Dominio IV tasting room is a restored farmhouse of the early 20th century located in Willamette Valley of Oregon. It was built in 1916 in a small town called Carlton.
Unlike most tasting rooms made in modern style, Dominio IV has historical charm. While it’s not a colonial-style building, it certainly has a feel of it with a porch that wraps the building and gives the tasting room a homey, welcoming atmosphere. In that, it’s unique for Willamette Valley.
But what makes the winery is its people and wine.
Wine Story of Patrick and Leigh
Dominio VI is a joint venture of husband and wife Patrick Reuter and Leigh Bartholomew. They’ve being partners-in-wine since their college years together at the University of California in Davis. Patrick studied terroir and Leigh viticulture. After graduation, they continued with hands-on education while working at the wineries worldwide from New Zealand to Burgundy, from Chile to California and Washington.
In 2000 Leigh became the vineyard manager for Archery Summit. Today she’s undoubtedly an authority in Willamette Valley and works with many vineyards to produce grapes for many wineries.
In 2002, she and Patrick began the Dominio IV winery capitalizing on their experience working in Oregon and abroad.
Dominio IV Winery
In 2002 Patrick and Leah started Dominio IV in Mosier, Oregon, in the Columbia Gorge wine region. They planted Tempranillo, Syrah, and Viognier and later added small parcels of Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. Finally, in 2017 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes were planted on their new estate property in Carlton, Oregon. Leigh and Patrick employ natural organic farming methods with compost, herbs, and no-till practices to maintain the soil structure whole.
Wine and Art
In the 21st century, most winemakers would tell you quality is only part of a successful winery. Creative marketing is equally as important.
One of the things that attracted us to visit Dominio IV is their creative approach to labels. We were intrigued by the dynamic label designs of Imagination Series wine.
As it came out, Patrick draws and designs them himself when he tastes the wine. His synergy between wine, taste, and art is inspiring. And those are not just free-form wiggles.
Each label image reflects specific aspects of the wine: fruit, acidity, sweetness, tannin, body, and finish. Think tasting notes in the picture.
Tasting Dominio IV Wines
We tasted a range of different wines, including Viognier “Still Life” 2019, Imagination Series no.19, Imagination Series no.26 Inverse, Pinot Noir “Rain on the Leaves” 2013, Pinot Noir Block 36, Syrah “Purple Flower” 2011, and Tempranillo “Of the Earth” 2010. Still, we didn’t get through all the wines Dominio IV produces.
Reasons to Visit Dominio IV
There are a few reasons to visit. As the attention to Willamette Valley grew and it became a tourist destination, tasting rooms grew too. In the process, the charms of boutique wine Willamette Valley was known for slowly fade away.
Dominio IV and similar wineries offer a few perks that might be in deficit at some larger wineries.
To start, the tasting room manager, Stephen Fouch, poured our wines and his wealth of knowledge about every bottle, the vintage’s intricacies, and its winemaking process. So you get the wine and the story.
Another reason is choice. Wineries of the Willamette Valley are dominated by Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Rosé, Chardonnay, and possibly Riesling.
Dominio IV has a more diversified portfolio and offers various wines that can satisfy different tastes. And everyone has a friend or family member who doesn’t get Pinot Noir and prefers bolder wines.
Lastly, you may find some Dominio IV wines in stores, but most are tasting room exclusives. So it’s your chance to get some kicks out of tasting the wines that 99.99% of people on Earth never will.
Be on the lookout for the posts with tasting notes of Dominio IV wines and keep following us for more objective and non-sponsored reviews on www.wineswinging.com and social media.
