Lauren Clark: Oral History Interview

This interview is with Lauren Clark of Bergström Wines. In this interview, Lauren talks about how she got into wine and why she wants to continue learning.Lauren shares about growing up in central California in an agricultural region, and how it was always part of her life. She moved to Oregon to attend Oregon State University, get out of California, and get away from agricultural work. Instead, she started in the food science program.While she was initially interested in beer, she later became fascinated by wine and its intricacies, working with Dr. Elizabeth Tomasino in the science labs. In the fall of 2018, Lauren completed her first commercial harvest with Willamette Valley Vineyards, and she was hooked.Later in the interview, Lauren talks about her transition to Bergström Wines after being hired as their enologist. Here, she took the jump into learning more about cellar work. She also talks about the unique aspect of community and collaboration in the Oregon wine industry, and how she values having friends both in and out of the industry.This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Bergström Wines in Dundee on July 31, 2025.