Paula Bandy

Oct. 16 marks the first anniversary of the tasting room at Dos Mariposas Vineyard & Lavender outside Medford.

The 27-acre property sits on part of the original 1860 Bellinger homestead. Now home to an enterprising three-generation family — Judy and John Rennick, Terri Rennick-Deering and Mark Deering, with their three children, Amelia, Adeline and Finley — they farm just a little under an acre of lavender, 6 acres of grapes, an orchard of about 160 pear, apple, plum and cherry trees, with 12 acres remaining for “whatever comes next.”

Dos Mariposas, Spanish for “two butterflies,” is named after their daughters. There are also ducks making families in the willow-edged irrigation pond. The vineyards were already in place when the family bought the property, so there’s some grape generations also.

John Rennick, a physician, and his wife, Judy, a retired nurse, spent many years living internationally working with the U.S. State Department. One of those places, Mexico City, was an exceptional influence both culturally and aesthetically.

“I fell in love with the colors in Mexico — the yellows, the turquoise, the sand — and painted the walls in our apartment in the colors of Puebla,” said Judy.

John, being raised in El Paso, Texas, spent much time in New Mexico, where they also lived and still love to visit. You can see this vibrant yet relaxing southwestern and Mexican influence throughout the large, airy tasting room. And as John points out, “We even have tumbleweeds on our wine label along with blue and orange butterflies.”

The Deerings, Terri and Mark, came to the Rogue Valley via Minnesota. Terri worked as an operations analyst for a university and was a bus commuter to work. One particularly frigid January morning, while awaiting a late bus, she thought, “Why am I doing this?” Mark, having been the director of a large sculpture studio for 20 years, was also thinking of a change. Their original idea of a possible hobby farm/nursery/event venue in Minnesota “spurred the movement,” Mark said.

“Our first five years was basically farming and building,” said Terri. 

They did most of the work themselves. The barn, now a tasting room, was “full of hay, dirt floors and studs,” said Mark. Now, it’s an open space with large garage-style doors that open onto the pond and patio areas. In the first few years, they planted the lavender and participated in the Southern Oregon Lavender Trail Festival. Terri creates lavender products available year-round.

Now fully open, they offer a variety of estate wines, soon to include malbec and pinotage, and small-batch cider from their orchards.

Mark, who has an extensive background in music and sound systems, built the sound system into the tasting room.

“Music has become very much a part of who we are. It’s not background music here,” he said.

The last Sunday of the month is open mic. I’m told they get musicians from beginners to local favorites who show up to sing and have fun.

Situated between Medford and Jacksonville, and continuing with the southwestern and Mexican theme, they provide tamales from Las Palmas food truck, along with charcuterie and a butter board, locally sourced as much as possible. It’s kid-friendly with umbrella tables and sand boxes — and is open to friendly dogs, as well.

“We are welcoming of families with children because that’s our life,” Terri said.

The space is almost full circle to their original idea of an event venue but has “vined and budded” in ways they hadn’t foreseen.

It’s very likely that while at Dos Mariposas you will be greeted and have a conversation with at least one of the family members.

“We like it as a place of feeling whole — of community,” John said. “And a place of restoration and letting time stand still a little bit.”

“I see so many people walking around the pond and just standing there looking, that sense of relaxation,” Judy added. “A place that allows for contemplation, and like John says, rejuvenation.”