Olivier & Anna Welch Prost: Oral History Interview

This interview is with Anna Welch & Olivier Prost of A to Z/Rex Hill. In this interview, the couple discusses how wine brought them romance and livelihood Olivier and Anna talk about their separate educations in viticulture. Anna went to CalPoly where she had the opportunity to study vines, wine chemistry, and technical wine tasting in New Zealand. Olivier, originally from France, studied viticulture after his father opened a wine shop after retiring. Individually, they both ended up in Napa where they met at a brewery during the 2007 harvest.The two discuss their path to A to Z/Rex Hill. After their harvest in Napa, Olivier and Anna participated in a harvest in Australia where they decided to become a couple. From there, the two decided to go places for harvests that would accept couple. When they decided they need somewhere to place roots, they came to Oregon and interned at A to Z for the 2009 harvest. In early 2010, Olivier was offered a full-time position as a cellar associate while Anna took a part-time job in the marketing department. In 2012, Anna was offered a full-time job as lab technician.Later in the interview, Olivier and Anna express their thoughts about the future of winemaking and production for A to Z/Rex Hill. The couple want their wines to keep the Oregon identity and establish a sense of place. They want people to attach emotion to the wine as they drink them. Ultimately, they want their wines to be made with intention.This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at A to Z/Rex Hill in Newberg on June 30, 2026.