Dobra Zemlja Winery

We had a wonderful visit. The wine maker was eccentric and clearly proud of his wines. The place itself is whimsical and just plain fun. The wines are good and somewhat distinct, worth a visit!

You haven’t been to Dobra? You are missing out. Amy was kind, friendly, attentive and genuine. This was our second day in Amador county. The Butte fire was raging and the Valley fire had started the day before, surpassing the devastation from the Butte fire at the time. We brought our jug for a refill of the Milan Ruz. We sampled everything. It was relaxing and gave us a chance to gain some insight into the local community. The cheese marinated in olive oil with thyme, rosemary, and basil was incredible! The wines were tasty. If it hadn’t been toward the end of the trip, I would have purchased more.
This is a must stop in the Shenandoah valley.

We have been to Dobra twice. Free tasting, good service, good wine, and we always manage to come during an event. This is our favorite place in the are.

We really enjoyed this tasting. We love the art on the bottles and even bought one because of it. Our server was nice and we got to meet the owner/​winemaker, his wife does the art on the bottles and the tasting cave was pretty cool.

Wine tasting in a cave! Yes! If only the wines tasted good and the people were at least decent to you. Recent Amador trip and made this the first stop of the day on friends recommendations. We haven’t even had the joy of tasting some wines yet to get slightly obnoxious.
The grounds do look lovely, and the cave appeared amazing. We entered the cave and started looking around when the sweet young lady behind the counter barked, «are we doing wine tasting or what?»
Um, ok. So we gathered together to taste. Before any wine was poured it already felt like we were a bother.
One of our friends asked about the wine and was shrugged off. No info given. Just drink and taste and buy.
So we did. The wine was so off, a sucker punch to the face of Jammy flavor as though no other thought was put into the bottle.
Well, we are giving this one a miss in the future. Thank you for condensing our amador experience.

We came here as part of a small group and they took such great care of us! I really liked the wines, the people were extremely nice and they have a great facility to enjoy while having lunch, complete with a cute little pond and lots of picnic tables! I would definitely recommend coming here and I will certainly be back!

It has been a few years since I visited Dobra and I“m so glad I made it back this past weekend. Amy and Kimberly from the staff were awesome hosts! I always enjoy your grounds and picnic area to hang out and relax to just take some of the nature that I miss sometimes.
Your wines are great and it looks like I will be visiting more often as friends became members which call for more visits up the road from Sacramento.
Good wines!

I love this place and their customer service. I first bumped into this place during my friends 30^th birthday. We took a limo up to Amador and stopped here. The workers are extremely down to earth and nice. I am a red wine girl and decided to become a member. Lots of flavor and spice! I love only being 40 minutes away and being able to pick a couple bottles or even a case! Their wine wine does not last long in our house, but it gives us a reason to go back sooner. ;) If you like bold flavors I recommend this place! My boyfriend loves their port as well!

Came here last week after stopping by Villa Toscano winery first. Dobra was a breath of fresh air! Amy, the woman pouring for us was so friendly and amazing! She made our experience even better. I can not wait to go back. I also loved that the tasting room was inside of a cave, it was a cool feature for them to have!

Good wine, good service and good atmosphere. This was a very nice place and they also offered cheese and crackers while at the location tasting. Will return again in the future.

After an obnoxious about of trips to Amador county my husband and I only recently discovered this winery, but we are so glad we did!
These guy produce some SOLID wine. We were super impressed. But not only is the wine great but their location is beautiful. Bring a picnic and enjoy the grounds. They do their tasting in a sweet little wine cave which only adds to the experience.
They are slightly off the beaten path but worth it. Trust me when I say this is one of the best wineries in the Amador county. We can’t wait to go back!

I visited my first winery for a tour and tasting in 1995. Since then I’ve been to low brow and high end wineries in countries around the globe, and I can say hands down, that this is one of my favorite wineries for a variety of reasons.
Their wines are wonderfully built and delicious with a rustic quality to them. They’re not going to contend against the Baron Rothschild but nor do they aspire to or price themselves that way.
From tasting the wines, it’s clear that Croatian influences have made their way into Milan’s products. It’s no surprise that, given a couple years of cellar time, his Zins in particular, absolutely sing with complexity and flavor. Some people, perhaps seeking for a more commercial experience or taste may be a little confused at this winery. Like goldilocks and the 3 bears, Dobra Zemlja is not too small and not too big. It’s just right…
Having stopped in a few times, this is one of the only wineries I regularly have ship me wine back to my home state. When I think about how laid back the tasting atmosphere is, the price for the quality and the non-​commercial nature of their winery, I wanna make a road trip to come and taste some more! I sincerely hope that this winery can continue to be successful and grow without losing their down home sensibility.

