Dashe Cellars, based in Oakland, has finally opened a tasting room. Michael and Anne Dashe have been building the tasting area for most of the year, and I plan to visit as soon as possible.
The Dashes make some of my favorite Zinfandels, keeping the alcohol to a "low" 15% or so. If you like California Zinfandels, often with high alcohol and jammy fruit, the Dashes tend to make well-balanced versions.
From the announcement: "Beginning October 28 (yes, that's next Saturday!), the Dashe Cellars Tasting Room will be open to the public 12pm to 5pm, Thursdays through Mondays."
I imagine the new tasting room will also pour wines from JC Cellars, another great producer in the same building. Jeff Cohn, the wine maker and owner, produces wines more akin to the Rosenblum style (where he served as the wine maker until recently). Jeff's Ventana Vineyards Syrah won the Syrah Shoot-Out at the Hospices du Rhône two years in a row.
Here are some tasting notes that I wrote when I researched the two wineries for my "Legacy of Rosenblum" article.
