Something I am trying to accomplish this year for the podcast is to interview multiple people surrounding one theme. For example, today’s podcast interview is with Chase Renton. He is the winemaker for L’Angolo Estate and Chosen Family Wines. In that same group are Jacob Gray and Channing Frye. Fingers crossed, I can get them on the podcast so you can get multiple viewpoints around one subject. Stay tuned for more details!
A few months back, someone recommended I interview Chase, and there was no way I could disagree. So I asked, “What is one question I should ask?” He replied, “What do you enjoy most about being a new dad?” I wrote down the question, and yes, I asked the question. I am so glad I did. In the interview video, I have different photos of the topics we covered. When I asked this question, I stole one of his IG photos of him holding his baby with the biggest of smiles on his face. When he saw the photo, the response I got was priceless.
Wine is this magical conduit to friends, family, and life. Chase lives a charmed life surrounded by friends and family, and I hope you enjoy this week’s podcast!
Transcription of podcast interview with winemaker Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate in Oregon’s Willamette Valley
[00:00:00] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Cheers [00:00:05] A.J. Weinzettel: to another episode of a Wine Notes podcast. I’m your guide AJ Wine Dule, on this journey of stories showcasing the people behind the wonderful world of wine where we dive into conversations ranging from PIR viticulture to favorite music superpowers, and more. Please enjoy this episode of the Wino Podcast. [00:00:24] A.J. Weinzettel: Chase, thank you so much for taking the time today to be on the podcast. I really appreci. [00:00:29] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Yeah, my pleasure. [00:00:30] A.J. Weinzettel: Uh, sounds like you’re, you’re busy getting ready to bottle, you know, some, some 2020 ones and you know, ha having a blast after the holidays and just getting back into the groove of things. [00:00:41] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Yeah. You know, just long holidays, you know, lots of stuff going on with family. [00:00:45] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: But yeah, back in the winery, getting ready to February 3rd. We have a big bottling of all of our reserve wines, so kind of just making sure those are all in tip top shape, ready to go. And, uh, yeah, they taste great. So it’s a super vintage, uh, one we deserved after 2020. So yeah, really looking forward to, um, to sharing them and getting them in bottle. [00:01:09] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: And so just, just kind of, it’s a, it’s a slow time in the winery other than just, you know, getting ready to bottle and just monitoring the wines from Las artist, but, But it’s, uh, yeah. Yeah. It’s fun. [00:01:21] A.J. Weinzettel: Yeah. No, it’s, uh, one of the things that always is intrigued me about, uh, Lango is, you know, the, the meaning, right? [00:01:30] A.J. Weinzettel: It’s what, you know, it stands for. Um, mm-hmm. , you know, the, the corner in Italian. . Yeah. And, you know, so like the corner of two streets and you know, there was, there’s quite a story between your, your parents, right? They met over 44 years ago, you know, on, on a street quarter here in San Francisco. Elaborate a little bit. [00:01:51] A.J. Weinzettel: 47. Oh my gosh. [00:01:52] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: So, so, yeah. We were so long ago. It was founded in 2012. Um, we purchased the property just, just kind of at the end of 2011, early 2012. And then, Planted it, but it was kind of, I was looking around for just a great vineyard site. , I was just gonna grow grapes and sell ’em. And now we’ve made every wine that we picked off the property. [00:02:18] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: So, um, but we found this, uh, beautiful 25 acre parcel in here, in the Dundee Hills north side of the Dundee Hills on this east facing, um, slope at about 450 degree el or 450 feet elevation. And it so happened to be on the corner of two streets, Dudley Road and Williamson. . And you know, while one of the hardest things to do with the brand is figure out a name. [00:02:44] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: What are you gonna call it? You know, we thought about our last name, we thought about other things, and then you check out trademarks and what you can’t do, what you loved. And then I started thinking, you know, my background is in Italy. That’s where I first kind of studied wine, wine making. Um, And then my parents met on a street corner in San Francisco 47 years ago, and they’re really the ones that made this whole winery operation possible. [00:03:11] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Um, so the corner is where they met. So the corner in Italian