Brent Braun: Oral History Interview

This interview is with Brent Braun, Sommelier and wine director at Castagna. He begins the interview with describing his wine interest being sparked after studying history in college where he drank “two buck chuck” and decided to learn more about wine in general. Brent came to Oregon from Santa Cruz because of music, and found himself being drawn to the wine industry. He describes the process of becoming a Sommelier, and then how he ended up at Castagna. Brent goes into depth about how he chooses the wines for Castagna, and mentions the unexpected food and wine pairings he puts together. He describes his desire to choose wines for Castagna that have been ethically made, and have interesting stories and good people behind the brand. Later in the interview, Brent describes the changes in wine consumption he has noticed since he began in the wine industry. He explains his work with OK Omens and the vision for the future of the bar and restaurant. Towards the end of the interview, Brent shares his goals for the future, and his innovative plans for his next wine business project. Brent concludes the interview with his outlook for the future of the Oregon wine industry. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at OK Omens in Portland on January 11, 2021.