INTERVIEWER
Schmidt, Rich
DURATION
1 hour 49 minutes 15 seconds
DATE
July 8, 2026
INTERVIEW SUMMARY
This interview is with Kelley, Brad, and Kerry Brainard of Native Son Cellars. In this interview, the group discusses their family’s heritage and transition into wine after retirement.
The trio talks about the history of their family as Oregon natives. Their father was the chief of the Miluk Coos of the Confederated Tribes of Coos and his sons take great honor in their heritage. After deciding to start a vineyard and wine brand, the sons decided to pay homage to their family history within the branding. They are “Native Sons” of Oregon and use tribal images on their bottles as representation of their tribal identity.
Kelley and Brad discuss their experiences traveling around the world while Brad was in the Air Force. Staying in the same place for five years or less at a time and frequently traveling abroad, the couple has tried many different wines from many different places. A notable experience was tasting a Hungarian wine they still think about to this day. When Brad retired in 2021, they decided to bring in Brad’s brother, Kerry, to start a vineyard and wine brand.
Later in the interview, Kelley talks about her hopes for the future of Native Sons. Mainly, Kelley wants to get their name out there and continue telling the story behind the brand. Since she is only distributor and doesn’t want to work well into her 90s, they plan to keep the brand small and enjoy the privilege to do what they are passionate about.
This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at their home in Eugene on July 8, 2026.
Interview photos
COMMENTS
Some oral history interviews are conducted on site and may contain background noise from nature, winery, or tasting room operations.