired into different career opportunities. Later in the interview, Dillon talks about traveling and shares some of his favorite memories. He also discusses what he loves about his current role and some hopes he has for the future. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at the Prufrock Wines warehouse in Portland, Oregon on February 9, 2024. 

This interview is with David Heatherbell, former enology professor at Oregon State University. In this interview, David speaks about how he found wine through his love for science.David shares about his time growing up overseas, but how he has always been connected to the Pacific Northwest through his father. He goes on to talk about getting his PhD from OSU and some of his fondest memories from that adventure. Later in the interview, David dives into his involvement in the wine industry and establishing the Cool Weather Viticulture Wine Symposium in 1984. He leaves us with some thoughts about Oregon, the wine industry, and some of his current wine intrigues. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt via Zoom from David's home in New Zealand on February 8 (in the US) and February 9 (in New Zealand), 2024.