INTERVIEWER
Schmidt, Rich
DURATION
1 hour 28 minutes 44 seconds
DATE
November 3, 2025
INTERVIEW SUMMARY
This interview is with Ben Eyer and Stephanie Bojarski of Finite Cellars. In this interview, Stephanie and Ben talk about how their shared interest in wine began in graduate school. Ben was pursuing a Ph.D. in organic chemistry, and Stephanie was an engineering Ph.D. student.
They share their story of moving from Pennsylvania to Oregon, despite having no prior familiarity with the state—where Ben gained hands-on experience through harvest jobs and Stephane continued her career at Intel, transitioning from research into quantitative computing.
Stephanie and Ben talk about building Finite Cellars from the ground up, from naming the company to sourcing fruit, designing the label, and imagining a wine brand centered on bringing people closer together. They also discus logistics of starting a wine business while raising their children and balancing demanding careers with their long-term vision.
This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Linfield University’s Nicholson Library in McMinnville on November 3, 2025.
Interview photos
COMMENTS
Some oral history interviews are conducted on site and may contain background noise from nature, winery, or tasting room operations.