Story
Domesday Wine is a labor of love by husband-and-wife team Dominic and Jordan Smith, rooted in a shared belief that wine should be honest, soulful, and alive.
Dominic began his journey in the wine industry in Los Angeles before earning a Certificate in Winemaking from UC Davis. He interned at several notable wineries in Napa before shifting into viticulture, seeking to better understand the land, the labor, and the rhythms of the growing season. He returned to winemaking at Domesday with a philosophy rooted deeply in both the vineyard and the cellar.
Jordan brings deep curiosity and warmth to every part of the experience, helping shape Domesday into a space for real connection—through storytelling, shared meals, and the wild honesty of a good bottle.
The name Domesday is a nod to the medieval land survey of 1086—but more than that, it’s a reminder: life is short, unpredictable, and strange. Our guiding philosophy is to embrace the wyrd (pronounced: “weird”)—an Old English word for fate, but also for the mysterious, the uncanny, the inevitable. We make wines to survive the doom, to savor the glou. Each release is a tribute—unpolished, rooted in care, and built to share.
Stewards
At Domesday, we believe the farmer is the first and most vital voice in the wine. That’s why we celebrate our growers with the same reverence usually reserved for winemakers.
Our 2023 vintage was born entirely from the hands and heart of Ann Kraemer at Shake Ridge Ranch—a legendary site nestled in the Sierra Foothills of Amador County. Ann is a true steward of the land: meticulous, forward-thinking, and deeply attuned to her vineyard’s rhythms. Shake Ridge is no ordinary property. It’s a high-elevation patchwork of volcanic soils and rolling exposures, farmed with extraordinary precision and intention. Ann’s vineyard work is quiet alchemy—years of vision and care distilled into vibrant, structured fruit.
We are honored to work with Ann. The 2023 WYRD is as much hers as it is ours.