INTERVIEWER
Schmidt, Rich
DURATION
1 hour 14 minutes 11 seconds
DATE
August 4, 2026
INTERVIEW SUMMARY
This interview is with Davis Dixon of HiFi Wine Bar. In this interview, Davis discusses his transition from restaurants to fully focusing on wine.
Davis talks about working in restaurants at a young age and hospitality becoming a part of who he was. Until he worked in Seattle, he didn’t realize people could make a career out of hospitality. Although Davis had been intimidated by wine, he was fascinated by it as it always surrounded him in restaurants. In 2019, Davis decided to put his full focus on wine and asked for the Wine Bible to start his wine education. From there, Davis worked as a bartender who was determined to learn about his facilities’ wine programs.
Davis discusses his transition to HiFi and becoming a sommelier. After working a harvest in New Zealand, Davis wanted to work a harvest in Oregon, moving to the Willamette Valley. Through his connections, he started working at the International Pinot Noir Celebration where he connected with Ben and Evan of HiFi and was offered a position. After working part-time at HiFi during harvest, Davis accepted a full-time position in the wine bar. Working at HiFi, Davis has been learning leadership skills and how to put the right bottles in front of people. While working at HiFi, Davis was also working on his advanced sommelier certificate from CMS, becoming even more educated in wine.
Later in the interview, Davis talks about his goals for the future. Eventually, Davis wants to be a wine buyer. He wants to make the decisions on what wines are available to his customers. At this time, Davis is only able to create success for himself, but in the future, he wants to use his knowledge and skills to do things for others within the industry, especially aspiring black sommeliers. Davis believes people within the industry are generous with their time and information, and he wants to be able to give back in the same way.
This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Linfield University in McMinnville on August 4, 2026.
Interview photos
COMMENTS
Some oral history interviews are conducted on site and may contain background noise from nature, winery, or tasting room operations.