There’s a good chance you’ve been to Napa Valley, this country’s second federally approved, geographically defined grape-growing region (the first was Missouri’s Augusta). You probably visited the winery that produces your favorite cabernet or chardonnay. And maybe, knowing your preferences, they led you to a wine you never heard of. That was the best part of the trip. But did that unplanned path ever take you to a house of sparkling?
Yes, the land of big, juicy reds is also the land of clean, dry sparkling wine.
There are 16 sub-appellations within the Napa Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area). Each AVA’s geography, climate and soil is unique. This makes sense if you drive up and down 30-mile-long Napa in a short amount of time — the topography and temperature differences are stunning. The French call this terroir.
In Europe, thousands of years of practice means well-matched grapes and terroir. There, you order wine by the region known to excel in a particular grape (Burgundy instead of, say, chardonnay). We mostly speak varietal (grape) here while we continue to sort out what grows best where.
Technically, “Champagne” is an appellation in France. Any wine made outside of that famous region, even if in the same style, with the same grapes (classically pinot noir, pinot meunier, chardonnay), is “sparkling wine.”
We suggest getting your sparkling wine out of the bottle and into a flute as quickly as possible, so not to be distracted by debate. After a couple tours and tastings, you’ll find yourself noticing (and demanding) tiny bubbles (big, burpy bubbles likely mean artificial carbonation, not natural yeast fermentation during which bubbles slowly develop). And Napa will have a whole new meaning.
Here’s where to find your bubbles.
Domaine Chandon (1 California Drive, Yountville, 888-242-6366)
The first US sparkling house established by a French producer — Moët — Domaine Chandon turns 40 this year. The gorgeous, park-inspired property is in walking distance from downtown Yountville. Be sure to wander under the shady old oak trees, flute in hand. Start your day with the 90-minute “étoile Prestige Tour & Tasting,” $40 (10:30 a.m.). Étoile means “star” in French, a reference to Dom Perignon’s legendary reaction to his first taste of bubbly: “I’m drinking the stars!”
Étoile is the top tier of Chandon’s production and also the name of the Michelin-starred on-premise restaurant. This is the only winery in Napa with an extensive food menu (lunch and dinner Thursday to Monday — fit it in). Delicious snacks are served in the Tasting Lounge, where you can order flights or bottles, from $20.
Domaine Carneros (1240 Duhig Road, Napa, 800-716-2788)
Less than an hour from San Francisco, Domaine Carneros will transport you to France the moment you spot the house. The 18th-century-like chateau was built in 1989, two years after Champagne Taittinger set up shop in California (Taittinger owns a similar, historic chateau outside of Epernay). You’ll want to be part of the “Art of Sparkling Wine,” $30 (11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m.). The 90-minute tour starts with a check-in of your ability to walk and drink at the same time. Here, you taste throughout: four to five sparklings and one to two pinots. And hear about such things as the Veuve Clicquot, the savvy widowed businesswoman credited with inventing “riddling” — turning and using gravity to move yeast sediment to the neck of a bottle so it can be released (“disgorged”). The process took six weeks until a machine arrived in the 1970s; now it’s down to one. The result: clear wine. Notice just how clear by lingering on the chateau’s terrace (10 a.m.-6 p.m.) with a flute, or additional samplers, from $7.
Mumm Napa ( 8445 Silverado Trail, Rutherford, 800-686-6272)
Mumm Napa is the only sparkling house with the Napa AVA on its label. That means at least 85 percent of the grapes used were grown there. (Napa and Sonoma share the 90-square-mile Carneros AVA where most sparkling grapes originate, and most area wineries buy from all over the region.) Mumm Napa offers a one-hour tour, $25 (11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m.), with three tastings. Or you can take the free, no-tasting tour at 10 a.m. If it’s before 4:15 p.m., snag a spot on the new Oak Terrace where you can experience two flutes of library wines. (Check out the Santana collaborations; 2006 “Supernatural Rose” was just released). Or go for the simpler stuff by the glass, from $8, on the adjacent patio. Both overlook the pretty grounds. Wear sunglasses.
Schramsberg Vineyards (1400 Schramsberg Road, Calistoga, 707-942-4558)
When Jacob Schram — a barber by trade — came to Calistoga in 1862 (via SF and NY, from Germany) he noticed it was hot. He planted grapes, and started digging. There’s still a mile of underground caves today, keeping wines cool without AC. (And you can see pick marks from the axes that dug them. Crazy!) Schram died in 1905; his son sold the winery in 1912. The Davies family took over Schramsberg Vineyards in 1965, with a plan to make world-class sparkling wine. Still hot at the site (though shaded by a redwood, oak and spruce forest that pulls you off Route 29 like nothing else), Schramsberg sparkling is made with grapes from 120 different vineyards. The 75-minute educational tour and tasting, $45 (10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., by appointment only), takes you into the active caves. Tastings — four sparklings, one red — may take place in the caves (bring out your candelabra!) or seated. Either way, it’s clear why presidents and chef Thomas Keller (the French Laundry has its own extra brut) have Schramsberg high on their list.
Dean & Deluca (607 Saint Helena Highway S, Saint Helena, 707-967-9980)
If you’re already a Napa sparkling fan you may know Frank Family (frankfamilyvineyards.com) took over Kornell Champagne Cellars (established in 1958!) in 1992, and though sparkling is still on their list, it’s not a primary focus. Same goes for Domaine Montreaux (corleyfamilynapavalley.com) and Artesa Winery (artesawinery.com). So after visiting the specialized houses above, set up a custom tasting with Dean & Deluca wine director Kerrin Laz — $45 and $85, both options include eight wines, cheese and charcuterie (complimentary if you purchase wine; call ahead to arrange). These tastings are perfect for people who have seen the vineyards and are ready to focus on what’s in the glass. “It’s all about the texture,” says Laz, introducing us to Richard Grant Wine (richardgrantwine.com) and Hagafen Cellars (hagafen.com). “I want to taste the bubbles, but I want finer bubbles, coating the palate, effervescent.” She can organize by grape, vintage or other theme, and has access to wines you cannot experience elsewhere.
SLEEP
Given the location of these wineries, we suggest sleeping either at the top of Napa Valley at the beautifully landscaped Solage Calistoga (755 Silverado Trail, Calistoga, 866-942-7442, solagecalistoga.com), from $480, or toward the bottom at the lovely and convenient Bardessono (6526 Yount St., Yountville, 707-204-6000, bardessono.com), from $450.