Dave's Club Spring Newsletter - 2025

By Jesse Malvesti & Catalina Perez

Wow, can you believe 2025 marks 30 years since we first opened our doors to the public? Looking back, it’s incredible to see how far we’ve come—what started as Dave’s passion for wine has grown into a thriving winery, thanks to the loyalty and enthusiasm of customers like you. Some of you have been with us from the very beginning, and many more have joined along the way, happily sharing our wines with friends and family. Your support has allowed us to stay true to who we are—personally answering phone calls, promptly responding to emails, and keeping a personal connection alive in an increasingly digital world.

While Dry Creek Valley is often synonymous with Zinfandel, our story started with a love for Bordeaux wines. Dave’s fascination with these French classics began in 1969, when he worked in San Francisco as a bank credit analyst and built a collection of Bordeaux wines from local shops. That passion eventually led him to Dry Creek Valley, where he started growing grapes and crafting blends modeled after the wines he admired. With that tradition in mind, this spring’s wine club shipment highlights two Bordeaux-inspired wines: Petit Verdot, a rich and structured single-varietal expression, and Aca Modot, our signature Bordeaux-style blend. Of course, variety is key, and this spring collection offers something for every palate. If you enjoy lighter-bodied reds, Grenache and Terre Mélange are perfect for easy sipping. If you’re looking for something balanced yet structured, Block 4 and Block 6 Zinfandel hit that sweet spot between elegance and power. And for those who crave bold, full-bodied wines, Petit Verdot and Aca Modot deliver deep complexity and age-worthy intensity. Whether you prefer delicate or daring, we hope these wines bring joy to your glass and your table. Here’s to another season of great wine, wonderful company, and lasting connections—cheers

Announcements

White Wines for Spring! We’re excited to announce the release of 3 new whites:

2024 Viognier
2024 Sauvignon Blanc
2024 Gewurztraminer

New Futures Available!

2024 Super Tuscan
2024 Sagrantino
Never before offered: 2023 Super Tuscan

Passport To Dry Creek Valley

April 26th-27th 2025
Tickets are still available at www.drycreekvalley.org
Be a part of the legacy & join 25+ wineries as we open our doors with unique themes and award winning wines.

Recipe

Gnocchi with Grilled Garden Vegetables

Ingredients:

3-4 wood skewers
1 – 17.5 oz package potato gnocchi
½ of a fresh zucchini squash
½ of a fresh yellow squash
½ of a large red onion
1 cup of sweet Cherry tomatoes
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves fresh garlic
¼ cup of salted butter
1 bunch of fresh basil (torn)
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt & pepper, to taste
Other optional grilled vegetables you could add: corn, mushrooms, asparagus

Method:

Soak 3-4 wood skewers in water for 30 minutes. Pour yourself a glass of Grenache from this shipment. Preheat your grill to medium high heat, approx. 450°. Add the olive oil, salt & pepper to coat the vegetables and place just the tomatoes on the skewers for grilling. Grill the vegetables until tender, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the vegetables from the grill and cut into ½ inch pieces. Remove the tomatoes from the skewers, add to the vegetables and set aside.

In a medium-sized sauce pot bring 6 cups of salted water to a boil. Add gnocchi and boil until they float, no more than 2 minutes. In a saute pan over medium heat, add the butter. Gently swirl the butter until the milk solids begin to brown. Strain the gnocchi. Next, add gnocchi to the browned butter and saute for 1 minute. Add salt, pepper and the garlic. Add in the reserved vegetables & tomatoes and toss with torn fresh basil. Top the entire dish with a healthy mount of Parmesan cheese and be sure to refresh your glass of Grenache. Enjoy!

