Seized the Day

By Michele Francisco The process of eminent domain allows the government to take private property and convert it to public use. After the city of Portland took Jeff Meader’s southeast property, he turned the loss into an opportunity by purchasing land in the Ribbon Ridge American Viticultural Area, or AVA. Meader followed his passion for farming and planted a vineyard. This year, the cleverly named winery, Eminent Domaine, celebrates 20 years. Meader’s initial investment has grown gradually over the course of two decades. With time, it has yielded a family home atop a winery, a tasting room, second vineyard with a vacation rental, an enclosed pavilion and a newly finished deck for wine guests to enjoy the stunning views. He recently achieved a long-held dream of growing all the grapes for Eminent Domaine. The winery’s general manager, Camille Stabler, notes, “Our annual production decreased to about 2,200 cases with the move to all estate-grown fruit. And while

by Hilary Berg · source ↗