is Longo. And, uh, so that’s, that’s how we named it. And you know, we, I always like to say we have. An Italian name, we make French varietals and we’re in the new world. So it kind of it does all, doesn’t make sense, but it just, it still works cuz we’re, we’re American, right? [00:03:34] A.J. Weinzettel: Yeah. Most, most definitely. And didn’t your, didn’t your dad, you know, walk up to your mom and say, you know, I can’t let you walk out of my life. When he saw her around the, on the corner of the street, [00:03:43] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: it was, It was very, uh, it could have, she could have taken it very creepily, I think, and slapped him or done something, but, right. [00:03:51] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: I think she had a giggle about it and they went on a date and I think six months later they were married and you know, now 47 years later. Wow. They’re still happily married, so [00:04:02] A.J. Weinzettel: that’s absolutely amazing. And, and your dad, wasn’t he like a, a hobby winemaker, you know, in, in Napa? [00:04:09] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Yeah. You know what, when I was in, I think when I was about, four or five. [00:04:16] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: So I think 19 88, 89. I think he was going through a little bit of, uh, midlife crisis with his work, I think. And, um, he ended up buying, uh, a little small house up in San Helen. And planted a little one acre vineyard. Um, he ended up always selling the fruit, um, to Flos Springs, and they would make a little wine and turn and trade for, for managing it and taking the fruit. [00:04:43] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Um, but him and his friends would also mess around. He had some friends mess around with garage wine making, so he was never in the huge, in the wine making thing, but he definitely had the wine hobby, the wine bug. But, uh, never got really into the industry until I started. , well, I was in it and then I convinced him to join me [00:05:03] A.J. Weinzettel: Yeah, no, that’s, and that’s great. And you know, and in, in kind of reading kind of your, your back ti, you know, your backstory. I mean, you’re studying, um, sociology in Florida and you ended up taking, you know, some sort of of wine class and kind of fell in love, but after, after you graduated, it was, you know, not the best, uh, of times economically. [00:05:24] A.J. Weinzettel: You know, so you ended up, uh, you know, you took a job at Whole Foods for a little bit, uh, in the, uh, kinda like the, the wine part, but, uh Yeah, yeah. Specialty wine. Uh, but then you decided to pursue wine a little bit more and just go over to Italy, right? Yeah, so [00:05:43] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: I mean, originally I fell in love with wine when I was a junior in college. [00:05:48] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: I studied abroad in Italy and I took an introduction to wine appreciation. over there and just thought it was so cool. Um, and so interesting. And I went back to school my senior year in Florida and I was like, huh, how can I learn more about this? I was intrigued and there was a local wine bar and I just went and dropped my resume and it turned out they were looking for help and I, so I got to, you know, bartend there and pour wines and open wines and drink wines that I normally wouldn. [00:06:17] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Um, and then, yeah, exactly that kind of oh seven timeline was when I was finishing, um, up school and, you know, the recession and not a great job market. And, you know, wine was something I was passionate about and my dad told me, you know, follow your passion and, um, it’ll lead you the right way. And so, yeah, I ended up taking a job at Whole Foods and, uh, specialty wine. [00:06:45] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: like being, uh, the wine guy at the Whole Foods shop. And, um, that wasn’t my total goal, I don’t think. And I really was looking for what paths there were in the wine industry. And so I went back to school in Italy and studied more there. And. Did a, uh, a wide range of courses and classes and from wine making to viticulture, to wine business, um, to history and just fell in love with it. [00:07:15] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: And then kind of started working, got out, finished there and started working Harvest around the world and, you know, settled here. [00:07:26] A.J. Weinzettel: And that’s, that. That’s awesome. It’s, and I think like the Italian culture kind of. He, um, , you know, just, just a different way of looking. Beautiful bottle of, [00:07:38] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: on a table. And [00:07:43] A.J. Weinzettel: yes. Oh, and I ran across this quote, and I’m just kind of curious, is this something that you or