Interview
This interview is with Alex Sokol Blosser of Sokol Blosser Winery. In this interview, Alex talks about how he was born into the wine industry as a second generation family member, and describes how he came to develop a passion for wine making. He realized that he had to do something that meant something to him, and discusses his decision to come back and work for the family business. Alex later goes on to explain the difficulties in transitioning into working with family as well as becoming co-president and head winemaker of the winery. He describes his winemaking philosophy as something that “starts with love.” To end, Alex talks about the future of Sokol Blosser Winery as well as the future of the Oregon Wine Industry.
This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Sokol Blosser Winery on August 7th, 2018.
Interview
This interview is with Alison Sokol Blosser, the Co-President and second-generation owner of Sokol Blosser Winery. In this interview, she discusses growing up in the Oregon wine industry and discovering her passion for wine. Alison also talks about working with her brother, Alex, as Co-Presidents and her hopes for the future of the winery.
This interview was conducted by Stephanie Hofmann at Sokol Blosser Winery on July 6th, 2018.
Interview
Susan Sokol Blosser was one of the founding members of Sokol Blosser Winery. In this video she discusses how she got into the wine business and the different aspects of the industry and community that she was involved in. She also talks about her experience regarding her passing on the title of President of Sokol Blosser to her two children, Alex and Alison.
Interview
This interview is with Bill Blosser who is one of the founders of Sokol Blosser winery. He first talks about what it was like being one of the first people to make wine in Oregon, land use in the state and then going on to the future of the wine industry in Oregon.
The interview takes place in the Austin Reading Room at Linfield College on January 8th, 2016.
“We recognized after just a few years was that one of the problems was that we shouldn’t allow any wine tasting until the business part of the meeting was over. Because we would get there and everyone would bring a nice bottle of wine and we would start sharing a nice bottle of wine around and slowly the meeting just got longer and longer. So we instituted a rule fairly early on that we don’t get to taste the wines until the business part of the meeting is done. So we could efficiently get the business part done and then we could enjoy just chatting, talking and having a glass of wine.” 00:44:25
Interview
This interview is with Bob McRitchie, former winemaker for Sokol Blosser Winery in Dayton, Oregon. McRitchie first gained experience in wine while in a lab position at Franciscan Vineyards in Napa Valley, California. Bill Blosser eventually found him while searching for a winemaker in California who wanted to come try winemaking in Oregon. McRitchie’s time in the wine industry included highlights such as the physical construction of the Sokol Blosser Winery, winning international awards for winemaking at events like the Burgundy Challenge, and traveling abroad. In this interview, Bob McRitchie shares thoughts about his time in the wine industry in Oregon and California. He tells of the importance of hindsight in planning for success in the industry, also deeming the romance of the grape to be a facade. McRitchie compares his experiences and feelings about Oregon and California, as well as how the industry is still changing today.
This interview was conducted by Rachael Woody on March 3, 2015.
Interview
Luis Hernandez is vineyard manager at Sokol Blosser Winery. He was interviewed as part of the “Beyond the Vines” project with the Linfield College Center for the Northwest. The interview is conducted in Spanish. There is no English translation available at this time.
This interview was conducted by Jeff Peterson in June 2013.
Interview
Mario Carbajal was interviewed as part of the “Beyond the Vines” project with the Linfield College Center for the Northwest. This interview is conducted in Spanish. There is no English translation available at this time.
This interview was conducted by Jeff Peterson on July 1, 2013.
Interview
Susan Sokol Blosser is the co-founder of Sokol Blosser Winery. She is seen as one of the pioneers in the Oregon Wine Industry and spearheaded many projects that has guided the industry to where it is now. Since then, she has stepped down as President of Sokol Blosser Winery, allowing her children, Alex and Alison, to take over the reins.
Susan was interviewed as part of the “Beyond the Vines” project with the Linfield College Center for the Northwest.
Interview
Susan and Bill Sokol Blosser bought their first land in 1970, an abandoned prune orchard 30 miles south of Portland. In 1971, they cleared the land and planted their first vines. The winery was completed in 1977, in time to produce their first house vintage. In 1996, Sokol Blosser Vineyards became the first vineyard to be certified “Salmon-Safe.” The next year, the vineyards joined LIVE. The second generation, Alex and Allison Sokol Blosser, became co-presidents in 2008 and shortly after taking over the winery/vineyard, Sokol Blosser became certified by Oregon Certified Sustainable Wine (OCSW).
In this interview, Susan Sokol Blosser tells what brought her to the industry and what it was like in the beginning. She shares many of the key events that have lead to the success of Oregon Wine today, such as the end of the pole bean industry and how it helped the wine industry get on its feet. She also highlights the role of women in the industry.
Susan was interviewed as part of the “Bringing the Vines to the Valley” project with the Linfield College Center for the Northwest.
Interview
Susan Sokol Blosser was interviewed as part of the project, “The Pinot Chronicles: 25 Years of Oregon’s International Pinot Noir Celebration.” This video was sponsored and conducted by the Linfield College Center for the Northwest.
This interview was conducted by Jeff Peterson in the summer of 2010.
Interview
This interview is with Susan Sokol Blosser, co-founder of Sokol Blosser Winery. She discusses the “back to the land” mentality that she focused on in the early years, the challenges of the changing culture of the industry, sustainable farming, and her experiences in the wine industry.
This interview was conducted by Janis Miglavs on September 15, 2007.
Interview
A founder of Sokol Blosser Winery, Susan has been involved in the industry in multiple ways. Getting her hands dirty as vineyard manager to the business side as winery president, she has been a community activist focused on sustainability from the start. She takes pride in the winery’s ecologically-friendly practices and certifications, and she has helped lead Oregon wine to success by producing award-winning wines from the beginning.
In this interview, Sokol Blosser focuses on the many green practices of Sokol Blosser Winery, the state industry, and some of the seminal events of the 1980s.
Other videos
Susan Sokol Blosser, co-founder of Sokol Blosser Winery, talks about the early days of the Oregon wine industry and her new book, The Vineyard Years: A Memoir with Recipes. 2017 marks our 41st vintage here at the winery!
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Historical Photos
Interview Photos
Wine Labels
Documents
This collection features archival documents from Sokol Blosser Winery as part of the Oregon Wine History Archive. Some items were initially digitized as part of the Oregon Wine History Project™, a collaborative research venture from the Linfield Center for the Northwest.
Oregon Wine History Archive 