{"id":29,"name":"Dama Wines","image_url":"https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipPPwagrqErFzdmaKGZC0VMuulAdZIUR8SKA-B6N=w408-h544-k-no","district":"Downtown","hours":"Monday -Thursday: 12 pm – 5 pm\nFriday - Saturday: 12 pm – 6 pm\nSunday 12 pm – 3 pm","hours_type":"limited","dog_friendly":true,"red_wine":true,"white_wine":true,"bubbles":true,"brewery":false,"woman_owned":true,"year_established":2007,"winemaker":"Mary Tuuri Derby","website":"https://www.damawines.com/","phone":"(509) 525-2299","address":"123 E Main St, Walla Walla, WA 99362","description":"At DAMA, winemaker and opera singer Mary Derby channels the art of “squillo” into balanced Bordeaux and Rhône wines; her woman‑run team and artful labels celebrate creativity and magic","lat":46.0687214,"lng":-118.3369004,"appt_url":"https://www.damawines.com/reservations/","walk_in":false,"tasting_fee":"$25 per person waived with $35 purchase","explorer_tags":[],"profile":"## DAMA Wines – Knowledge Profile\n\n### Founding Story\n\nDAMA Wines was founded in 2007 by Mary Derby, making it one of Washington State's first certified woman-owned and managed wineries. The winery's identity is rooted in celebrating pioneering women who have inspired passion, creativity, and positive change. Mary established DAMA after she and her husband, Devin Derby, had already made their mark in the Walla Walla wine community by founding the acclaimed Spring Valley Vineyard in 2000. In 2009, Judith Shulman became a partner in DAMA after selling her own successful national real estate company and relocating to Walla Walla. Judith had long admired Mary Derby's wines and, guided by her own entrepreneurial instincts, chose to invest in the venture. DAMA's tagline, \"Dangerously Beautiful,\" reflects the winery's bold, woman-forward spirit. The winery's name and ethos are grounded in the belief that wine, like art, should carry personality, story, and a human touch — specifically the touch of talented women.\n\n### Winemaker\n\nMary Derby serves as founder and wine creator at DAMA Wines. Originally from Northern Minnesota, her path to winemaking is distinctly unconventional: she spent the 1990s developing her palate and professional sensibility through classical music and restaurant hospitality, working in the culinary scenes of San Francisco and Chicago. This dual background in the arts and food-and-wine service deeply informs her winemaking philosophy. Mary likens winemaking to musical performance — both disciplines are grounded in mathematics and technical rigor, but it is artistry and personality that ultimately elevate the craft. She believes that a strong technical foundation allows creativity to flow freely and prevents a wine from becoming one-dimensional. Mary has created award-winning wines sourced from some of the most highly regarded vineyards in the Walla Walla and Yakima Valleys. Beyond the cellar, she is a respected voice in the broader Washington wine community, having served on the Wine Alliance Board for six years and remaining active on its Marketing Committee. She also dedicated fifteen years to coordinating the \"Walla Walla 2 U\" Wine Event, which connected the region's wineries and winemakers with wine buyers from across the country.\n\n### Vineyard Sources\n\nDAMA sources fruit from a carefully curated selection of acclaimed Washington State vineyards across multiple AVAs. In the Walla Walla Valley, the winery works with Les Collines Vineyard, Heather Hill, Seven Hills, XL Vineyard, and Stoney Vine — the latter located within the prestigious Rocks District of Milton-Freewater AVA, known for its distinctive basalt cobblestone soils. In the broader Columbia Valley, DAMA sources from Chelle den Millie, Lonesome Springs at Rattlesnake Mountain, and JMST Vineyard. Mary Derby has expressed a particular enthusiasm for working across this diversity of soils, climates, and vine ages, crediting that variety as central to the distinctive character of DAMA's wines. The winery also holds a 40-acre property south of Walla Walla — owned by Judith Shulman — that has been identified as a potential future site for DAMA Estate Wines.\n\n### Signature Wines & Tasting Notes\n\nAmong the varietals represented in DAMA's portfolio, Cabernet Franc holds a notably distinctive place. The winery's label art for the Cab Franc was specifically chosen to represent the wine's \"angular\" yet always graceful character — a descriptor that offers insight into how DAMA interprets the variety. Syrah is also a featured wine, with two bottlings distinguished by label photography taken by Mary Derby herself in Amsterdam. While specific wine names and comprehensive tasting notes are not detailed in the available text, the winery's overarching approach emphasizes wines with artistry, personality, and a sense of place drawn from their diverse vineyard sources.\n\n### The Art of the Label\n\nA defining and unique element of DAMA's identity is its deep integration of visual art with winemaking. The winery collaborates with women artists to create the label artwork for each wine, blending support for female creatives with its broader mission. Artists whose work appears on DAMA bottles include Ana Ost (Slovakia), Amy Mundwiler (Chicago sommelier and artist), Terry Castle (Stanford literary critic and artist), Jacqueline van der Platt (Amsterdam), Sali Swalla, Tamara Apple, and Mary Derby herself, whose photography graces the Syrah labels. The winery espouses the philosophy that \"wine is the only artwork you can drink,\" and strives to make each bottle an artistic experience both inside and out.\n\n### Wine Club\n\nDAMA offers two membership options designed to accommodate different lifestyles: a traditional membership and a customizable, subscription-based experience. The wine club is managed by Jeff Hickenlooper, who serves as Manager and Wine Society Concierge. Specific tier names, shipment frequencies, and pickup event details are not specified in the available text.\n\n### Team & Tasting Room\n\nThe DAMA team is comprised predominantly of women, reflecting the winery's woman-owned and operated identity. Tasting room host \"Kat\" Dykes greets visitors with both warmth and knowledge of the wines and the Walla Walla Valley. Lori Mitchell, in her tenth year with the company, manages private events and creative marketing, and previously served as Tasting Room Manager. Reservations for tastings are available through the winery's website. Specific tasting room hours and location details were not present in the scraped content.