John Grochau: Oral History Interview

This interview is with John Grochau of Grochau Cellars. In this interview, John talks about how he got into wine, what he was doing prior to it, and what it was like working in the Portland restaurant scene. John then goes on to discuss how he knew he wanted to be in the wine industry, what it was like working in the industry, and what it was like learning about winemaking and eventually starting his own label. He touches on his winemaking philosophy, what he hopes consumers take away from his wines, and who some of his mentors were along the way. Towards the end of the interview, John reflects on what the Oregon Wine Industry was like when he first entered compared to now, what the future of Oregon wine looks like, and where he sees Grochau Cellars heading. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at the Nicholson Library on March 16, 2020.