Each year, the Dry Creek Valley quietly gathers for one of our favorite traditions: a friendly, good-spirited competition among winery owners, winery principals, and winemakers to celebrate one of the wines this valley is known and loved for most — Zinfandel. Created and hosted by Dry Creek Vineyard, this private event is lovingly, and just a little tongue-in-cheek, called The Dry Creek Valley – Zinfandel Throwdown!

Held in conjunction with the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley, the Throwdown is really a community gathering at heart — a chance to spend an evening with friends, neighbors, and fellow winery families before the beautiful chaos of Harvest arrives and pulls us all in different directions for a couple of months.

The evening unfolds after hours, in the soft twilight of a summer night, surrounded by the sights and scents of the season — summer bloom, fried chicken, and, of course, the unmistakable, juicy perfume of Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel. The tasting itself is casual in spirit but wonderfully serious in practice: more than 30 producers submit their Zinfandels, each bottle hidden in a black bag and identified only by a single letter. The wines are spread across three tasting bars, and under a careful timeline, two representatives from each winery taste through the lineup and rank their top three wines with a simple 1, 2, and 3. At the end of the evening, the votes are tallied, and the wine with the lowest score — the most number-one votes — is unveiled as The Champion of the Dry Creek Valley – Zinfandel Throwdown.

We enter plenty of wine competitions throughout the year, but this one feels different. There is something deeply personal, and honestly humbling, about placing your wine alongside the work of friends and neighbors you respect. There is no press here. No TV. No big public stage. It is simply for the joy of the valley, the camaraderie of the people who make wine here, and yes, a few very meaningful bragging rights — the kind that feel special because they are shared among people who truly understand the work behind every bottle.

With a very full heart, Dutcher Crossing Winery is proud and grateful to share that we ended the evening as the Champions of the 2026 Dry Creek Valley – Zinfandel Throwdown with our 2021 Brothers’ Reserve Zinfandel.

For our Dutcher Crossing wine club members, our Brothers’ Zinfandel is a wine that you have enjoyed over the years, which makes this recognition feel even more meaningful. We are incredibly grateful to Nick Briggs, Paul Kochevar, and our entire winemaking and production team for the passion, patience, and care they bring to the Brothers’ Zinfandel — and to every wine we are fortunate enough to share with you.

Congratulations to Team Dutcher Crossing — and thank you to the Dry Creek Valley community that inspires us every year. We are honored, grateful, and thrilled to raise a glass and celebrate the little victories…

Dutcher Crossing Winery – 2026 Dry Creek Valley – Zinfandel Throwdown Champions!