Heath Payne: Oral History Interview

This interview is with Heath Payne of Abbott Claim. In this interview, he describes becoming interested in the wine industry after working at a vineyard with concord grapes in Arizona, and deciding to move to Oregon and take classes at Chemeketa Community College. After working a harvest in France for some time and falling in love with the rhythm of life there, he tells of his increasing interest in Pinot Noir. Later, he describes meeting Alban Debeaulieu at Abbott Claim, where he liked the culture and the people, and found his place in the vineyards. Heath speaks in depth about his passion for biodynamics and sustainability with grape growing. Towards the end of the interview, he describes his winemaking philosophies, and talks about the various varieties he makes wine with, and discusses the rich community he surrounds himself with. To conclude, Heath gives his thoughts for the future, and gives his words of wisdom for those that would like to join the Oregon wine industry. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Abbott Claim on September 3, 2020.