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What You Need to Know About West Coast Sparkling Wine

Your guide to bubbles from California, Oregon and Washington, at every price point and style.

Virginie Boone · Dec 19, 2023

What You Need to Know About West Coast Sparkling Wine

California, Oregon and Washington offer great sparkling wines at every price point and level of complexity. This is a part of the world where large-scale sparkling houses coexist with wineries specializing in still wines who also offer one or two sparkling options in their portfolio. There’s a lot to choose from, much of it exceptional. 

For those looking to explore the West Coast’s many wonderful sparkling options, here’s what you need to know.

The Big Names

California

America has benefited greatly from the pioneering spirit of its sparkling wine producers, many of whom were inspired by French Champagne, Italian Prosecco or Spanish Cava and wanted to explore what was possible to make in the New World without Europe’s infamous rules. 

The cool-climate wine regions along the California coast were particularly compelling for their ability to grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes that could be picked at high acid levels, then made into beautiful sparkling wines. What was new for these new-world producers was the choice they had: adhere to the traditional méthode champenoise approach — or not. Many winemakers opted to go off-script with non-traditional grape varieties or production techniques, which yielded remarkable diversity in wine styles.

But the traditionalists came first.

Jack and Jamie Davies bought the historic Schramsberg property outside of St. Helena in 1965. That same year they produced America's first Chardonnay-based sparkling wine. Run today by the family’s second generation, Schramsberg continues to make a range of elegant, classically styled sparkling wines in addition to a worthwhile portfolio of still wines, including Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
Recommended: 2019 Schramsberg Querencia Napa Valley Brut Rosé ($75)

When Audrey and Barry Sterling of Iron Horse first came to the Russian River Valley in 1976, they were advised it would be too cold to plant grapes. They bought a 300-acre property anyway, finished planting the vineyard, built a winery and made their first vintage of sparkling wine in 1980. Today they’re known for producing high-quality, acid-driven sparklers, the proceeds of which often go to benefit worthy causes.
Recommended: 2019 Iron Horse Brut X Green Valley of Russian River Valley ($62)

1980 is the same year Piper Sonoma was founded, a partnership between France’s Piper-Heidsieck and Rodney Strong’s Sonoma Vineyards. Much of the facility and vineyards were sold to J Vineyards in 1996, which produces unctuous, luxuriously rich and well-made sparklers that are paired expertly with food at its Bubble Room.
Recommended: 2013 J Vineyards Late Disgorged Russian River Valley Vintage Brut ($110)

In 1987, the Taittinger family of Champagne established Domaine Carneros on the Napa side of Carneros, one of the closest expressions of Champagne in California. 
Recommended: 2016 Domaine Carneros Le Rêve Carneros Blanc de Blancs ($125)

Champagne Louis Roederer has been making sparkling wine from California’s Anderson Valley since 1982, setting up a sizable production facility, tasting room and estate vineyards near the town of Philo. Four decades later, Roederer Estate makes a range of outstanding sparklers from 100% estate-grown grapes grown on 600 acres of vineyards dotted throughout the region. It remains one of California’s standard-bearers for quality bubbles, aging in cask and adding reserve wines to each year’s cuvée. These wines are sophisticated, fresh in acidity and complex, with plenty of aging potential.
Recommended: 2013 Roederer Estate L’Ermitage Anderson Valley Brut Rosé ($100)

Roederer also makes the Scharffenberger Cellars sparkling wines, founded by John Scharffenberger in 1981. These wines are more widely sourced and often non-vintage, offering a lot of appealing bang for the buck. 
Recommended: NV Scharffenberger Cellars Mendocino County Crémant ($26)

Oregon and Washington

In Oregon, where the climate is typically cooler than in most parts of California, and where Pinot Noir and Chardonnay thrive, the Willamette Valley has long led the way in sparkling wine production. 

Argyle is the original and possibly best-known producer of Oregon sparkling wine, founded by winemaker Rollin Soles in 1987, who built the first wine production facility to specifically make world-class sparkling wine in these parts. Having accomplished that, Soles is now the founder and winemaker for ROCO Winery in Newberg, which is also focused on classic and world-class Oregon sparkling. 
Recommended: 2013 ROCO Winery RMS Willamette Valley Brut Delayed Disgorgement 10-Year ($110)

Tony Soter of Soter Vineyards started making Willamette Valley sparkling wine in 1997. Sourced today from his biodynamic Mineral Springs estate, his Brut Rosé, Blanc de Blancs and Estates Brut X are the core of the portfolio. These are exquisitely made, acid-driven, refined wines.
Recommended: 2011 Soter Vineyards Mineral Springs Yamhill-Carlton Brut Rosé Extended Tirage ($95)

