Archives West Finding Aid

This oral history interview with Richard Sommer was conducted by Clark Hansen at the Hillcrest Vineyard near Roseburg, Oregon, on June 18, 2002. The interview was conducted as part of the Oregon Wine Archives Oral History Project, which collected interviews with notable figures in the wine-growing industry, including vintners, vineyard growers, community members, and workers active in the development of Oregon's wine industry.

In this interview, Sommer discusses his family background and early life in San Francisco, California. He talks about studying agronomy at the University of California at Davis, including taking classes on winemaking. He discusses continuing his education at the University of California at Berkeley after his discharge from the U.S. Army in the early 1950s, and he talks about his brief employment as a surveyor with the East Bay Municipal Utility District and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He then talks about founding Hillcrest Vineyard near Roseburg, Oregon, in 1961. He discusses the history of winemaking in Oregon before then; describes his reasons for choosing the Umpqua Valley for his vineyard; and talks about his focus on Riesling. He talks about the early market for Oregon wine, other early winemakers around Oregon, and recognition his Riesling has earned. He describes his grape-growing methods, including his use of the divided canopy method; memorable vintages; and the changing market for Oregon wine. He discusses some of Oregon's other winemakers and their growing methods. He closes the interview by talking about oak barrel aging and by sharing advice for aspiring winemakers.