Chabot Space & Science Center And Dashe Cellars Launch THE COMET Wine

Partnership Renews Winemaking Tradition and Benefits Science Center

OAKLAND, Calif., Dec. 9, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Chabot Space & Science Center, in partnership with Oakland-based Dashe Cellars, announces the launch of THE COMET, a new wine produced and named to honor the Comet ISON, the recent comet attracting extraordinary media attention in November.  

THE COMET follows in a centuries old tradition of "comet vintages," in which vintners would create a special wine to commemorate years in which major comets passed Earth. Dashe Cellars has renewed the tradition with a unique limited edition wine, and 10% of the proceeds from sales of THE COMET will be donated to Chabot Space & Science Center.  

According to Dashe Cellars, "THE COMET was created by carefully selecting individual barrels of old-vine zinfandel made from the Todd Brothers Ranch in Alexander Valley, a high end vineyard in Sonoma County. These selected barrels were then blended with a small amount of dark, intense Petite Sirah to add balance. The wine include with intense aromas of black raspberry, wild cherry, and black currant fruit, with highlights of chocolate and black pepper spice. In the mouth, the wine has a great velvety texture and explosive flavors of blackberry, cassis, plum, clove, and black pepper, with a long, spicy finish that lasts for minutes. A rich, full-bodied wine, THE COMET has the intensity and complexity that is the perfect accompaniment to holiday feasts of any type."

Chabot CEO Alexander Zwissler stated, "Our partnership with Dashe Cellars is based on our mutual appreciation of science. Michael and Anne Dashe – both with science backgrounds – share our commitment to strengthening science education in our community. We hope Chabot supporters and wine enthusiasts will gift THE COMET to their friends and family, and spark discussions of what's happening in astronomy and science."

Although the Comet ISON was predicted to be "the comet of the century" by some astronomers, it fizzled out spectacularly on Thanksgiving Day after its perihelion, or journey close to the Sun. THE COMET wine is expected to have a longer life, but production is limited to 100 cases. THE COMET is available directly from Dashe Cellars at $35 a bottle, or by the case, and can be ordered online at www.dashecellars.com/shop/Zinfandel/2011-The-Comet-Alexander-Valley or may be purchased from Dashe Cellars at the tasting room, located at 55 4th St. in the Jack London Square Historic Warehouse district.

About Dashe Cellars
Dashe Cellars is a local Oakland winery just off historic Jack London Square in downtown Oakland. One of the pioneers of the urban winemaking movement, Dashe is an award-winning winery that has garnered much attention from the national media and wine press. The husband and wife winemaking team of Michael and Anne Dashe focus on crafting small allotments of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Petite Sirah wines, marrying techniques from California and the great winemaking regions of France. The results are complex, sensuous red wines that capture the charm and personality of top Sonoma vineyards in the Dry Creek and Alexander valleys.

About Chabot Space & Science Center
Chabot Space & Science Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit interactive science center whose mission is to inspire and educate students of all ages about Planet Earth and the Universe. Located in the Oakland hills, the Center focuses on the earth, life, physical and astronomical sciences, with a 130-year legacy of serving Bay Area communities through exhibits, public programs, school field trips, science camps, teacher training, teen development programs and community outreach; hosts 50,000 students on school field trips and over 117,000 public visitors each year; and offers over 20,000 sq ft of interactive exhibits on a variety of space and science subjects, a world-class planetarium, school classes on over 30 different science topics, hands-on science activities, state-of-the-art classrooms and labs and publicly-available research-level telescopes.

SOURCE Chabot Space & Science Center