your co-owner at and I, I can’t even pronounce, the, your other Italian uh oh. Linta project? Oh, yes, yes. So I came across a, a quote, and I’m just kind of curious, did you come up with this? Or like, what was the, I don’t know. [00:08:10] A.J. Weinzettel: I, the, uh, the inspiration, I guess. So the quote is, uh, when you come embrace the Italian way of life, don’t take it for granted because it’s a beautiful place and different than anywhere else. You should value the culture because Italians live life beautifully. Is there. , is that something that you said or is that something that your co-owner said? [00:08:32] A.J. Weinzettel: I mean, what is there or is there any story or just like who, if it just happened? [00:08:35] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: I, I said that I think he, he probably did. Um, but I mean, this, I mean, culture and the wine culture and everything in Italy is, is an inspiration to me. I mean, I’m, I say I’m wanna be Italian because I just so desperately want to live there, back there someday and do business back there, and, Retire back there. [00:08:58] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: I don’t know, , I dunno. But here, there’s a way to life there where everything is a little bit slower and more beautiful and we take time to take things in. And I think wine is one of those things where they under really understand over there, and it’s part of the culture and it’s a part of life and sharing and. [00:09:19] A.J. Weinzettel: Right. And, and I totally agree, and I think that’s, you know, when you look at the, of what you’re doing here in Oregon, I mean, you definitely bring that, that presence and that feeling and that vibe as soon as you walk into the tasting room, it’s, it is quite remarkable. [00:09:33] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Yeah. We try and be, I, I think, you know, we have that kind of respect for old world tradition, um, and hospitality, um, with a somewhat new world style. [00:09:47] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Where we’re just trying to be ourselves. We’re not trying to be anything, we’re not. And you know, and I think that goes a long way. Yeah. [00:09:56] A.J. Weinzettel: I, I couldn’t agree more. Uh, and one story that I’ve always been curious about, you know, is, uh, the, the backstory behind puddles. Oh, puddles my, [00:10:08] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: uh, is the most famous, uh, tasting room associate that we have [00:10:13] A.J. Weinzettel: e ever. [00:10:14] A.J. Weinzettel: I know. I mean, there, there are just stories. I mean, every time I, I bring up langlow, they’re, they’re always like, have you, have you seen puddles? Did you go see puddles? And I’m like, yeah, of course. But I’ve never heard the actual backstory. I mean, what. [00:10:28] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Brought puddle puddles of the lights, uh, thing, piece of art, piece of anything that we had in the tasting room. [00:10:35] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: I actually have a picture of me, my dad and my mom sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace right after the tasting room was done. No, no furniture, no nothing. Only puddles on top, uh, of the, of the fireplace . So, um, right. My mom and my sister are both very, you know, my sister’s an interior designer. [00:10:56] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: My mom’s very into that. . So she stopped puddles one day when, before even the tasting room was built and loved it and got it, knowing that it would go in the tasting room. But she named it puddles because puddles was the hippo at the San Francisco Zoo when she was a kid that they would go and see. So . So it’s kind of. [00:11:15] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Right who hand in hand and puddles in Oregon with the all the rain we get. Um, yeah, it’s just pretty fitting. It’s kind of, uh, an an attention wrapper. People are always like, is that a hippo? I love that. What so different? And everyone’s that works here is like, oh yeah, that’s puddles. So yeah, that’s no puddles. [00:11:37] A.J. Weinzettel: Well, thank you very much for that. I’ve, I’ve always been curious what, what, what the backstory was. Yeah. Uh, so you mentioned that. , I’m sorry. No, no, go, go ahead. No, no. I [00:11:48] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: mean, my mom would, I don’t know. She has some stories about puddles and the famous, how famous he was at the San Francisco Zoo. I don’t know all of ’em, but she’s, she’s the puddles creator. [00:12:02] A.J. Weinzettel: I will definitely have to do a little bit of research on, uh, on the San Francisco Zoo that that’ll be, Uh, you, you were talking about, um, your dad not really being that much into wine until you kind of drug him into it. How did you like drag him into it or convince him to get in [00:12:22] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: more as just as a consumer? [00:12:25] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: He had this goal when, you know, he had a little vineyard up in Napa when I was a child for 10 years. Um, and. , you know, as we got older as kids and had sports and had different things, he couldn’t make it up to Napa as much on the weekends for like a little weekend getaway and do bike rides like he like to. [00:12:44] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: So he ended up selling that. And then, um, you know what, I got into wine on my own. Um, he just told me to follow my passion and so I did that and worked around the world and went back to study it and, um, . Yeah. I mean, he, I mean, I, I think I was in Italy studying and I was like, yeah, I might not wanna leave. [00:13:07] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: We should invest in a little property over here. Just kind of throwing a softball at ’em, hoping like, you know, like kids say, you know, when they want something that they know they can ever have, they’re just kind of throwing a, a softball out there hoping, you know, hoping that lightning might strike. Um, right. [00:13:24] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: He had moved to, so I’m from the Bay Area. Um, My whole family had moved to Oregon to Beth. Um, so they were all up in Oregon while I was doing my wine stuff. Um, and he’s like, no, there’s no way. We’re not doing anything in Italy. And I was like, well, you know, Oregon, there’s one place in the new world I would wanna make wine. [00:13:45] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: It’d be Oregon. Um, and he’s like, yeah, yeah. And so I just kind of kept peppering him a little bit here and there with, uh, with the idea. and then started looking. He is like, ah, he, you know, it’s just, it was a slippery slope. I don’t even know. It’s, this was, you know, 11 years ago. Um, which is crazy, um, that we started looking for properties here and just, it was, it’s kind of all snowball, snowball effect. [00:14:13] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: It went from, no, maybe we’ll look and maybe we’ll get a small piece, but maybe plant it. Maybe we’ll be planted. We’ll just sell the grapes. You can manage it, chase, um, and do what you want to do. And then it just went from like, oh, maybe we’ll make a couple hundred cases here and there, sell to friends to, by the time the vineyard was established in 2015, we harvested everything. [00:14:35] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: And it’s, yeah. It’s just, it’s been a It’s been a while to ride. [00:14:42] A.J. Weinzettel: Yeah. It, it, it, it really has been, I mean, it’s been, uh, from just a little bit of time that I’ve known you, [00:14:49] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: it just kind of, you look back and you’re like, oh, how am I, how’d I get? [00:14:56] A.J. Weinzettel: No, and it’s amazing, you know, and if we. A lot. Yeah. A lot of little things, you know, and if we go back, you know, to like 2018, you know, there was the, the summer of, uh, give Joy, give, you know, the, the summer of 18 was the, the give joy, give joy. Mm-hmm. , you know, event. And Channing was, was part of that. Was, was that kind of like the, the first kind of collaboration between you and Channing be, you know, all. [00:15:25] A.J. Weinzettel: chosen family kind of came about or, yeah. So [00:15:28] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: 2018 we did 2018 and 2019 we did Give Joy. Get Joy, which was, uh, events pre pandemic that was all focused on raising funds for the Children’s Cancer Association here in Portland, um, that I’m involved with. And yeah, Channing had just retired. I met Channing through. [00:15:51] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: um, Jacob, a friend and, uh, employee here who was the general manager here for a long time. Um, and so, you know, Channey moved back home and was really getting into wine and really wanted to learn more about it. So I, I do think that was kind of the, the, the starting point for, um, chosen family wines. Um, just the fact that. [00:16:14] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: We made custom magnums, custom edge, you know, 50 of them, um, just that we blended together in the, for the first time in the, in the winery, um, bottled them and every guest got them for that event, for, for showing up and. Wow. That was the start of it. [00:16:33] A.J. Weinzettel: Wow. That, that is quite amazing. And also the, the summer of, or October of 2018. [00:16:41] A.J. Weinzettel: I didn’t realize this until I, you know, started diving in. That was, you know, that marked of the, a one year anniversary for you of being cancer free. I didn’t realize that was such a thing. I’m assume everything is, is