American Sparkling Wine

First, let's address the word Champagne. This refers to sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France only. In other countries you might see it called Cava or Sekt or just sparkling wine.

American sparkling wine goes back to the late 19th century and the Korbel brothers in Sonoma County's Russian River Valley. I expect pretty much every non-teetotalling adult in North America has had Korbel Brut.

The beginning of "serious," or premium, bubbly is credited to the Davies family of Schramsburg in Napa Valley beginning in 1965. Their wines have been a favorite at the White House since Richard Nixon. Today the North Bay Area of California is also home to Domaine Carneros, Domaine Chandon, Gloria Ferrer, Iron Horse, J Vyds, Mumm Napa Valley, Roederer Estate, and Scharffenberger. Sonoma is home to small sparkling wine producers like Breathless Wines, plus dozens of other wineries in the county will have at least one sparkling wine available. It's become quite the business.

Oregon's Willamette Valley and NY's Finger Lakes are also known for their sparkling wine houses.

Are these wines the same as Champagne? No, they're not supposed to be as the climate and soil and even the wine making are different. 

There's currently a Champagne shortage, so these American producers are hoping to pick up the slack and make a few converts.

image from schramsberg.com

 A few of my favorites and approximate pricing:

Gloria Ferrer Royal Cuvee, $35
Iron Horse Wedding Cuvee, $40
Korbel Organic Brut, $17
Mumm Napa Brut Prestige, $20
Roederer Estate Brut, $24 (this one is a killer deal)
Schramsberg Blanc de Noir North Coast, $40

Do you know what's a great summer wine? Yep, it's the sparkling ones as they are crisp, refreshing and lower in alcohol. Give it a try with your next chicken BBQ.