INTERVIEWER
Schmidt, Rich
DURATION
51 minutes 11 seconds
DATE
August 24, 2026
INTERVIEW SUMMARY
This interview is with David Andreani of Cherry Hill Winery. In this interview, David discusses his beginnings within the wine industry in France and continuing that journey in America.
David talks about his entrance into the wine industry. David’s good friend’s parents owned a vineyard in the south of France and David was asked to help out when times were stressful. David happily agreed to help because he got free food, free lodging, and free wine. David started with vineyard maintenance until he asked to work a harvest in 2002. From there, David did some picking and carrying and eventually was named the chief of harvest. When the winemaker left, David stepped into that role as well. After 10 years of working for that winery, David made the move to the U.S.
David discusses his adventures in the U.S. and his transition to Oregon. Starting in North Carolina and Montana, David worked as a landscaper, bike/ski tech, and even a chocolatier. During this time, David would go back to France every harvest to continue nurturing his passion for wine. When his then girlfriend was looking to get her PhD, David insisted she find a school in wine country, thus David ended up in Oregon. After dropping off resumes at many different wineries, David settled at Cherry Hill as the winemaker in 2018. Even after 8 years at Cherry Hill, David notes the difficulties of working in an American winery. Along with the amount of cleaning, David still has trouble converting the metrics he is used to.
Later in the interview, David talks about his future outside of Oregon. David is making the move to Yakima, Washington where he plans to continue his winemaking career. David believes that change has always suited him and it’s time for another adventure. Along with his new work, David has goals of making wine just for fun for himself. He hasn’t yet been able to make wine just how he likes it, but he cannot wait to make the wine perfect for him.
This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Cherry Hill Winery in Rickreall on August 24, 2026.
Interview photos
COMMENTS
Some oral history interviews are conducted on site and may contain background noise from nature, winery, or tasting room operations.