going. [00:16:54] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Yes. 2017 was a, a rougher year. I was diagnosed with cancer and had to go through, um, some surgery and some chemotherapy. [00:17:04] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: You know, lost all my hair. It’s back now, but, uh, that’s not a bad thing. You know, it’s not, you know, now I know what I’m gonna look like when I’m older, . Um, but yeah, so it was, uh, it was a rough year, but yeah, 2018, you know, I’ve been cancer free and I’m in remission, so everything’s good. I feel healthy, feel good. [00:17:25] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Definitely appreciation of life, but that’s, that’s a good thing to have that appreciation. Um, and gain that perspective that I definitely never had. . Um, and yeah, I mean, getting to do what I, I do is I feel very lucky every day. So yeah, you get to do what I’m passionate about and have fun at doing it, and hopefully have fu have help. [00:17:51] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: People have fun too. . Yeah, well, [00:17:53] A.J. Weinzettel: you, you definitely do that. It’s, uh, And, you know, and every time I see you got a big old smile on your face and you’re, you’re just, uh, you’re a very fun person to be around and it’s, it just, um, I’m trying to think of the word. It’s, it’s contagious, right? Yeah. Thank [00:18:12] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: you. Thank you. [00:18:14] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: But yeah, so going back a little bit, that’s all. I ended up getting involved in Children’s Cancer Association after I went through all that. And that’s how the events started because I started, I was got on one of their boards, um, , they’re a nonprofit. And so I was like, what the heck? What can we do to fundraise? [00:18:29] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: To, to give back. [00:18:32] A.J. Weinzettel: Yeah. And you know, and you know, as we were saying, you know, life just kind of happens earlier and you know, something really great came out of that, which was, you know, which was chosen family ultimately is what it sounds like. Mm-hmm. and holy cow. I mean, that’s just, I remember. , you know, the pandemic, you know, when chosen family launched and then there was the, the one barrel challenge. [00:18:58] A.J. Weinzettel: Uh, and just so many things, you know, has just skyrocketed with, with chosen family. And, um, I believe, I, I think one of the, uh, next bottlings that you have coming out is some sparkling that you’re working with, with, uh, Jackson at, at Grandville. Is that, Yeah, we do. Yeah, [00:19:18] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: we have, that’s been in 2020 was our first vintage, so that’ll come out, I don’t know, in the next year or two. [00:19:24] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: I’m not exactly sure, um, when we’re gonna release that. Um, but yeah, it’s, I mean, it’s, we started it, you know, during the pandemic, this, this venture. . Um, we launched, I should say we launched it during the pandemic, um, with just kind of small production and it’s, you know, game traction and it’s growing and, um, yeah, making, making wines, doing new collaborations and yeah, it’s, uh, it’s a, it’s a good way to, to have fun in different ways. [00:19:59] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Cause Longow is kind. One place, one thing, I’m very rigid about what it is. Um, and chosen is more of a artistic getaway, you know, a more different artistic approach to the whole Willamette Valley and [00:20:17] A.J. Weinzettel: wines in general. Yeah. Yeah. No, I, I totally agree. And, uh, I think that the one barrel challenge that, that you did was very unique and it, uh, really got your name, you know, got the chosen name after really well. [00:20:32] A.J. Weinzettel: And, you know, and Channing is always fun to, uh, Uh, to talk with and he’s, he’s very passionate about his wine. [00:20:42] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: He is very, and I always say he, uh, he’s very authentic. He’s not a name behind a brand that just is there. He puts in the time and he is very motivated by it, and yeah, it’s impressive. It, it, [00:20:58] A.J. Weinzettel: it is very impressive. [00:20:59] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: I, uh, what we did with the One barrel challenge, I mean, give joy, get joy. You can use wine is such a good tool for, for helping out with the important causes in the world. [00:21:12] A.J. Weinzettel: Yes. I, I couldn’t agree more. And you know, one of the most important causes in the world is, You know, as being a dad , I, [00:21:22] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: uh, oh God, you’re making me tear up here. Oh, [00:21:26] A.J. Weinzettel: she’s the best. Well, you know, I, I, yeah, they are absolutely amazing. I, um, I think I was talking with Andy