Jess Spera: Oral History Interview

This interview is with Jess Spera of Chehalem Winery. In this interview, Jess speaks about her past jobs, travels, and experiences that led her to Chehalem. 

Jess starts by talking about her time in Colorado and found love for beer brewing. She shares how her love for brewing evolved into a love for wine, especially after her time spent doing wine harvests abroad. 

She then dives into her life once she returns to the states and shares the ways she found herself working towards a future. Whether it was sharing how she met her husband during harvest or how she advanced to being the winemaker's second hand, Jess talks about her experiences and journey so far.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Chehalem Winery in Newberg on June 8, 2023.

What is The Oregon Wine History Archive Podcast?

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.