Mike & Vonnie Landt: Oral History Interview

This interview is with Mike and Vonnie Landt of River’s Edge Winery. In this interview, the couple talk about how they got into wine after both having careers as biochemists and moving from St. Louis to Oregon. They then go on to speak about how they got the land and what the Elkton area was like when they first arrived vs. now, balancing their time between their jobs, and what it was like making wine. Mike speaks about their winemaking philosophy of wanting to reflect place and vintage by taking advantage of Elkton’s unique climate situations what it means to practice sustainability, and their relationship with the Bradley’s. Towards the end of the interview, the couple talk about their roles in the winery now, the evolution/growth of the winery, the story of Baco Noir, what it was like being a part of the process of making Elkton become a sub AVA. To conclude, they offer their perspectives of the future for Elkton, River’s Edge, and the Oregon Wine Industry, as well as advice to someone looking to enter the industry. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at River’s Edge Winery on August 21, 2019.