Oral History Interview with Pat & Jackie Dukes

This interview is with Pat & Jackie Dukes of Dukes Family Vineyards. In this interview, the couple explores their journey in fulfilling their vineyard dreams. Pat & Jackie talk about their lives before joining the industry. The two went to high school together but didn’t start dating until college until eventually getting hitched. From there, Jackie worked in real estate and Pat worked in accounting. After the company was sold, Pat retired at 37 and eventually went to culinary school. Surprisingly, the couple didn’t start drinking wine until their 30s in California. After trying some great bottles, Pat started to collect wine. The Dukes discuss their start in Oregon. At first, they wanted to start a restaurant because they had heard that Oregon was a good market for it at the time. After they discovered the restaurant business wasn’t for them, they started a vineyard instead. From there, the property kept evolving and they now have a tasting room and various other buildings. Later in the interview, the couple talks about their future in the industry. This year, Dukes celebrates its 20th vintage. Pat claims that every year of those first 20, there was an ongoing project or construction on the property. Now, Pat & Jackie are mellowing out the projects and enjoying what they’ve made. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Dukes Family Vineyard in Amity on June 26, 2026.