Lele and he was like, you need to have, you know, chase on your podcast. [00:21:38] A.J. Weinzettel: And I’m like, yeah, no, it, it’s definitely, you know, he’s on my list. And while I was there, you know, while we were talking, I was like, so what, what question should I ask Chase? And he. . What you need to ask Chase is what do you enjoy most about being a new dad? [00:21:56] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Oh, God, there has everything. I mean, she just lights up my world. [00:21:59] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: It’s great. I mean, yeah, people talk about how amazing. You know how a parent is and you’re like, yeah, I’m sure it’ll be great when I, when it, when it happens to me. Like, I’m sure I’ll love it. I’m sure it’ll be, and then it happens and you’re just like, oh. It’s like a huge wave of just emotions and joy that this one little somehow living thing brings to your life. [00:22:24] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: So, I mean, just, yeah, it, it’s just, I mean, my favorite thing is just how she can, like, if you’re having a bad day, whatever she doesn’t know and she just, you know, she see her smile and everything’s just out the, out the back door. Wind took it away and everything’s right again. [00:22:44] A.J. Weinzettel: Yeah, it, it, it very much is, and you know, it. [00:22:49] A.J. Weinzettel: You know that, that the teenage years can be hard. Yeah. But holy cow, when, you know, when she gets to be 13 or 14 and starts making some of her own decisions and, you know, starts talking back a little bit here and there, yeah. You’ll get frustrated, but good gosh, just you start to see the, the real human, the adult that starts, that is starting to form and it’s just, it is so, it is incredibly magical. [00:23:16] A.J. Weinzettel: Yeah, [00:23:16] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: she’s great. So that’s a picture of my daughter, Lucia Renton. Oh, that’s gorgeous. Geez. Almost seven. Well, thank you for sharing. That was a early, I don’t know how old she was in that picture. Had to been few old, less than a month. [00:23:37] A.J. Weinzettel: Yeah. No, that’s, you were just beaming from ear to ear in, in that picture. [00:23:42] A.J. Weinzettel: So, you know, I just couldn’t help but, uh, to have that picture. Um, you know, so you’ve been, you know, part of the Oregon wine community for quite some time, and I was just curious, you know, there’s, there’s a ton of stories out there. , uh, is there anything in particular for you that stands out in the Oregon wine community of, of a great story of collaboration or just, just something in general that just really stands out to you? [00:24:12] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: I have to think about what really stands. I mean, what really stands out is, you know, we talk about the Oregon wine community being collaborative, and I think that’s, you know, a hundred percent, you know, the case. It’s, everyone’s an open book and it’s really surprising, you know, if you ask somebody even that you don’t know a question about their stylistic approach. [00:24:34] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: why I’m making question or how you did this or how you did that, that how, how open they are to respond and answer to you. And, um, yeah. I’ve been, I guess I’ve been here in Oregon over 10, just over 10 years. So it’s a decade. Um, and I, what’s crazy is I’m going into this year will be our ninth vintage from the property. [00:24:57] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Wow. Which is just, it’s, it’s kind of wild that gimme the ninth time that I’ve, you. Picked grape. It doesn’t seem like, it doesn’t sound like that much, but it’s like, it’s all of a sudden it was, it feels like just yesterday, it was our first or second, you know, and then all of a sudden be like, oh, this is gonna be our ninth season. [00:25:15] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Growing, growing fruit to produce into wine. Um, yeah, it’s, it’s wild. But, um, as far as the story, [00:25:27] A.J. Weinzettel: um, [00:25:31] A.J. Weinzettel: You know, and I know that some people have done stories of, you know, just mind melding over what to do with 2020. Um, you know? Yeah. people borrowing equipment or you know, or something of that nature. I mean, [00:25:46] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: talking to people about, you know, I mean even just, I mean the text change with different winemakers that I’m on, you know, just like a little smoke that came in last year, it was just like, So scary for everyone and it’s just kind of, we’re all in this together. [00:26:02] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: There’s that kind of feeling. So it was kind of when there was an eager feeling about, oh God, is there gonna be another fire season? No, they’re 2020 Again, it’s like we all had to