Romance and wine have gone hand in hand for centuries. It’s only fitting that the creation of DANCIN Vineyards has its roots in a love story. It’s chock-full of passion, serendipity, and fated meetings.
Suffice it to say that inclement weather and a miracle meeting twice on the same day brought a couple together, leading to their marriage just three months later and marking the beginning of DANCIN, a blend of the founders’ first names.
It was only a year after the couple met that they started to take a serious interest in the wine industry. They enrolled in enology and viticulture classes. Their first class was on emerging varietals taught by Glenn McGourty, the Viticulture and Plant Science Advisor for Mendocino County.
“We just became very interested in wine. We continued taking classes. We started looking at various properties. But nothing really seemed to work out. Until we discovered Southern Oregon and the incredible wine growing opportunities of the Rogue Valley.”
It was their dream to plant Italian varietals on their new vineyard. So, during one of their classes at UC Davis, they asked their instructor for advice on what would be best to plant on their site. They were referred to another teacher who happened to be teaching a class just a mile and a half from their new vineyard site. The instructor’s recommendation? Pinot Nero! They were skeptical at first, but it turned out the man making the recommendation was none other than the UC Viticulture & Plant Science Advisor for Mendocino County and the Anderson Valley, known for its world class Pinot noirs, Glenn McGourty, the couple’s first teacher at UC Davis some 12 years earlier! He was very confident that the elevation and aspect where DANCIN was situated would be an exceptional setting for cool climate varieties such as Pinot noir and Chardonnay. The couple took his advice after thoughtfully researching and studying all aspects of their site and the various options of plant materials, they enthusiastically moved forward with their initial planting of Pinot noir.
And the rest as they say, is history! As their Southern Oregon vineyard expanded, Chardonnay was planted and soon thereafter, they discovered great sources for Barbera, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese and Zinfandel along with Syrah wine grapes.
As they watched their winery grow, their three children grew with it. But their youngest son, Austin, demonstrated a keen interest in hospitality, viticulture, and wine early on. As a child, he helped prepare the grounds for planting, assisted in sorting through the fruit, and helped with harvest. As a young adult, he directed his interests to culinary arts and hospitality. He completed his education at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley while working at Auberge du Soleil, a restaurant with fifteen consecutive Michelin Star awards. He then moved to Portland, Oregon and started work at The Nines, one of the top ten hotels in the Pacific Northwest, according to Condé Nast Traveler. While there, he was trained in hospitality and hotel operations. Shortly thereafter, he returned to work at DANCIN.
With Austin’s multi-faceted experience in the industry and in all aspects of the family business, Austin took on the role of DANCIN’s General Manager.
DANCIN strives to embody the essence of genuine hospitality and create unforgettable experiences, all orchestrated by our exceptional team of wine enthusiasts and hospitality experts.
In addition to serving artisanal bites and pizza on location, we offer live music events at our Medford winery , host private Wine Club Membership events, and winemaker dinners featuring ballet, along with salmon bakes, and more. We look forward to serving you! If you are not in Southern Oregon, you may visit our online wine store.
