INTERVIEWER
Schmidt, Rich
DURATION
1 hour 18 minutes 51 seconds
DATE
April 3, 2026
INTERVIEW SUMMARY
This interview is with Kevin Pogue, of VinTerra. Kevin is a geologist, educator, and wine industry consultant whose career has taken him from the caves and mountains of Kentucky to studying tectonics in Pakistan, teaching geology for decades, and eventually becoming deeply involved in viticulture and wine regions across the country.
Kevin is originally from the Bluegrass region of Lexington, Kentucky and talks about spending much of his early life outdoors, he enjoys caving, climbing, skiing, and exploring the mountains. Which sparked his interest in geology. He shares his academic journey through Idaho State University and Oregon State University, research experiences in Pakistan and knowing from a young age that geology was what he wanted to pursue. He also reflects on adventures abroad, difficult fieldwork conditions, and how those experiences shaped him.
Kevin discusses his decades-long career in education, beginning college-level teaching at 22 and spending 35 years teaching different types of geology. He talks about mentoring students, his time at Oregon State and Whitman College, and the fulfillment he found in helping others learn about what he loved so much.
The conversation explores how Kevin developed an interest in wine through geology, eventually consulting with grape growers in Walla Walla and helping evaluate terroir — the relationship between soil, climate, and land characteristics in wine production. He explains his involvement with AVA applications across the country and how geology connects directly to agriculture and wine.
This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt in Portland, Oregon on April 3, 2026.
Interview photos
COMMENTS
Some oral history interviews are conducted on site and may contain background noise from nature, winery, or tasting room operations.