Interview
This interview is with Jenny Burger of Yamhill Valley Vineyards. In this interview, Jenny discusses her journey of taking over as a second generation for the company.
Jenny talks about how Yamhill Valley Vineyards has always been at least a little part of her life. Her parents started the company before she was born, and she recalls spending weekends and summers on the vineyard without any real idea of the elaborate production her parents were heading. After attending college and taking a few jobs involving parks, Jenny decided to take an offer to work a harvest in New Zealand. From there, she discovered that she really did like how multifaceted and universal the wine industry is.
Jenny discusses her transition into the family business. Her father had told her that he wasn’t going to give her a full-time position if there wasn’t a true role to fill and if she wasn’t ready for it. Eventually, the family decided the business needed assistance in the communication and organization, so in January of 2014, Jenny took on the role of office manager. From there, Jenny worked on developing to take over the operation.
Later in the interview, Jenny talks about the future for the wine industry and her role as the general manager. Jenny believes the Oregon wine industry must level-out the over-supply and under-demand of wine production. As for herself, she plains to integrate herself more within the industry and build on the community aspect of wine.
This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Yamhill Valley Vineyards in McMinnville on June 24, 2026.
Interview
This interview is with Ariel Eberle of Yamhill Valley Vineyards. In this interview, Ariel is interviewed for the second time after 8 years and reflects on what has changed and what the future may hold.
Ariel talks about her initial interest in wine being related to science. She started with an interest in biology that transitioned into botany and wine. Studying biology and minoring in chemistry at Oregon State University, Ariel believes that knowledge is power and that this education laid the foundation for her work as a winemaker. Ariel explains how she was originally interested in working in healthcare, but joined Yamhill Valley Vineyards in 2008 when head winemaker at the time, Stephen Cary, needed help. Now, she believes it is a gift to study the land.
Ariel discusses her relationship with her mentor, Stephen Cary. She describes him as the most determined person she has ever known and discusses how she values his commitment to nature. She explains Stephen’s significance within not only the Oregon wine industry, but within the international wine industry as well. She claims that Pinot Noir would not be where it is today without Stephen. After working under him as the assistant winemaker for years, she made the natural transition into head winemaker.
Later in the interview, Ariel explains how her relationship with Yamhill Valley Vineyards has changed and deepened since 2018. She believes that being a winemaker is her purpose and that purpose is to facilitate connection. Ariel talks about how the energy from the people who grew and made the wine transitions to the people who drink it. To her, it is all about intention when winemaking.
This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Yamhill Valley Vineyards in McMinnville on June 24, 2026.
Interview
This interview is with Denis Burger and Elaine McCall, owners of Yamhill Valley Vineyards. In this interview, Denis and Elaine discuss how they came into the wine industry and the various challenges they faced in being one of the earlier wineries in the McMinnville AVA. The couple discusses the future for Oregon wine, and ends with the advice that as long as one perseveres stays committed to the end game, he/she will be successful in the wine industry.
Interview
Ariel Eberle is the winemaker at Yamhill Valley Vineyards in McMinnville Oregon. In this interview she discusses how she got interested in wine and the life lessons she learned under the late Stephen Cary. She also discusses a bit about her experience as a young woman in the Oregon wine industry.
This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt on August 21, 2018.
Interview
Stephen Cary is the winemaker at Yamhill Valley Vineyards in McMinnville, Oregon. Cary has left many impressive marks on the wine industry during his time thus far, including the founding of the Steamboat Conference and organizing the Burgundy Challenge. He knew early on that a normal 9-5 job was not the right path for him and has since been involved in the industry as a wine seller, buyer and maker. Cary makes his wine with the philosophy that the grapes tell him how to deal with them. To Cary, a significant aspect that differs Oregon wines from other parts of the world is the terroir.
In this interview, Cary shares his experiences in the wine industry with people and place where he has been involved. Cary discusses the significance of soil types and the differences in the regions of the Willamette Valley AVA. As a final thought, Cary recalls the important roles that Yamhill Valley Vineyards has played, not only on his career, but for the industry as a whole.
Interview
Stephen Cary is the winemaker at Yamhill Valley Vineyards in McMinnville, Oregon. Cary has left many impressive marks on the wine industry during his time thus far, including the founding of the Steamboat Conference and organizing the Burgundy Challenge. He knew early on that a normal 9-5 job was not the right path for him and has since been involved in the industry as a wine seller, buyer and maker. Cary makes his wine with the philosophy that the grapes tell him how to deal with them. To Cary, a significant aspect that differs Oregon wines from other parts of the world is the terroir.
In this interview, Cary goes into depth on the Steamboat Conference. He tells of the origin of the famous event, what it entails and how it has remained a symbol of the efforts of collaboration in the Oregon Wine Industry for over 30 years.
Interview
Stephen Cary is the winemaker at Yamhill Valley Vineyards in McMinnville, Oregon. Cary has left many impressive marks on the wine industry during his time thus far, including the founding of the Steamboat Conference and organizing the Burgundy Challenge. He knew early on that a normal 9-5 job was not the right path for him and has since been involved in the industry as a wine seller, buyer and maker. Cary makes his wine with the philosophy that the grapes tell him how to deal with them. To Cary, a significant aspect that differs Oregon wines from other parts of the world is the terroir.
In this interview, Cary talks about what the wine industry was like in the beginning and how things have since changed. He discusses many of his experiences and relationships with other wine people over the years and more.
This interview was conducted by Janis Miglavs on January 8, 2008.
Interview
Stephen Cary is the winemaker at Yamhill Valley Vineyards in McMinnville, Oregon. Cary has left many impressive marks on the wine industry during his time thus far, including the founding of the Steamboat Conference and organizing the Burgundy Challenge. He knew early on that a normal 9-5 job was not the right path for him and has since been involved in the industry as a wine seller, buyer, and winemaker. Cary makes his wine with the philosophy that the grapes tell him how to deal with them. To Cary, a significant aspect that distinguishes Oregon wines from other parts of the world is the terroir.
In 1974, Myron Redford and his partner Janis Checchia purchased an existing vineyard in Amity, Oregon. Redford built the winery himself in 1976, and while the winery was still under construction, he and Checchia produced the first commercial wine from Amity Vineyards.
In this interview, Cary and Redford discuss some of the early challenges of marketing Oregon wine and how the industry overcame those challenges. Specific events such as the International Pinot Noir Celebration, Steamboat, the Burgundy Challenge, and others were key in establishing Oregon as a serious producer of quality wine.
This interview was conducted in 2004.
Historical Documents
This collection showcases two documents written by Stephen Cary, winemaker at Yamhill Valley Vineyards in McMinnville, Oregon. One document is about the Steamboat Conference, an event held annually for winemakers to discuss Pinot Noir and share ideas about winemaking. The second document is about the Burgundy Challenge, an event which was held in New York City in 1985 and altered the course of Oregon’s then-struggling Pinot Noir market. The collection also includes scanned newspaper clippings written about the Burgundy Challenge and materials from Stephen Cary’s celebration of life in 2018.