Gabriel Jagle: Oral History Interview

This interview is with Gabriel Jagle of Scenic Valley Farms. In this interview, Gabriel talks about learning about the world by tasting wine and making a wine that has soul and personality.Gabriel talks about learning to taste wine while working at Trader Joe’s and a few wine shops in California. By tasting wines from around the world, he was able to learn about each place. He affirms that both drinking wine and learning about wine are social and communal.Gabriel discusses moving to Oregon to learn about winemaking after feeling burnt out on wine sales. Though he had a rough start in the industry, he finally felt things click working at Illahe Vineyards. During this time he also attended Chemeketa chemistry and winemaking courses.Later in the interview, Gabriel talks about beginning to make wine at Scenic Valley Farms, which had been a client at Illahe. At Scenic Valley he is granted both the freedom to experiment with the wines and the tools and resources of the farm at large. Since this newest venture he has also joined the board at AHIVOY, which supports vineyard stewards in Oregon.This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Linfield University’s Nicholson Library on February 9, 2026.