About DaMa
“Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music.”
- Angela Monet, writer
DaMa Wines is the result of two women listening to their own music, combining their separate strengths as winemakers and inviting others – whether new to wine or aficionados - to join them in the dance. Dawn Kammer and Mary Derby want to share their passion for artisan wine, discriminating palates and the desire to give back to community. A portion of the proceeds from every bottle of DaMa wine sold is donated to select organizations that benefit women and children through the DaMaKnow Effect.
DaMa wines include hand-selected Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and unique varietals– each lot blended to express its full potential, while remaining approachable and affordable. Dawn’s ability to detect and avoid flaws and attention to structure combined with Mary’s experience in creating complexity and focused flavor result in wines you won’t find anywhere else. Crush 2008 will bring in their highly anticipated seductive red blend, the DaMa Natrix, which DaMa Nation members will have first opportunity to purchase.
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”
- Anais Nin
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About Mary
From 2000 – 2004, Mary Tuuri Derby and her late husband, Devin, created the indelible brand and wines of Spring Valley Vineyard which were among the highest scoring in Washington. Three of their wines landed in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list twice.
Mary’s sojourn into the world of wine and food started back in 1989, when she left rural Minnesota for San Francisco on a whim – suitcase in one hand, lucky red rally bike in the other. Mary studied under some of the best people in the restaurant business – Judy Rodgers and Sylvie Darr of Zuni Café and Jereiah Towers of Stars, before moving to Chicago.
There, she met and studied with mentor, good friend and “wine god” Brian Duncan of Spruce Restaurant and now the renowned Bin 36. Brian opened doors for Mary at a the time not many women were able to walk through, and learned to experience and understand wine without all the pomp and circumstance- to think “outside the bottle.”
This thinking brought Mary to Walla Walla where world-class wines were being made, and informs her creation of DaMa wines. After all, “in order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.” (Coco Chanel)
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About Dawn
"If a man thinks that a woman who can dog steers, ride broncs, and rope the wind is too much for him, he’s probably right."
- an anonymous cowgirl
Dawn Kammer’s entrepreneurial “cowgirl” spirit and love of amazing wine led her to Walla Walla in 1999, where she began making wine as a hobby with her husband, Jack. With a good thing going, she threw caution to the wind and studied winemaking at the Center for Enology and Viticulture in Walla Walla, and was part of the winemaking team for College Cellars. Dawn then used her degree and savvy palate to buy local wines for the historic Marcus Whitman Hotel and Conference Center.
Growing up in a household over the Vaca Mountain Range from Napa Valley was an auspicious start. Good wine was plentiful, Motown was the music, education was the push and family was all around. With a Bachelor of Science from California State University Chico in Merchandising and Business Administration, Dawn spent twenty years in the fashion, cosmetics and fragrance industry in a multitude of roles, including that as sales director for Macy’s and Sephora.
Her flair and polished knowledge of fine wine now serve one goal: to provide customers with fabulous and affordable wine.
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Looking Forward: Crush 2008
“Everything has rhythm. Everything dances.”
- Maya Angelou
Dawn and Mary look forward to crushing fruit to create DaMa Natrix, an edgy, sexy red blend created from the finest lots available. The DaMa Natrix will represent the best of DaMa winemaking and will be highly allocated. Sign up to receive more information on the blend as crush draws near, or better yet, join DaMa Nation and be the first to receive it. In the meantime, don’t miss the Cowgirl Cab, the bold symbiosis of Walla Walla fruit: Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot blended to perfection. Also highly allocated and almost gone even before its August 30th release.
