Sonoma Sparklers for the Holidays

First, let me say it's a crying shame most people only drink sparkling wines over the winter holidays. What's a better wine to put you in a great mood on a Thursday? What's a great wine with so many different foods? What's a better breakfast ...  Well, you know.

Here are a few Sonoma/Napa/Mendocino choices for holiday sparklers (so they're from Sonoma and nearby):

Gloria Ferrer
It's about the Cuvees: The Royal Cuvee and Carneros Cuvee. (cuvee means blend).

Korbel
Yes, they make that Brut stuff you find in every market in America. They also make a couple good ones. My favorite is the Organic Brut. If you can't find that then the Natural is my second choice. It's quite dry, but fruity.

image from ironhorsevineyards.com

Iron Horse
Outstanding producers of bubblies in Sonoma County. The Wedding Cuvee is a favorite. If you should ever run across a late disgorged bottle of theirs buy it! (Late disgorged means aged on the yeast cells for a few years).

J
Any of the Bruts, vintage or non-vintage, are usually good.

Mumm Napa
I'm a fan of the Brut Prestige at a great price or the DVX if you want to splurge. Great place to visit too.

Roederer (Mendocino)
The Roederer Estate (Anderson Valley) Brut for twenty bucks is the best deal in California sparkling wine I've found.

Schramsberg (Napa)
Possibly the best sparkling wines in America. I stick with the Blanc de Blanc or the Blanc de Noir cuz they get kind of expensive after that.

There are a few other sparkling wine houses that I'm not as familiar with including Domaine Carneros, Domaine Chandon, and Scharffenberger. All three are quality producers and I've had wines from them. Just don't know enough to recommend anything particular.

Cheers!