Patrick Reuter & Leigh Bartholomew - Dominio IV
“Gout de Terroir”

Terroir: a French word with no direct translation that bespeaks taste of place. Patrick Reuter and Leigh Bartholomew aspire to craft authentic wines that reflect the Terroir, soil, wind, sunlight, rain and slope from the seven acres they farm biodynamically in the Columbia Gorge Valley.

Reuter and Bartholomew began planting their vineyard (Three Sleeps) in 1999 on the site of an old cherry orchard with Syrah and the Spanish grape Tempranillo. The most recent addition to their cluster of red varietals is Pinot noir. "Our reds are complemented by the rich aromatics and refreshing crispness of our Viognier," the fourth varietal in their series of wines.

They met at the University of Oregon as undergraduates, and then studied at the Mecca for Viticulture and Enology for graduate school (UC Davis), focusing their research on the terroir of California and Oregon vineyards.

A seasoned and storied journey through the world of wine thus far, Bartholomew has "explored with Chris Camarta at Andrew Will in Washington, toiled in Chile for Vina Errazurris, analyzed in Napa for Robert Mondavi, practiced on Spring Mountain for Cain Vineyards, churned it through in Malborough, New Zealand for Seresin Estate, absorbed and revered in Burgundy for Dennis Mortet and has "got game" in Oregon for Archery Summit Winery."

Reuter in turn, "stumbled around at Andrew Will in Washington, sumo wrestled Merlot and lost 20 lbs at Errazurris in Chile, meticulously investigated vineyard soil in CA, OR, WA, got a taste of Napa fruit at ZD Wines, worked a lot of Sauv-Blanc at Seresin Estate in Marlborough, New Zealand, spied the Holy Grail at Domaine Armande Rousseau in Gevrey-Chambertain, France and remains happily in flux at Dominio IV in Oregon."