DaMa Wines

I always try to balance the light with the heavy — a few tears of human spirit in with the sequins and the fringes. Bette Midler

Perhaps the quotation above, one of several pithy sayings found on the DaMa Wines website, says it best about the winery’s raison d’etre. After all, co-owners and co-winemakers Dawn Kammer and Mary Tuuri Derby (the “Da” and “Ma” of DaMa) are always in the middle of a balancing act, with their shared goals of creating strong yet graceful wines; seeing to the financial needs of their winemaking operation while still giving back to the community; and meeting the challenges of being a female-owned business in a male-dominated industry. Despite these hurdles, DaMa Wines succeeds.

Continuing the legacy of women winemakers in Washington, Dawn and Mary blend different backgrounds, training and ultimately different noses to create wines that are “full-bodied, true to the varietal taste with a smooth, rounded finish.” Dawn grew up in Vacaville, California (near Napa Valley), and the “cowgirl” in her kept her out west, where she migrated from one prison town to another by random circumstance and eventually ended up in Walla Walla. She obtained a degree from the Institute of Enology and Viticulture at Walla Walla Community College before working at College Cellars and the iconic Marcus Whitman Hotel. Mary’s route to DaMa included a long stint in the culinary arts working for renowned restaurants in San Francisco and Chicago. Eventually she, too, landed in Walla Walla, where she and her late husband, Devin Derby, launched Spring Valley Vineyard. Although their backgrounds and training are quite different, the two women possessed a common vision of the type of winery and wine style they sought to create.

Despite not having deep pockets Dawn and Mary make it a priority to give back to the community. Through their DaMa-Know Effect (a play on “domino effect”) charity, they donate a portion of their sales to causes that support women, children and communities. Patrons of the DaMa Wines, including DaMa Nation wine club members, can take heart knowing that organizations such as Walla Walla’s St. Mary’s Cancer Care Center and the YMCA benefit when a bottle (or two) of Dawn and Mary’s distinctively labeled wines are purchased. For me, the delightful “CowGirl Cab” ($21) had me reaching for my wallet, happy in the knowledge that someone’s life would benefit.