'Ohana Owned & Farmed
We are Lelia Zenner & Mark Wessels.
After 30 years in retail fine wine in Washington, D.C., we purchased a beautiful coffee farm in Kona, Hawaii in 2018. In many ways, our long & satisfying careers in fine wine have allowed us to seamlessly transition into the world of gourmet coffee. Like fine wine, gourmet coffee shines when carefully cared for by individuals committed to the highest quality standards.
Living at the orchard, we've immersed ourselves in daily care of our coffee trees & optimizing the milling process (on site). We are also committed to creating & maintaining relationships with industry experts in parching, roasting, & crop care, including an expert roasting team of certified tasters & coffee trainers, & experts from the University of Hawaii Department of Agriculture & Kona Coffee Farmers Association.
By being good stewards of the land & the craft of coffee production, we ensure the highest standard of quality is reflected in every cup of Domain Kona.
Deep Roots
Domain Kona is a 100-year-old coffee farm ideally situated in the center of the famous Kona Coffee Belt on the Big Island of Hawai’i. Our orchard, planted entirely to Kona Typica trees, is the model of long-standing loving care & devotion to premium coffee farming.
The standard of excellence upheld by previous owners of the Domain is characteristic of historical Kona coffee farming, which reflects the Hawaiian tradition of respect for the land (Mālama ‘Āina) and respect and love for each other (Aloha). Maintaining that standard is our primary goal out of respect to you, respect for those who farmed this beautiful land before us, and respect for ourselves.
Nature & Nurture
With an elevation of 1,400 feet, our orchards at Domain Kona benefit not only from ample sunshine and ocean breezes, but also from reliable afternoon rainfall. It is that very precious combination that creates the perfect climate for our coffee trees.
The care and nurturing of the trees in this ideal micro-climate is paramount to the production of what is considered one of the world’s finest and most highly valued coffees. A mere 0.001% of the world’s coffee is produced in Kona’s famed orchards!
At Domain Kona, our priority is to tend our trees with timely and appropriate pruning, feeding, and overall health & maintenance, never intervening with nature’s path.
