Levi Seed: Oral History Interview

This interview is with Levi Seed of the Joel Palmer House Restaurant. In this interview, Levi discusses how childhood experiences shaped his professional development. After surviving leukemia as a teenager, Levi discovered a passion for fine dining, and then, for wine. He passed the Certified Master Sommelier exam at 21. Stints as a sous chef, and later on as an executive chef, left him burnt out, but he couldn’t pass up the opportunity in 2020 to join the Joel Palmer House as a sommelier. For the past two years, Levi has thoughtfully crafted a curated list of Oregon wines, focusing on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Levi also speaks about his approach to hospitality and wine selection, and his hopes for the future of the Oregon wine industry. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Joel Palmer House Restaurant in Dayton on November 9, 2022.