Dashe Cellars: Hard to Find, Easy to Like

I had some experience with Dashe Cellars before trekking through Jack London Square in Oakland in the attempts of finding the winery. Pam Maners often brings us the Riesling to sip on Saturday afternoons while working the busy crowds at Rosenblum, and I had tasted the Vin Gris at the East Bay Vintners Festival in August. But I had no idea it would be so hard to find. KB and I stopped in several shops asking for directions, and no one seemed to know there were even wineries in the area! We asked people on the street who sent us in the wrong direction, until KB finally made the 411 operator understand what info was needed to call directly.

When we arrived, hot and thirsty, Aaron poured us some water and the before-mentioned 2006 Dashe McFadden Farms Riesling from Potter Valley. It was quite refreshing with oranges and peaches. At that point, I asked about the crazy logo on the label, a question I know he has to get all the time. Mike and Ann Dashe wanted something to represent two people together on a journey. Ann grew up in a fishing village in France, and Mike is a playful kinda guy. So what do you get? A monkey riding the back of a fish, of course.

We also tasted the 2004 Iron Oak Vineyard Merlot, which smelled more like a Cab to me and the 2003 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, which was too tight still to appreciate. The 2005 Florence Vineyard Zinfandel was familiar to me, as the Rosenblum Rockpile Road gets grapes from the same grower. This one was richer than ours, almost port-like on the nose, though dry on the finish. The 2003 Big River Ranch Zin had the most interesting nose with cherry, soy sauce, and chocolate. But I went home with some Riesling and the 2005 Todd Brothers Zinfandel, made from 50 year old vines from Alexander Valley.