\n\n### Accolades & Recognition\n\nDAMA Wines has produced award-winning wines since its founding in 2007. The winery has received spotlights from the Pacific Northwest Wine Coalition (PNWC) and *Seattle Magazine*, and Mary Derby has been featured in podcast interviews discussing her winemaking approach. The winery is recognized as one of Washington's first certified woman-owned and managed wineries, a distinction that has contributed to its standing and visibility within the Washington wine community.\n\n### Winery Character\n\nDAMA Wines occupies a singular space in the Walla Walla wine landscape as a pioneering woman-owned and operated winery that weaves together fine winemaking, visual art, and female empowerment. Its founding story, team composition, label art program, and community engagement all reinforce a cohesive identity that is both artistically ambitious and deeply personal. The winery's motto, \"Dangerously Beautiful,\" encapsulates its ethos: wines that are bold, expressive, and crafted with intention by women who bring creativity and expertise to every stage of the process.","somm_notes":[],"wines":[{"name":"Grenache Blanc","vintage":"2025","variety":"Grenache Blanc","price":"$28.00"},{"name":"Rosé of Cab Franc","vintage":"2025","variety":"Rosé","price":"$22"},{"name":"Cabernet Franc","vintage":"2024","variety":"Cabernet Franc","price":"$60.00"},{"name":"Grenache","vintage":"2024","variety":"Grenache","price":"$48.00"},{"name":"Syrah, \"Hercules\" Stoney Vine Vineyard","vintage":"2023","variety":"Syrah","price":"$55.00"},{"name":"Syrah, \"Venus\" Lonesome Spring Vineyard","vintage":"2023","variety":"Syrah","price":"$55.00"},{"name":"GSM","vintage":"2022","variety":"Red Blend","price":"$48.00"},{"name":"Merlot","vintage":"2022","variety":"Merlot","price":"$45.00"},{"name":"Cowgirl Cab","vintage":"2022","variety":"Cabernet Sauvignon","price":"$30.00"},{"name":"Merlot","vintage":"2021","variety":"Merlot","price":"$50.00"},{"name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":"2019","variety":"Cabernet Sauvignon","price":"$50.00"},{"name":"Merlot","vintage":"2018","variety":"Merlot","price":"$50.00"},{"name":"Sparkling Rosé","vintage":"","variety":"Rosé","price":"$45"}],"patti":null,"visitor_ratings":[{"source":"google","rating":4.5,"count":46}],"sample_reviews":[],"critic_scores":[{"wine_name":"'Heather Hill Vineyard' Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":2019,"score":94,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"'Stoney Vine Vineyard' Syrah","vintage":2019,"score":94,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Grenache","vintage":2022,"score":93,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"'Gsm' Red Wine","vintage":2022,"score":93,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Merlot","vintage":2021,"score":93,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Cabernet Franc","vintage":2018,"score":93,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"'Stoney Vine Vineyard' Syrah","vintage":2018,"score":93,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Grenache Blanc","vintage":2023,"score":92,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Rose","vintage":2023,"score":92,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"'Lonesome Springs Ranch' Syrah","vintage":2021,"score":92,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"'Lonesome Spring Vineyard' Syrah","vintage":2018,"score":92,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"'Xl Vineyard' Cabernet Franc","vintage":2017,"score":92,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":2016,"score":92,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Rose","vintage":2022,"score":91,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Grenache Blanc","vintage":2022,"score":91,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null}],"community_scores":[{"wine_name":"Cowgirl Cab Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":2015,"score":92,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.2/5 (39 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Grenache Blanc","vintage":2021,"score":91,"source":"Wine Berserkers","critic":"John_Glas","tasting_note":") The best of the 3 Dama Wines. Floral, spice, stone orchard fruits and a touch of lemon. Good acidity and well made. ("},{"wine_name":"Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre","vintage":2011,"score":90,"source":"Wine Berserkers","critic":"John_Glas","tasting_note":") Spice, floral, minerals, dried herbs and mild smoke. Medium finish. ("},{"wine_name":"Syrah","vintage":2013,"score":89,"source":"Wine Berserkers","critic":"John_Glas","tasting_note":") Solid although a lighter style. Red currants, spice and subtle pepper. Short to medium finish. ("},{"wine_name":"Syrah","vintage":null,"score":92,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.2/5 (28 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":null,"score":91,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.1/5 (65 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"GSM","vintage":null,"score":91,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.1/5 (25 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Cowgirl Cab Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":null,"score":89,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 3.9/5 (112 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Dama Nation","vintage":null,"score":89,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 3.9/5 (47 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Grenache","vintage":null,"score":89,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 3.9/5 (40 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Merlot","vintage":null,"score":88,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 3.8/5 (30 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Chardonnay","vintage":null,"score":87,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 3.7/5 (33 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Cowgirl Sauvignon Blanc","vintage":null,"score":85,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 3.5/5 (25 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Rosé","vintage":null,"score":84,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 3.4/5 (42 ratings)"}],"events":[]}