Jerry Murray: Oral History Interview

This interview is with Jerry Murray, an Oregon-based winemaker. In this interview, Jerry talks about his background, his unconventional path into winemaking, and his philosophy surrounding lifelong learning, experimentation, and creativity into wine. Jerry talks about his early life and career, explaining that he originally worked in the sciences before moving to Arizona, where he worked various kitchen jobs. He describes how working wine dinners every few weeks helped spark his interest in wine, eventually leading him to move to Oregon and pursue winemaking as a balance between science and food. Next, Jerry discusses his education and early professional experiences. He shares that he is originally from Ohio, attended Ohio University, and was a track and field athlete who initially wanted to become a coach. He talks about attending graduate school and teaching anatomy before moving to New Orleans. Jerry also talks about his extensive winemaking journey, including working at Erath winery and traveling internationally for harvests in New Zealand and Germany. He explains working multiple vintages at Panther Creek, taking classes at Chemeketa Community College, and continuing to develop his skills through hands-on winemaking. Jerry now works as the winemaker and owner of project M, where he focuses on small-lot, owner-driven wines and constant experimentation. Jerry highlights how these experiences shaped his winemaking style and perspective.This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Linfield University’s Nicholson Library on December 11, 2025.