A World of Wine in Every Pour
Domaine Artifact Vineyard and Winery lies above Escondido’s San Pasqual Valley, nestled between granite-studded ridges. The name is derived from artifacts found throughout the property. Indigenous peoples have resided in the valley for approximately 8,000 years. The artifacts found on the property have been curated and are now on display at the World Museum of Natural History in San Bernardino, CA. Together, they have built the Estate from the ground up, beginning with the vision of the estate to planning, planting, and management.
Co-owners and husband and wife team, Mark Robinson and Lynn LaChapelle met as undergraduates while attending UCLA. Mark received his B.A. in Biology and eventually after moving to Southern California taught chemistry at Vista High School. Lynn comes from a military family, allowing her to travel extensively while growing up. In her early career, she pursued architecture and urban planning, which ultimately led to a successful career in commercial real estate. Lynn is a passionate horse rider who shares Mark’s affinity for wine.
Over the last 30 years, Mark and Lynn have immersed themselves in the world of enology and viticulture. Their travels abroad have provided the great fortune to experience wine from some of the best wine regions of the world. Lynn imbues Domaine Artefact with her warm spirit, and generous hospitality, while Mark, the self-taught winemaker, brings his evolved palate, know-how, and passion to craft wines for Domaine Artefact. “Mark just went for it! He had been making beer for over 10 years and knew the wine-making process. He relied on mentors and consultants for the first three to four vintages,” Lynn said.
“Our passion for wine, viticulture, and traveling have long been cherished pastimes shared with friends and family. The development of Domaine Artefact provides an opportunity to channel these passions into the creation of wine and sustainable viticulture to produce premier Rhône-style wines,” Lynn said.
Today, Domaine Artefact is dedicated to growing Rhône grape varietals as well as vinifying and blending them in traditional yet innovative manners. A visit to Domaine Artefact will provide an opportunity to experience unique varietals and one-of-a-kind blends.
When they decided to make wine, they purchased the land in 2007, two weeks before the Witch Creek fire, where everything on the property burned (and has subsequently been replanted by them). “We built infrastructure in 2008 – 2009, started planting grapes and olives in 2010 (500 initial vines, 300 trees), then had 3,500 vines custom grafted from budwood from Alban clones in 2011 for planting in 2012. We planted about 2,500-3,000 vines per year through 2017 for a total of 17,000 vines on our land, we farm the adjacent 3,000 vines for a total of 20,000 vines – all Rhone varietals,” Lynn said.
The estates’ east-west valley ranges from 850ft to 1,000ft in elevation, offering a unique microclimate, moderated by cooling maritime breezes. The growing season averages 240 days per year with annual temperatures rarely exceeding 95° F (35° C) or dipping below 35° F (2° C).
In the mid- 1800’s Highland Valley was known for producing wines grown for sacramental purposes, these varietals included Ruby Cabernet and Muscat of Alexander vines. These surviving vines can still be found in the low-lying areas of the property, a lasting tribute to some of the original settlers of the region.
Sustainability
Domaine Artefact is committed to leaving a zero carbon footprint. In efforts to achieve this, they focus only on sustainable vineyard practices to cultivate their vineyard. Additionally, they ship their wines solely in Styrofoam-free boxes and invest in 100% recycled material for their shipping and marketing needs. Their goal is to be completely reliant on solar power for all energy consumption.
Culinary Gardens and Native Vegetation
“We are guided by principles of permaculture in our approach to farming and as such, are keen on growing our organic fruits and vegetables and sharing our harvests locally. At Domaine Artefact, we are committed to transforming the Estate by exclusively planting native species to create a balanced, regenerative, and self-supporting ecosystem,” Lynn said.
Cooking Classes and Experiences
Domaine Artefact is a community of talented and creative individuals who are continually dreaming up experiences that engage and invigorate. We offer seasonally inspired cooking courses, dinners, wine education and sensory classes, cheese making, beekeeping, and camping experiences.
“The new building is fabulous! It offers a nice warm spot during the winter months and a nice cool spot during the summer months. The wrap-around deck offers a sunset vantage point and is sheltered when it’s raining. I enjoy our large kitchen and the ability to offer cooking classes – this year, we are highlighting all 13 regions of France. We are cooking regional cuisines and pairing them with our wines. So far, we have tackled Normandy and Brittany, this month we are focused on Haute de France,” Lynn said.
Farm Animals and Wildlife
Domaine Artefact is home to our family of animals including dogs, horses, pigs, and chickens. On your visit, you are likely to see our “wine dogs” lazing about the tasting room. We are “pet-friendly” and encourage guests to bring their well-behaved fur children.
A visit to Domaine Artefact will provide an opportunity to experience unique varietals and one-of-a-kind blends. You’ll also be able to meet owners, Lynn and Mark, while relaxing in the tasting center, enjoy a quick bite from our onsite café, and take a stroll through native plants, organic olive orchards, or vineyards. While you are onsite, you are likely to meet their wine dog menagerie, and from their deck, look out over the horse paddocks.
Watch them grow
“We finished a new 4,800-square-foot production building that will be fully operational by May. We faced some supply chain issues in sourcing a 400 amp-three phase electrical panel – over 10 months! We have two more large projects on deck – the restoration of our natural pond and a new “member only” area that will be outfitted with an outdoor kitchen to help us host more events in our olive grove. We are working on a really great collaboration at the moment – but it’s too soon for any “big” reveal,” Lynn said. Hmm, I can’t wait!
Other great happenings
“We were awarded a ‘healthy soils’ grant by the California Department of Food and Agriculture and have another grant on hold at the moment as it is a federally funded program and our liaison at the Department of Fish & Wildlife was recently terminated. Additionally, my goal is to attain our California Sustainable Winegrowing Certification. This application falls into my wheelhouse and it’s a matter of putting in the time and energy needed to complete the submission. We already adhere to their requirements but it’s an incredibly rigorous compilation effort,” Lynn said.
For information go to: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oars/healthysoils/incentivesprogram.html
Will Highland Valley become its own American Viticultural Area (AVA)?
“We are working on obtaining the Highland Valley AVA for the bonded wineries and growers in the area. We are moving up in the queue and hope to be able to place Highland Valley AVA on our 2027 labels,” Lynn concluded.
For more information as well as current hours of operation go to: https://domaineartefact.wine/