Dan Dawson’s wine suggestions are out of this world

By Tim Carl and Dan Dawson

Dan Dawson, owner of Outer Space Wines in Napa - Tim Carl Photo

Dawson’s wine pick of the week

By Dan Dawson

Clif Family Sauvignon Blanc “Rte Blanc” Napa Valley 2022.

Estate-grown Sauvignon Blanc from the Oak Knoll District just off Highway 29 next to Napa’s popular Bistro Don Giovanni. “Racy and athletic” (pun intended), the 2022 Clif Rte Blanc covers the citrus spectrum: lemon-lime, pink and yellow grapefruit, tangelo. It is as refreshing as a warm summer day in Napa. Keep it casual and have with a great tuna sandwich. $30 at the winery/$28 at Outer Space Wines.

Clif Family Sauvignon Blanc “Rte Blanc” - Dan Dawson Photo

Have you been to the Clif Family Tasting Room in St Helena? If not, make a plan to go, and bring your appetite as their food truck (the “Bruschetteria”) makes creative and delicious bruschetta, salads, sandwiches and more. And everyone at Clif Family is so genuinely nice. Whether they hire nice or train nice, it certainly works. Makes you want to support them even more. Clif Family Winery Tasting Room: 709 Main St., St. Helena. Walk-ins welcome and reservations accepted for elevated tastings.

Dan Dawson's Wine Knowledge is Out of This World, But He'll Never Brag About It. So let me.

By Tim Carl

In 2022 Dan Dawson, one of Napa Valley’s most trusted wine advisers, opened Outer Space Wines and retail in downtown Napa. But Dawson is not new to the world of wine, and retracing his path is like taking a journey through the region’s wine-centric history.

He grew up in Eureka, California. In the mid-1980s, after graduating from high school, he took a job at The Red Lion, a “fancy” chain restaurant that included flambé steak Diane, baked potatoes wrapped in foil and a wine list. There began his life-long fascination with wine: its history, complexity and ability to transform a meal into an event.

“I learned that wine and hospitality were two sides of one coin,” he said.

He also learned that he could taste and smell elements within the wines that others might miss.

Dawson left Eureka to attend the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, graduating with a bachelor of science degree in hotel management. After graduating Dawson turned his focus toward wine.

After short gigs in San Francisco and Iowa, by 1992 Dawson’s talent had been recognized by a small and obscure All Seasons Bistro and Wine Shop in Calistoga.

Historical context

Since the mid-1800s the Napa Valley has been known for producing fine wine. The Inglenook Bordeaux-styled red wine won a gold medal at the 1889 world’s fair, which was held in Paris that year. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that the Napa Valley became known for food to accompany the wine.

By the 1970s California was becoming obsessed with French cuisine, and the Napa Valley saw the opening of Étoile in Yountville and the nearby French Laundry (originally owned by Don and Sally Schmitt). Beyond Yountville, by the early 1980s there were other culinary destinations throughout the valley with a distinctly French bent. Restaurants such as St. Helena’s Miramonte, Le Favour Cafe Oriental (one of the first French-Thai fusion restaurants in America), Trilogy and the nearby Auberge du Soleil were gaining national prominence.

The small town of Calistoga was also making its culinary mark with restaurants such as Alex and Gayle Dierkhising’s All Seasons. Unlike other eateries at the time, the Dierkhisings also sold wine out of a small back room near the kitchen. By the 1980s, All Seasons had become one of the first restaurants in the United States to receive the Wine Spectator’s prestigious “Grand Award.” And by the early 1990s the Calistoga restaurant-wine shop had become a must-stop for wine collectors and aspiring wine professionals alike.

From 1992 through 1998 Dawson learned about the newest and often most obscure wines from the region. By the late 1990s, a small restaurant in nearby Yountville was also gaining national attention. The French Laundry had been purchased by Thomas Keller in 1994 and had quickly gained accolades, awards and stars for his innovative haute-inspired cuisine.

Unimaginable perhaps from today’s standpoint, but even up until the late 1990s fine-dining restaurants often had no dedicated sommelier on staff. But the French Laundry that changed in 1998 when they hired Dawson. Later he became the wine merchant at Dean & Deluca before opening his own retail shop in 2001. He sold that one in 2018, only to open his current wine shop last year.

Beyond scouring the region and the world for lesser-known and often less-expensive wines, Dawson spends time with his wife, Holly Dawson, and their daughter, Talia. He also teaches wine-appreciation classes and holds wine and food events with local restaurants.

This week’s wine pick from Dawson comes from the winery owned by Clif Bar founders Gary Erickson and Kit Crawford. And although the couple sold Clif Bar in 2022 for nearly $3 billion to the owners of many brands including Oreo, Ritz and Toblerone, the Clif Family Winery and the couple’s other Napa Valley properties were not included in this sale.