Dashe Vineyard Select Zinfandel 2022

Fresh out of graduate school, Mike Dashe landed at Schramsberg making sparkling wines. Then came the ultimate gamble – he wrote directly to Chateau Lafite-Rothschild’s technical director asking for an internship. Figuring it was a long shot, he went backpacking through Southeast Asia. It wasn’t until he checked his mail at an American Express office in Bangkok that he learned he’d been accepted for the 1989 harvest at one of the world’s most storied estates.

The real magic started when Mike joined Ridge Vineyards as Assistant Winemaker. Working alongside the legendary Paul Draper, he mastered the art of minimal intervention winemaking, letting the vineyard speak for itself. By 1995, Mike was running Ridge’s Lytton Springs facility in Dry Creek Valley. The following year, he and his winemaker wife Anne launched Dashe Cellars, focusing on single-vineyard wines that showcase their non-industrial approach.

Today, Mike is considered one of the greatest Zinfandel winemakers of all time. When the “godfather of old-vines” Morgan Twain-Peterson approached him about making wine from the legendary Bedrock vineyard, it was the ultimate validation. Now, some of the best restaurants in the United States feature Dashe on their Michelin-starred wine lists, including The French Laundry, Chez Panisse, Per Se, Le Cirque, and Alinea. From coast to coast, it’s one of the few Zins that top chefs can’t wait to pair with their red meat selections.