R. Stuart & Co. has, for more than 20 years, been making a rich and complex méthode champenoise sparkler called Rosé d’Or, a non-vintage brut well worth trying.
Recommended: NV R. Stuart & Co. Willamette Valley Rosé d’Or Brut ($65)

From a Washington-based winemaker, Cayuse Vineyards’ Christophe Baron’s Champagne Christophe Baron wines are from France’s Marne Valley, made entirely with Pinot Meunier and supremely sophisticated, full of tension and grace. 
Recommended: 2018 Champagne Christophe Baron Les Hautes Blanches Vignes Charly-Sur-Marne Brut Nature

Smaller Producers Making Interesting Stuff

Sparkling wines by Ultramarine in Sonoma County, Caraccioli Cellars in the Santa Lucia Highlands, and Haliotide in San Luis Obispo are highly sought-after by collectors, in part because of their single-vintage, single-vineyard focus inspired by the grower Champagne movement, which emphasizes a move away from time-honored blends and toward wines from specific sites. 
Recommended: 2018 Ultramarine Heintz Vineyard Sonoma Coast Blanc de Noirs ($199); 2010 Caraccioli Santa Lucia Highlands Cuvee Nature; 2020 Haliotide Topotero Vineyard San Luis Obispo Coast Extra Brut Rosé

Another example is Under the Wire, a Sonoma-based collaboration between Chris Cottrell and Morgan Twain-Peterson MW, who aim to make terroir-driven sparkling wine from across California. They work with Hirsch Vineyard, Alder Springs Vineyard and Brosseau Vineyard. Brick & Mortar also makes both deliciously complex vineyard-designated sparkling and still wines from chilly Manchester Ridge.
Recommended: 2017 Under the Wire Chuy Vineyard Sonoma Valley Sparkling Chardonnay; 2018 Brick & Mortar Manchester Ridge Mendocino Ridge Blanc de Blancs

Third-generation German sparkling wine producer Hanns Kornell established Hanns Kornell Champagne Cellars in Napa Valley in 1958, beginning with Riesling grapes and later with Pinot Noir. His daughter carries on the tradition, having launched Paula Kornell Sparkling Wine with a California Brut and Napa Valley Blanc de Noirs in 2019. Another woman from a multi-generational winemaking family is behind SEPPI Craft Wines,. Kelsey Phelps, the granddaughter of Joseph Phelps, founded SEPPI and focuses on vintage-specific méthode champenoise sparklers. Schramsberg alum Keith Hock makes the wines. 
Recommended: 2020 Paula Kornell Napa Valley Blanc de Noirs ($50); 2018 Seppi California Brut Rosé ($52)

Meanwhile, Carboniste attempts to reimagine California sparkling wine completely, working with grapes like Albariño, using traditional techniques and crown-capping their bottlings to make them accessible and fun. 
Recommended: 2019 Carboniste Corralitos Santa Cruz Mountains Extra Brut ($46)

There’s an increasing trend of still producers introducing sparkling wines as well, thanks in part to the evolution of sparkling-specific custom-crush houses like California’s Rack & Riddle and Oregon’s Radiant. Look for bottles from Williams Selyem, Benovia, Ram’s Gate, Keller Estate, Patz & Hall, Inman Family and Emeritus

Anyone looking for a low- to no-alcohol sparkler should consider the white, red or rosé offerings from Libby Wines, made in California with tons of flavor and carbonation, but a little less alcohol.

What About Pét-Nat?

Pét-nat, or pétillant natural, can be made from any grape variety and is a simpler way to make sparkling wine than méthode champenoise. The wine is bottled just after spontaneous fermentation begins, but before it’s complete (thus letting primary fermentation continue in the bottle). It can then be disgorged or left cloudy, and is usually sealed by a crown cap. This makes it less labor and time intensive. 

Quality among wines in this category can vary widely, so look for producers who have been at pét-nat awhile. A few to try: Donkey & Goat was early to pét-nat, making its first in 2011.
Recommended: 2022 Donkey & Goat Lily’s Anderson Valley Pét-Nat Sparkling Chardonnay ($45)

Berkeley neighbor Broc Cellars also successfully plays with the form. 
Recommended: 2019 Broc Cellars Paso Robles Sparkling Chenin Blanc Petillant Wine ($32)

Another Chenin option comes from Stolpman Vineyards on the Central Coast. 
Recommended: 2022 Stolpman Vineyards Ballard Canyon So Fresh Chenin Pet’Nat ($42)

Ultramarine’s Michael Cruse makes a line of pét-nats under Cruse Wine Co., working with grapes like St. Laurent and Valdiguié. 
Recommended: 2022 Cruse Wine Co. Carneros Sparkling St. Laurent ($32)

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