Small batch

Domaine Darius is a small winery with a big reputation

Domaine Darius may be one of the smallest wineries in the County, but that didn’t stop it from earning a big reputation. It’s known for producing vintage after vintage of quality wine since its inception in August of 2014. Domaine Darius is a small craft winery specializing in small batch wines. Dave Gillingham is the winemaker and runs the business with his wife of 48 years, Joni Gillingham. The two purchased the property back in 2008. Gillingham has been a winemaker for close to four decades now, and before he came to the County, he lived in Pickering and was a member of the Pickering Wine Guild. He jokes that he had no intention of opening a winery, but in that wine club at the time were some familiar County faces. Dan Sullivan (Rosehall Run), Richard Karlo (Karlo Estates), and Battista Cavilieri (Hubb’s Creek) were all in the club.

Eventually, Gillingham was convinced to purchase two acres of land just off Wilson Road and put a tent trailer on the property, so they could come visit on the weekends and pretend it was their cottage. After some time, the two acres turned into fifty, and the tent trailer turned into a building that still stands there today. The couple of vines that Gillingham initially planted for fun have now turned into a fiveacre vineyard. The fruits of their labour are obvious in the success of Domaine Darius and how the winery has risen to become one of the most respected wineries in the County in four short years.

When asked about what wines Gillingham likes to focus on at the winery, his response was surprising.

“I don’t focus on anything specific. I mostly have pinot noir and chardonnay planted, but I always have three varietals of other grapes on the go, and those are constantly changing. I make about a dozen wines. I have a little bit of zinfandel and muscat planted as well just for myself,” says Gillingham.

Joni and Dave Gillingham behind the counter at Domaine Darius.

Being a fan of one of the smallest wineries is not easy. It means that the wine you loved last time you visited the winery may not be available this time around. Small batches mean just that, which also means that to be a fan of the winery, you must trust the winemaker and be open to trying new things. Gillingham makes a red and white port-style wine, rosé, a nouveau (releasing this Thursday), and a couple of different gewürtztraminers. His signature gewürtz is barrell-fermented, which doesn’t happen often. He also does a red and white cuvée.

As for the season this year, Gillingham says it was a great one, but he marvels at how much you can still learn, even after making wine for almost forty years.

“What I learned from growing grapes this year was that we had a great growing season with a lot of heat, but because of that heat you get thin skins on the grapes. Then, if you get a lot of rain at harvest time you get a breakdown of those already thinned skins. Overall, we avoided that this year and I think we left 15 per cent of the crop on the field. That’s a good percentage for me,” says Gillingham.

The winery is nestled back more than a thousand feet from the road and is 100 per cent off-grid, powered completely through solar and wind energy. Joni Gillingham curates the property, adorning it with flowers, trees, bushes, rocks and stones. Fans of winery come back for the wine, but also like to return for its landscaped property and secluded nature.

For Wasssail, Domaine Darius has been very busy and Gillingham says that the people coming to visit this season have been jovial and a lot of fun. The winery is too small to accommodate bus tours, but the energy was still high with lots of singing, drinking and snacking going on for the families and small groups that came celebrate Wassail.

As for a standout in this season’s harvest, Gillingham says that he likes them all currently, and doesn’t have a favourite yet. But there are many people around that clearly do have a favourite when it comes to wine, and Joni Gillingham has the ledger to prove it.

Because everything done at Domaine Darius is small batch, an idea was born to pre-sell the wine and keep track via a ledger. The idea caught on like wildfire with some vintages selling-out completely via the ledger, and some with a waiting time of up to two years. Again, the ledger was not something that they had planned on, but rather a reaction to a need to keep customers happy, even without the product in bottle.

“A man came in one day and asked if I would write his name down to make sure he got a case of what he wanted for next year. I realized then as I pulled out the other notes and messages out of my pocket that we needed a book. Now, people come in and ask to see the book. What book? I say jokingly,” says Gillingham

The ledger is another example of how businesses out here in the County need to adapt or get left behind. By booking sales ahead for at least a year, the names in the ledger ensure a certain amount of revenue can be counted on.

With the shoulder seasons expanding and people visiting later and later in the season, it’s looking like this area will soon be a year-round destination. For Domaine Darius, they always keep half of their stock for the tasting room, so make sure to stop by. And if you find something you like, make sure you put your name in the ledger for next season’s harvest.