Interview
This interview is with Dean Underwood of Barakel Vineyards. In this interview, Dean talks about spending his life as a farmer and his decision to grow wine grapes. He speaks about growing up in Albany and working on his family’s farm, focusing on row crops at first.
Later he discusses his burgeoning interest in wine and wine grapes, working with his neighbors at Olsen Family Vineyards and going through the wine program at Chemeketa Community College. He then talks about his own Barakel Vineyard, and about deciding what to plant, how to farm, and where to sell the grapes.
He also discusses the growth he’s seen in the Oregon wine industry and his plans for the future.
This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Linfield University’s Nicholson Library on March 5, 2026.