Beautiful grounds and wonderful tasting room with ample atmosphere in a cave.
The pourer was one of the friendliest I have found in the Shenendoah Valley Wine Area and also one of the most knowledgable.
Their wine is very very robust. The Grenache we brought measured in at 16.6%. Don’t drink much of this and drive.

The best! We love Kate!
Yesterday a friend celebrated her 50^th birthday in part with a limousine that took 7 of us to the Amador wine country. It was my first time in a stretch limo and in that area. This was the third of three wineries we stopped at. They say, save the best for last, and the limo company did!
This is the kind of place we remember from going to the Healdsburg area when we still lived in the Bay Area. Staff was super friendly. The atmosphere fantastic. The tasting room is in a cave. Their Milan Ruz is a blend that you can get in a jug. But it’s not «jug wine». It’s great. We even had a picnic there. I can highly recommend this winery. Hvala to Milan and staff!

Dobra has a nice tasting room nestled in a hillside cave. The people poring here are an absolute blast! They are friendly and laid back as can be and also provide heavy pours to those that enjoy their wines.
The wines here are hearty and have strong flavors. There is higher alcohol content versus average wines.
I really enjoy their Zinfandel. It is bold, fruit forward and very peppery… A distinct Amador characteristic. They also make an excellent Late Harvest Zin that I pick up for the Winter holidays.
They have ample grounds for a picnic outside. Overall a fun, lively group making some good wines. If you don’t come in with big jugs, this is a place to get some for a modest price.

Yes, they do tastings in a cave.
Yes, they refill your jug of wine if you bring it back.
These are bold strong wines — not for wussies.
Milan Ruz is a tasty everyday red at $ 16.
2009 Zin needs bottle time to relax and get better
2008 Syrah is too dry
2010 Barbera is big, robust but too spicy for my palate
2009 Grenache has a big cherry flavor but misses on the finish
The 2009 Sangiovese and 2009 Late Harvest Zin have competitors in the county that are better.
The jug of 2010 Kikas (kick-​ass) Late Harvest Zin at 20% alcohol got my credit card for $ 35. Love it.

Goodness! so much fun!
Loved the cave, loved the jug! Loved the owner. Great staff!
Truly a gem.

The owner of this place is truly a character and really a reason in and of itself to go visit this winery. It’s down a country road and in a cave, but it’s worth the trip. Try the jug of wine… it used to be corked with a screw top!

Here are the reasons I like this place, in no particular order:
1. You get to taste in a cave. No fancy tasting room here: a CAVE. That’s awesome.
2. Huge grounds with lots of room to take stupid pictures of your friends after a day of wine tasting.
3. FREE FOOD. They have little offerings to pair with the wine.
4. Good wine. That ones needs no explaination.
5. JUGS. No, not the «my eyes are up here» kind, but even BETTER: they’re REFILLABLE. So when you get sad that you just drained the entire jug of wine with the creepy guy on the label, it gives you an excuse to go back again, because hey– refills are ecologically and financially responsilbe.

In a region filled with cookie-​cutter wineries, Dobra manages to be a total original, both in their setting and the product they provide. I had no idea this place existed until one day when I was driving through the back roads of the Shenandoah Valley (totally sober, of course) and happened upon the tiny sign marking its entryway. A long drive down a winding road ended at the winery — a gorgeous facility in a surreal setting. There’s a pond, flowers, a picturesque wine cellar and, on a neighboring property, the second oldest black walnut tree known to man. At least that’s what the owner told me.
And let’s not forget the wine. Oh sweet nectar of the grape gods, how you test me. It’s hard to try just one tiny taste of their various blends without grabbing a bottle and pouring it down your throat. It’s really that good.
I’m no wine afficienado, but I know a good vino when I drink one!