Champagne is the ne plus ultra for many wine lovers, the ultimate bubbly for celebrations. But American winemakers have been perfecting their craft and now produce a wide range of top-quality sparkling wines in a variety of styles. It’s time we gave them the recognition and respect they deserve.
I don’t mean this as a jingoistic pro-America statement, though pricing and tariffs may affect any value assessment. It’s just that so many American sparkling wines are so darn good, they deserve a place in our ice buckets this holiday season and beyond.
Some of the names are familiar. Schramsberg in Napa Valley was founded in 1966 and will be celebrating six decades this coming year. Schramsberg alerted the world to California’s potential with sparkling wine when it was poured at President Nixon’s toast in Beijing in 1972. Iron Horse, founded in 1976, is gearing up to celebrate a half-century of sparkling wines from the Green Valley of the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County, California. Both wineries are going strong under second-generation family ownership. Roederer Estate in Anderson Valley was founded in 1982 by Champagne Louis Roederer, and Domaine Carneros by Taittinger followed five years later. I’ve always considered these four wineries the pinnacle of California sparkling wine, but there are more. One I’m excited about is Paula Kornell, daughter of Napa pioneer Hanns Kornell, who is making focused, energetic traditional method sparkling under her own label.
California is by no means alone in producing high-quality champagne-style bubbly. Oregon’s cool climate seems ideal for sparkling wine, and bubbles are the buzz in the Willamette Valley. Soter Vineyards set a high bar years ago with bruts of intense structure. Argyle popularized Oregon bubbly with vintage dated bruts and some extended tirage cuvées. Sokol Blosser, one of the original pioneers in the Dundee Hills, is increasingly leaning into sparkling wines of great finesse. Corollary Wines, a relative newcomer focused exclusively on traditional method sparkling wines, established Oregon’s first vineyard developed exclusively for bubblies in the Eola-Amity Hills. Excitement over sparkling wines is so high that producers have joined together to promote “Method Oregon.”
In New York, Sparkling Pointe lights up Long Island with bubbles. Finger Lakes pioneer Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery in September marked 40 years since the 1985 release of its first traditional method sparkling wine. Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard produces stylish cuvées, some with 10 years aging on the lees. And Red Tail Ridge is increasingly becoming a sparkling wine house, even pushing the champagne model a bit with a vibrant Riesling sekt and a Lambrusco-like red based on Teroldego.
Here in the Mid-Atlantic, Virginia’s wineries are increasingly taking bubbly seriously, as Matt Fitzsimmons recently explored in his blog, Wine Trails and Wanderlust. In November, I visited Revalation winery in Madison County, where four producers were showcasing their own sparkling wines made in the traditional method as well as some with forced carbonation. Jump Mountain’s sparkling Gruner Veltliner, Rosemont’s Chardonel (modestly under crown cap), and Revalation’s traditional method bubbly, made with Vidal Blanc of all things, were especially good. Were they champagne? No. They were their own expressions of joy.
The list could go on to include U.S. wines that compete in every tier of bubbly, including cava and prosecco.
These are just a few reasons to say cheers with American bubblies this holiday season. As Iron Horse CEO Joy Sterling says, “Part of what keeps everything so fun is being able to celebrate until further notice.”
This is an expanded version of my column in the Dec/Jan 2024-2025 issue of The Somm Journal.
Some Recommendations from Recent Tastings
Red Tail Ridge Sekt Extra Brut 2020, Finger Lakes, New York. $39. Scintillating, with flavors of apples and ginger, backed by citrus and a salinity that give it verve and structure. Just outstanding.
Iron Horse Classic Vintage Brut 2021, Sonoma County, California, $58. This is Iron Horse’s flagship bubbly, though they make almost 20 different sparkling cuvées. I had missed a few vintages of Iron Horse, and this wine made me resolve never to miss another. Orchard fruit, berries, ginger, cream, all balanced on a pinpoint perfect structure and finesse with a joyful bead of bubbles. Winemaker David Munksgard will be celebrating 30 years at Iron Horse in 2026; this wine shows him at the height of his craft.
Jump Mountain Vineyard Sparkling Gruner Veltliner 2021, Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, $30. What can I say? It tastes like Gruner with bubbles. What’s not to like?
Great suggestions! The West Coast has a plethora of options...even some from French Champagne Houses! Cheers!
First, this is a reminder to me about picking up some Iron Horse, which I'm very overdue for. We are a Schramsberg house for sure, there is always a bottle of Blanc de Blanc and Noirs in the refrigerator, we just drank a Noirs on Saturday. I still drink Korbel Nature, no dosage, for the price it can't beat it and they still have an industry discount if you go to the winery. I stay away from the sweet stuff at Korbel. Nice find on the Paula Kornell, something new to try.