The Oregon Wine History Archive Podcast

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.

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.