Jess Hereth: Oral History Interview

This interview is with Jess Hereth, of Stick Figurine Wines. Jess begins with describing her increasing interest in wine after graduating from University of Oregon with a degree in French. In this interview, she describes receiving her Sommelier certification and going on to manage restaurants. Next, Jess speaks about her role at Olympia Provisions and what goes into building a wine list. She then goes on to speak about starting her own brand, Stick Figurine Wines. Later, Jess describes her goals for the future, her opinion on natural wine, and hopes to work with different varieties from Eastern Oregon. Finally, she speaks of the changes she has had to make in regards to COVID-19, and tells of how much support she has noticed for small wine brands during this time. To conclude, Jess gives her words of wisdom for joining the wine industry, and speaks of wine’s role in society. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt on August 31, 2020.