INTERVIEWER
Schmidt, Rich
DURATION
1 hour 31 minutes 48 seconds
DATE
November 4, 2026
INTERVIEW SUMMARY
This interview is with Greg and Beth McPhee, owners of Ship of Fools Wine in Yamhill, Oregon. In this interview, Greg and Beth talk about their backgrounds in the restaurant and fashion industries, how they got into wine, and their journey of starting their own wine business.
Greg grew up in Connecticut and moved around quite a bit as a child before his family settled in South Carolina. He eventually decided to attend culinary school and began building a career in the restaurant industry. Beth was born in Florida, but grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and later moved to New York, where she worked in fashion marketing, branding, and design for several years. She eventually moved to South Carolina, where she met Greg. As they began dating, Beth became interested in wine through Greg’s enthusiasm for it and the role it played in the culinary world.
Together, they opened their own fine dining restaurant called The Anchorage, in 2017. Greg focused on the kitchen while Beth became more involved in the business and restaurant operations. After having their son in 2019, they began realizing how demanding owning and running a restaurant could be. With their growing family, they started thinking about making a change and finding a lifestyle that gave them more freedom.
Greg’s trip to the south of France helped solidify their interest in wine and the idea of starting a different kind of business. After gaining experience through a couple of harvests. They decided to leave the restaurant industry behind and pursue wine. The family eventually moved to Oregon in 2024, and in 2015, Ship of Fools Wine officially became a business.
Today, Greg and Beth continue to build their wine business while creating a lifestyle centered around wine and family. They look forward to growing Ship of Fools and continuing to see where their journey in the wine industry takes them.
This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt in Yamhill, Oregon on November 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.