Dashe Cellars

Founded by Michael and Anne Dashe in 1996, the winery is something of a specialist in Zinfandel. Anne hails from Brittany, France and is a Bordeaux-trained winemaker, while Michael, working closely with Paul Draper, was in charge of Ridge Vineyards’ Lytton Springs winery in Dry Creek Valley until he left to co-found Dashe with Anne. It was during his tenure at Ridge that Mike refined his skills in gentle, minimalist-style winemaking. Those familiar with the Geyserville and Lytton Springs bottlings from Ridge will quickly appreciate the house style at Dashe.

Early in their relationship, Mike and Anne dreamed of blending their passion for winemaking with their love of the San Francisco Bay Area. In a somewhat controversial decision at the time, they bypassed the bucolic scenes of lush vineyards for a warehouse in Jack London Square. They simply believed that people shouldn’t have to travel to wine country to taste exceptional wines.

With that belief still top of mind, Mike and Anne are committed to creating wines that reflect the unique soil, climate, and regional characteristics of their vineyards. To attain these goals, Dashe Cellars uses traditional and “natural” winemaking techniques, including small-lot fermentation, the use of indigenous yeasts, and little-to-no fining or filtration. Now located in Spirits Alley in Alameda, Dashe continues to source grapes from iconic vineyards such as Evangelho in their quest to produce the purest expression of California wine.

“One of my favourite under-the-radar wineries for a number of years has been Dashe. The prices are reasonable, the quality high, and the wines filled with personality.”
– Robert Parker, Wine Advocate