like talk each other off the ledge almost be like, it’s gonna be okay. We’re gonna survive. We’re gonna, you know, so it’s almost, it’s like this, this peer group that. [00:26:21] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: it’s really is great. And yeah, it’s just, I mean, it’s harvest dinners, you know, being invited out places and drinking wine, um, at different wineries and Kraken beers and doing everything. So I think that’s the wow, that’s and the best thing about the valley here. [00:26:41] A.J. Weinzettel: Yeah. No, that, that is, I couldn’t agree more. [00:26:43] A.J. Weinzettel: Um, the way that just everybody helps each other out is absolutely amazing. Oh, so you mentioned Jacob earlier. Mm-hmm. , you know, and he’s, he’s been around, you know, for, for a little bit of time. And, you know, my, my plan is to interview Jacob and also Channing, but you’re the first one, so. Mm-hmm. . Do you have some sort of like, uh, you know, question that I could ask to Jacob or, or chanting that might get them to, to think a little bit and be like, oh, I don’t know, you know, something that might make ’em just a tad bit embarrassed or put a big smile on their face or something of that nature. [00:27:23] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Well, Jacob, I met in 2014 on the first tee of a golf course actually. So we’re both golfers. We both love to play golf. Um, so my question for him would probably have to be something, something golf related. Maybe you can ask him. I mean, I might say I beat him a little bit more than he beats me, but you might ask him, who wins I in our golf more? [00:27:45] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: He might say him. So just. Put him on. Put him on the spot there. Okay. . But no, I can do that. That’d be great. Uh, Jake, you know, he was been with me at Longow since 2015. He actually helped me, um, He helped me with the first harvest. I was, uh, just alone, right? And he was kind of new to, or was looking for some new work getting out of the film industry. [00:28:16] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Um, and I said, you know, I could always use somebody as just a hand just to help me out. Um, even though it wasn’t, we weren’t, I wasn’t making a lot of wine. And so that was his kind of first foray into, into. Oregon wines and the wine industry in general. Um, and he is a very charismatic person. Um, and he can connect with kind of anybody, and that’s a true gift that he has. [00:28:43] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Um, yeah. And then I would j I would maybe ask him how that harvest in 2015 was for him, what he thought about it. Ooh, that was his first, and he’d never known anything about wine making or other than drinking some wine and stuff like that. And I mean, to get thrown into that right, kind of on the deep end is kind of interesting. [00:29:03] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: And um, yeah, I might ask him. Questions about that artist. [00:29:09] A.J. Weinzettel: Okay, I can do that. Yeah. Uh, anything in particular for, for Channing? Oh, Channing. [00:29:15] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Um, [00:29:16] A.J. Weinzettel: I mean, I mean, he, he gets asked a gazillion questions, so trying to come up with something unique for him is going to be hard. [00:29:24] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: I, I, I mean, I haven’t asked, I should ask Channing, like, what is his favorite moment since his one most prideful moment? [00:29:32] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Since be getting into the wine industry? [00:29:37] A.J. Weinzettel: Yeah, no, that, that is a great question. Yeah, I can do that. I appreciate that. Thank you. [00:29:45] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: I’m gonna ask if Hendrix, his son is gonna be Amaker [00:29:51] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: his potential to be the tallest. Forever. [00:29:56] A.J. Weinzettel: Okay. I will, I’ll be sure to ask that question. It’ll be interesting to see what his reaction is. Um, I have a few rapid fire questions and I can then, I can let you off the hook if that works. Yeah. Okay. Uh, favorite artist to listen to during harvest? Ooh. [00:30:19] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Last year was dire straits. [00:30:22] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Actually. The harvest is dire. It was dire. So that was, that got us last year, lots of, lots of eighties music. Seventies, eighties. Uh, do you have a right [00:30:36] A.J. Weinzettel: no, that’s, that’s definitely a, a nice little time. I remember, uh, dire straits, playing in the roller rink when I was, you know, in, in elementary school, [00:30:47] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: my parents dire straits, rm, all that kind of stuff. [00:30:52] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Yeah. [00:30:53] A.J. Weinzettel: