Darryl Joannides: Oral History Interview

This Interview is with Darryl Joannides of Viola Wines. In this interview, Darryl describes growing up around the food and wine scene, where he went to school with several pioneering wine families. Later, his passion for wine and food was solidified after spending a summer studying abroad in Italy during college. He describes working at Three Doors Down, and his journey learning more about Italian food and wine. Later, Darryl describes opening his restaurant, Assaggio where he was the chef and ran the business with his wife. He gives the philosophy of the restaurant, the community around it, and how wine was a large part of the business. Next, he describes working a harvest in Sonoma, California, and working a harvest during the Inaugural Year of the Carlton Winemakers Studio. After closing his business, he decided to open a bottle shop, named Cork. Meanwhile, he describes starting his Viola label, where he worked with some Italian varietals and later decided to go all in with his private label. Towards the end of the interview, he describes his philosophy for educating consumers on Italian wine, and explains the process of making his own wine, and the decision to make young, fresh Italian varietals with minimal additives. To conclude, Darryl looks to the future for his life in the wine industry, and looks to Oregon’s future. Finally, he speaks about wine’s role in society. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt with Darryl Joannides on November 4, 2020.