Featured Wines

2023 Grenache (10 month)

100% Grenache Retail: $36 – Club: $21.60

Bright and translucent, our lightest wine in this lineup shows vibrant ruby red tones and hints of crimson. With a quintessential Grenache nose it is surprisingly mature for its age. Excellent long-lasting fruit reminiscent of fresh raspberry and strawberry with a subtle spiciness is rounded out by silky tannins and moderate acidity. We love how this Grenache has a smooth, elegant finish with a touch of spice and minerality.

Pairs with: Gnocchi with grilled garden vegetables (The Featured Recipe)

2022 Terre Melange (10 month)

31% Syrah / 25% Mourvédre / 24% Peloursin / 20% Grenache Retail: $36 – Club: $21.60

Upon initial smell, the Syrah permeates the glass with a complex mix of blackberries, plums and herbs, but the other varietals have married together to give this blend bold, yet balanced flavors in true Rhone fashion. There’s a brightness almost like kalamata olives on the tongue that opens up to flavors of pink peppercorn and violets. The Syrah brings dark fruit, spice and structure, adding depth and a velvety texture.

Mourvédre contributes earthy, gamey, and smoky notes, along with firm tannins that enhance the wine’s aging potential. The Grenache lifts the blend with red berry fruit, floral aromatics, and a touch of bright acidity, softening the tannins and adding a juicy, approachable quality.
Pairs with: Colossal shrimp cocktail with homemade cocktail sauce (Don’t skimp on the horseradish and lemon).

2022 Block 6 Zinfandel (10 month)

75% Zinfandel / 25% Petite Sirah Retail: $36 – Club: $21.60

Block 6, a Zinfandel blended with Petite Sirah, combines two of our estate’s hallmark grape varieties to create a robust and flavorful wine. The blend displays the strengths of both grapes, resulting in a wine that is both complex and well structured. In the glass this wine exhibits a deep dark hue with opaque rich ruby colors indicative of its intensity and concentration. Block 6 is a full-bodied experience with a harmonious balance between fruitiness and a robust mouth feel. The interplay between these two varietals results in a wine that is both lusciously fruity and structurally sound, with a lingering satisfying finish.

Pairs with: Your favorite All American Burger; whether it’s beef, Impossible or portabella

2022 Block 4 (16 month)

50% Zinfandel / 25% Petite Sirah / 9% Carignan / 8% Peloursin / 8% Syrah Retail: $40 – Club: $24.00

Hands down, our most popular blend offers a profound expression of our viticultural legacy. The 4th block of the vineyard, as venerable as Dave himself, is made up of vines interspersed with a mix of ancient grape varieties creating a complex and harmonious wine. B4 exhibits an intense bouquet of blackberry flavors that would be expected from such seasoned vines. Dark chocolate, hints of cedar and vanilla from the extended 16-month aging presents velvety tannins & concentrated fruit flavors with a balanced acidity.

Pairs with: Creamy polenta topped with sun dried tomato pesto & lots of parmesan

2022 Aca Modot (16 month)

47% Merlot / 23% Cabernet Franc / 17% Petit Verdot / 13% Malbec Retail: $40 – Club: $24.00

The earthiness is dominant on the nose, almost dusty or reminiscent of dry soil. With subtle hints of tarragon and chamomile, a complexity not common in wines this young, Aca Modot presents a harmonious blend of lush, dark fruit complemented by herbaceous, musty undertones. Pairs with: Spring mushroom risotto with tarragon and a mix of creamy & salty cheeses

2021 or 2022 Petit Verdot (16 month)

100% Petit Verdot Retail: $38 – Club: $22.80

With aromatic notes of cedar, sandalwood, and lavender, both vintages of Petit Verdot offer a distinctive and complex sensory experience. Traditionally a blending grape in Bordeaux, we love showcasing it as a varietal wine. The lavender from the 2021 adds an aromatic freshness, contributing to the wine’s complexity and elegance. Both have a flavor profile of sweet licorice, blueberries and frontward tannins which could easily be a $100 bottle of wine, but we’re happy to share that we recommend it with your favorite everyday foods.

Pairs with: Your favorite local plate of truffle fries