So, uh, do you have a favorite indulgent food? Sushi. [00:30:58] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Sushi? [00:31:00] A.J. Weinzettel: Uh, if you could choose a super, if you could choose a superpower, what would it [00:31:04] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: be? So my stepson is very into, uh, Marvel characters, DC all the, the superpowers. He would be better to answer this one. He would give you a really good one. Um, [00:31:21] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: maybe going invisible. Okay. [00:31:27] A.J. Weinzettel: Uh, your harvest notes, are they digital or handwritten? [00:31:30] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Handwritten. Okay. Very old [00:31:34] A.J. Weinzettel: school. Do you have a favorite. ? What’s that? I, no, I, I think there’s nothing wrong with that. I, I think there’s nothing wrong with that at all. I mean, it’s quite, uh, remarkable how many people are handwritten. [00:31:45] A.J. Weinzettel: Put it on my chest. So if [00:31:46] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: you see me during harvest, a lot of times I have just blue tape written all over me. [00:31:54] A.J. Weinzettel: you know, you, you need to post a, a photo of that on, on social media. That’d be great. Next day. [00:32:01] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Yeah. Then I don’t realize it, oh, come up to the tasting room where I go home and I just uncovered. [00:32:10] A.J. Weinzettel: Oh, do you have a favorite superhero? [00:32:14] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Hmm. [00:32:19] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Um, I like Bat Man. Okay. [00:32:25] A.J. Weinzettel: And is there a favorite book or podcast or anything that, that you have recently read that you’ve enjoyed most? [00:32:34] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: I’m still in the middle of Hiran. I haven’t, it’s a big book and I, every time I go on vacation, I start it again. It feels like, I’m like, I’m gonna get through it. This vacation, I haven’t gotten through it. [00:32:46] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Um, not since. It’s great. Um, and then favorite book do you say? [00:32:52] A.J. Weinzettel: Well, LA just last book. [00:32:54] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Last book. The Chanam. Um, um, what was the last one? Book Thief. Oh, [00:33:05] A.J. Weinzettel: okay. Nice. What is the Chanter Ann about? [00:33:09] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Sharia is about a felon from Australia. It’s a true story. It’s a felon from Aus felon from Australia. It actually just came out, I think there’s a TV show on it now. [00:33:19] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Um, I don’t know what channel, and he, um, gets convicted of a crime. Um, but he ends up escaping jail in Australia and fleeing to. Um, India into what was then Bombay and getting into kind of like the dark circles there, kind of, and yeah, all the wild stuff. [00:33:43] A.J. Weinzettel: Okay. It sounds pretty interesting. Yeah. [00:33:47] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: All right. [00:33:47] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Well, very cool. I, yeah, that why I don’t know the, I can’t tell you all of it. [00:33:52] A.J. Weinzettel: Uh, it, it still, it sounds very interesting. I, I’ll, we’ll definitely have to check it out. All right. Well, that’s all the rapid fire questions that I have. Is there anything else that you would like to, to bring up or ask me or anything of that? [00:34:07] A.J. Weinzettel: No, I just, [00:34:08] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: I appreciate, uh, you taking the time to have me on the podcast and, and chat. It’s, it’s fun and I hope to see you, uh, around the tasting room or winery and, uh, around the community. [00:34:22] A.J. Weinzettel: Yeah, most definitely. I appreciate it. Uh, I appreciate you taking the time and most definitely I wanna catch up and, you know, see you soon. [00:34:29] A.J. Weinzettel: I know that there’s a, uh, a lingo chosen family kind of reunion getting ready to come up here pretty soon. [00:34:35] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: Yeah. We’re gonna do an open house kind of COTAs on January 29th, I believe so it should be fun. There’ll be a little DJ and there’ll be pouring wines and it should be a fun time. Hopefully we have good. [00:34:52] A.J. Weinzettel: I, yeah. We’ll, we’ll keep our fingers crossed. We never know in January. , [00:34:56] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: January 29th. Yeah, exactly. [00:34:59] A.J. Weinzettel: Yeah. All right. Well, thank you so much for your time and, uh, we’ll, we’ll talk again shortly. [00:35:05] Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate: All right. Thanks, aj. All right. Thank you.