Michael Krikorian: Oral History Interview

This interview is with Michael Krikorian of Bottle Bodega. In this interview, Michael talks about his experience working in various restaurants and how his passion for wine has grown.Michael shares about growing up in Montana on his family’s 6,000 acre farm. In 1998 he moved to the west coast, where he spent 11 years working at a San Francisco restaurant called The Cove. When the owners opened another restaurant, this one a fine-dining establishment, he found himself learning to take wine more seriously.After learning about restaurants from the service and management side, Michael opened his own restaurant in Portland called Il Terrazzo. He speaks to developing a wine list that balances what customers want with which wines he was interested in at the time, as well as making adjustments during the pandemic.Later in the interview, Michael talks about the importance of community, especially in the wine industry. He shares stories of connecting with people who share similar backgrounds and passions. He also speaks about his involvement in Oregon’s Queer Wine Fest and the most recent Oregon Pinot Camp.This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Bethany’s Table in Portland on August 5, 2025.