Domaine Serene

Domaine Serene Winery

Domaine Serene is based in a spectacular five-level winemaking facility atop the Red Hills of Dundee, Oregon. Domaine Serene's facility encorporates many features that have been copied by many other wineries:

--Utilizing a traditional gravity-flow method throughout the entire winemaking process.

--Creating flexibility by building a large enough space - one where decisions are made in keeping with the quality of the wine, not due to logistics of space and equipment.

--Three separate barrel rooms, keeping them individually controlled for humidity and temperature (newly harvested Pinot Noir, previous vintage Pinot Noir still in the barrel, and Chardonnay).

--Holding wine at least one year after bottling, before release, in a bottled-wine aging cellar.

Artists rendering of Winery Hill

Domaine Serene believes that minimal intervention and movement of the fruit from vineyard to bottle is crucial in maintaining the highest quality wine. To that end, they utilize gravity to carry the wine through the building's five levels and stages of production, ensuring consistently superior wines.

Level 1: FRUIT DELIVERY
Harvest crew brings ripe fruit into the building to begin meticulous hand-sorting of the fruit on a conveyor belt. The fruit is destemmed, crushed, and flows down to level 2.

Level 2: FERMENTING
The Pinot Noir fruit is fermented in small, open-top fermentors. When fermentation is complete, the wine is gently pressed off the skins. After a short time in settling tanks it flows down to level 3. The Chardonnay goes to barrel level 4 for fermentation following pressing.

Level 3: THE CAVE
Some of the very best wine is barreled in the beautiful limestone cave. The cave area is used for barrel tasting events and occasional entertaining.

Level 4: BARREL CELLARS AND BLENDING
For optimum barrel cellaring conditions, there are three separate barrel rooms. One is for incoming Pinot Noir, one is for Pinot Noir from the previous vintage, and one is for Chardonnay. All have separate temperature and humidity capabilities. Pinot Noir at Domaine Serene is typically barrel-aged 14-18 months. Chardonnay is fermented and aged in the barrel for 10-15 months.

Level 5: BOTTLING, LABELING AND BOTTLE-AGING
State-of-the-art equipment assures proper protection of the wine at bottling. After the wines are aged in bottle, for usually a year or more, labeling and packaging take place and wines are ready for release.

Ken & Grace Evenstad are the owners of Domaine Serene and are very involved in every aspect of the business. They have always had a passion for Burgundian wines and in 1989 they made the commitment to produce the finest possible Oregon Pinot Noir and Chardonnays.

Tony Rynders is the Winemaker at Domaine Serene. A Wisconsin native, Tony made his way out west in 1986 and never looked back, moving between California, Washington and Oregon. A three month tour of Europe unleashed a fascination for wine and motivated him to seek out a career in the wine industry. After his inaugural winery experience in California in 1989, Tony enrolled in the Viticulture and Enology program at U.C. Davis and received his Masters Degree in Enology in 1993.

Tony has a wide diversity of winemaking experiences spanning well over a decade. Since 1998 he has been Winemaker for Domaine Serene. He previously served as Red Winemaker at a major Washington State producer and also worked in wineries in Oregon, twice in Italy, Australia and California.

Domaine Serene's vineyard manager is Joel Myers. He has had experience planting, tending and managing vineyards in Yamhill County since the early 1970's. Domaine Serene's vineyards are managed with respect for the land and nature. The winery's Sustainable Farming Practices program emphasizes environmentally friendly farming methods in wine grape production to promote responsible stewardship of the land and natural resources. Domaine Serene adheres to the following farming principles:

More than half of Domaine Serene's total acreage at each of the three Estates (Evenstad, Jerusalem Hill and Winery Hill) is set aside for natural habitat of wildlife and flora.
Vineyard layout and the use of natural grasses provide effective erosion control.

Domaine Serene uses no chemical pesticides in the vineyard.

In order to preserve natural resources and to encourage deep root development for the health of the vine, Domaine Serene does not use irrigation.

Cultural practices such as hedging, leaf pulling and dis-budding in combination with natural products and carefully selected anti-fungals control disease in fruit production.
Weed-control is kept in check with the judicious use of herbicides.

The winery has a commitment to maintaining low vigor vines and ultra low crop levels.

From the winery: "Beautiful aromas of dark cherry, red raspberry, pipe tobacco, milk chocolate, pomegranate and earth. The palate is rich and supple, showing black raspberry, cherry pie, black currant
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"The effusive nose bursts with ripe raspberry, red cherry, lavender, cranberry, red plum, tobacco, slight orange peel and cola. The palate displays pretty red cherry, black raspberry, pomegranate,
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From the winery: "The effusive nose shows a myriad of aromas including citrus, flower, ripe pear, key lime, mineral, cr?me br?l?e, kiwi and slight toast. The long, rich palate displays sweet Meyer lem
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Wine Spectator rating 92 points: "Lithe, elegant and supple. Beautifully focused to show off its plum, blueberry, mineral and spice flavors, extraordinarily balanced and elegant through the finish. Dr
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From the winery: "Enticing aromas of lemon meringue, citrus, green apple, slight tarragon and caramel. Bright Meyer lemon, slight custard and menthol toast and caramel on the long finish."

Hal
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