Shaun Vrooman: Oral History Interview

This interview is with Shaun Vrooman of Adelsheim Vineyard. In this interview, Shaun discusses his journey to wine and time spent at Adelsheim.Shaun talks about starting in hospitality through restaurants, bars, and eventually fine dining. While working in fine dining, Shaun got to experience wine. Shaun learned about wine through tasting and went through the beginnings of becoming a sommelier before he decided he wanted to make wine himself. When deciding where he wanted to do his first harvest, he took a road trip across the west coast and decided the spot would be Oregon before the trip was over.Shaun discusses his first harvest at Adelsheim and his decision to stay. Shaun’s first harvest at Adelsheim was in 2016, a time when the industry was experience immense growth. Shaun learned a lot about the industry his first harvest by asking a lot of questions and loved the Adelsheim environment. After harvest, Shaun was offered a full-time job as cellar hand at Adelsheim in 2017. Throughout Shaun’s 11 harvests with Adlesheim, he kept moving up the ranks. From cellar master to assistant winemaker to now head winemaker, Shaun has devoted a lot of hard work to Adelsheim.Later in the interview, Shaun talks about the future of the Oregon wine industry. Since Shaun joined the industry during a successful time, he has seen the industry change throughout the years. Shaun believes that the industry is all about cycles and it will see success again. He believes there is still growth to be had and the people within the industry have a natural resilience.  This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Adelsheim Vineyard in Newberg on July 28, 2026.