Meet Gwyndolyn James: The Mary Poppins of the Dundee Hills
Produced in partnership by Travel Dundee and the Dundee Hills Winegrowers Association.
Gwyndolyn James is hard to miss. With her sparky smile and cheerful presence, she’ll immediately make you feel comfortable and welcomed when you step into the Domaine Serene Winery tasting room. And then she’ll be gone in a flash with her white sneakers carrying her off to the dozens of tasks and colleagues she wants to check on to ensure every single thing is “practically perfect” for the guests who will visit that day.
As the Guest Services Manager at Domaine Serene, she sets the stage for the entire guest experience. “My team and I are responsible for all of the tiny, invisible things that make an experience memorable–from how someone is greeted to how they make their reservation to how the table is set up to how clean the restrooms are,” she says. And if anyone possesses that elusive and magical, Mary Poppins-like ability to make order and precision feel warm and fun, it’s Gwyndolyn James.
She’s spent the past four years with Domaine Serene, her first job in the wine industry, after leaving the hotel management side of hospitality during the pandemic. She’s found a home in the Dundee Hills, full of welcoming and kind people who share her generous spirit.
“It’s magical here. I honestly can’t get enough of this place,” she confesses. “The drive up to the winery… the views from the tasting room. I’m so glad I get to welcome people here every day and I hope I never leave.”
At Domaine Serene, guests have the opportunity to enjoy side-by-side tastings of Oregon Pinot Noir and Burgundian Pinot Noir, allowing them to compare the same varietal in two different stylistic approaches. “We’re so proud of all of our wines here, and every one of them has a special story,” she says. “My team gets to set the stage and make sure everything is perfect for our guests so the wines can sit in the spotlight.”
And that, perhaps, is the reason Gwyn is so completely happy at Domaine Serene. She gets to be in the background, supporting her team as they create an experience allowing their acclaimed wines to steal the show. Because that, she says, is where the magic truly happens.
To visit Gwyn and the magic-filled team at Domaine Serene, make a reservation here.