INTERVIEWER
Schmidt, Rich
DURATION
1 hour 24 minutes 5 seconds
DATE
June 4, 2026
INTERVIEW SUMMARY
This interview is with Brian Zielinski of Scenic Valley Farms. In this interview, Brian shares about growing up on the farm and how wine worked its way into the family’s livelihood.
Brian talks about how grapes made their way into the family’s farm. The farm was constantly rotating the crops to best utilize the land. From strawberries to beans to corn, the farm has seen a lot of produce. Once the farm settled on grapes, they realized they could coordinate with winemakers and make wine directly from their own fruit. The family planted grapes in 2008 and had their first successful harvest in 2012 after a comical, yet educational harvest in 2011.
Brian discusses working with his father in the new venture of grapes and wine. Not a drinker himself, Bob Zielinski was skeptical about his son’s new idea so Brian established the “hypothetical bridge” to lessen the familial head-bumping. After successfully planting grapes for whites, the farm purchased a vineyard to grow for reds. Now, the farm features their wines in a self-built tasting room on-site.
Later in the interview, Brian talks about the reality of growing up on the farm. While there were difficult tasks, it taught him resilience and responsibility. He claims that he wouldn’t have wanted to grow up in any other way. Some of his best memories were those he made on the farm with his father. These days, Brian is making memories working on the farm with his own children. His proudest moment was seeing his kids being excited about working on the farm.
This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Scenic Valley Farms in Gervais on June 4, 2026.
COMMENTS
Some oral history interviews are conducted on site and may contain background noise from nature, winery, or tasting room operations.