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.
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