”We’re trying to be a picnic wine, not trying to be fancy,” Signal Ridge Vineyard owner Roger Scommegna told me as I sipped his non-vintage Signal Ridge Bubbles last Sunday night. “There are already world-class sparkling wines here, like Roederer Estate. We’re trying to be Mendocino-like.” His demeanor is totally Mendocino, as is his sparkler. But despite being priced for picnics, Bubbles will be just fine for the dinner table or fancier affairs.
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An aerial photo of the Signal Ridge Vineyard, Mendocino Ridge AVA. Photo by Signal Ridge.
There were a few Mendocino vintners last week who mentioned wanting to disgorge sparkling wine from the golden-moments-only mindset. “People will drink a $15 to $20 still wine any day of the week,” Zac Robinson, proprietor of Husch Vineyards and president of Mendocino Winegrowers Inc., observed. “But they think sparkling wine at the same price needs a special occasion.”
He’s right. Sure, there are people without that bias. I’ve got friends who go bubbly more often than not. But they’re a very small minority.
I suspect much of the blame lies with the highly successful marketing of France’s Champagne houses. Over the past few decades they have just about convinced people that no celebration is complete without sparkling wine. That, coupled with the preceding reputation of Champagne as a drink for royalty and upper class soirées, has had the unintended consequence of tying sparkling wine so closely with festivities as to make it seem inappropriate for everyday drinking.
I view Scommegna’s comments to be aimed at opening minds, not capping his wine’s potential. Brisk sales of relatively inexpensive Cava and Prosecco have been busting the stereotype already. Driven by those bottlings and the growing market for crisp wines of moderate alcohol, sparkling wine is starting to become “a thing” with “new California winemakers” now. Soon, you’ll be seeing a lot more releases by producers, from Mendocino to Santa Barbara, who have previously been focused solely on still wine.
Here are four sparkling wines from Mendocino County—all methode traditionelle—I enjoyed last week. (My tastings last week didn’t include Roederer Estate or Scharffenberger Cellars so their wines aren’t included in this article.)
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NV Signal Ridge Bubbles Brut, $25 ($99 for a half-case)
Bubble is a mélange of chalk, lemon, green apple, stone fruit and delicate spice on the nose. A sip brings a creamy mousse with a light touch of sweetness that quickly subsides leaving a clean mouthfeel with flavors of lemon pith, green apple, spice and steely minerality. I like it quite a bit and, at just $99 for a half-case, it really can be an every day wine. Single bottles sell for $25, so six-pack is definitely the way to go. Recommended+
2006 Handley Cellars Brut Rosé, Estate Vineyard Anderson Valley, $40
A richly creamy mousse gives this sparkling wine body that feels medium+ but is well-balanced by juicy acidity. The delicious aromas and flavors include dried ginger, cream, yellow apple, lemon curd and strawberry. Highly Recommended
2003 Handley Cellars Brut, $ inquire, tasting room only
Zippy acidity coupled with flavors of toast, chai spice (especially cardamom) and green apple. Very good now but capable of building complexity with further bottle age. Because this wine is nearly sold-out it’s sold only at the winery and not available for tasting. Recommended+
NV McFadden Farm Cuvée Brut, $25
This 50-50 blend of organically-grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay spent two-and-a-half years on the lees. (It’s billed as NV but is essentially a 2009.) A little riper and sweeter, but with plenty of acidity, the McFadden Farm sparkling wine will be a versatile partner for food. Flavors include creamy pear, pear skin and baking spice. Recommended
(You might enjoy this recent SF Chronicle review of the McFadden Farm tasting room too.)
Disclosures: The FTC has tightened its guidelines with respect to online ads, reviews, blogs, etc. in response to people who are passing paid ads off as personal recommendations or who accept samples of expensive hard goods in exchange for reviews. My lengthy disclosure here is meant to address those guidelines.
The reviews above reflect my personal experience with the product. This is not a paid ad, nor do I accept ads or compensation for reviews from wine producers. Reviews may cover products that I have purchased, received as samples, or tried under other circumstances I consider to be good tasting conditions. Receiving a product as a sample does not obligate me to review it positively (or at all) and I do not consider samples to be compensation or “free wine.” I have purchased plenty of wine over the years and have more of that than I can drink. Samples are opened for review purposes, not added to my personal cellar or taken to restaurants.
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This article is original to NorCalWine.com. Copyright 2013 NorCal Wine. Signal Ridge label photo by The Bubbly Girl. All rights reserved.