Becky Wasserman-Hone: Oral History Interview

This interview is with Becky Wasserman-Hone, owner of Becky Wasserman & Co. She begins the interview with her families decision to move to Burgundy, France. She describes her early interest in French food and culture, which then led to her passion for wine. Becky went on to sell French oak barrels to Californians. After this start in the wine business, she made her way into wine sales where she worked with producers all over Burgundy. Becky discusses her impressions of Oregon early on. She describes the similarities and differences of Burgundy and the Willamette Valley. She shares her memories meeting some of the Pioneers of the Oregon wine industry, and what she thought of the wine. Becky speaks about starting her company, Becky Wasserman & Co., what it was like as a woman in the early days of the wine industry, and what hospitality means to her. Later in the interview, Becky reflects on the biggest changes she has seen since she began working in wine. She shares how social media and digital communication have changed marketing and the world today. To conclude her interview, Becky discusses wine’s role in society. She believes that wine is used for a multitude of reasons— celebratory, relaxation, and to facilitate conversations. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt on February 22, 2021 over ZOOM with Becky-Wasserman-Hone.