Jeff Meader: Oral History Interview

This interview is with Jeff Meader of Eminent Domaine. In this interview, Jeff talks about growing up near Ribbon Ridge on a farm and falling in love with that lifestyle. He speaks about attending college for business, yet taking agricultural courses and goes on to describe his time working in commercial real estate. Later, Jeff discusses his discovery of the Oregon wine world and the formation of Eminent Domaine. He also shares the story behind its name. The phrase Eminent Domaine is a legal term meaning “the right of a government to claim private property for public use with financial compensation.” As Jeff describes, this is what happened to one of his old properties and is what funded the creation of the winery by the same name. He also speaks about the community he is a part of and what makes this an industry worth working in. At the end, Jeff talks about the recent challenges Oregon wine has faced as well as the future he is working towards for his brand. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Eminent Domaine in Newberg on June 14, 2022.