Last Night's Tipple

I have come to the conclusion that I should probably buy mostly blanc de noirs and rosé sparkling wine from now on. Perhaps it's evidence that I am a complete Philistine, but the lesson that I have learned from this sparkling wine binge over the past two or three weeks is that I like the berry aromas and the fuller body that is typically found in pinot noir-heavy sparkling wines (ie, in blanc de noirs and rosé) better than the flavors and character imparted by a large proportion of chardonnay. Chardonnay-heavy sparkling wine, at least the versions that I have tried (and, to be honest, I don't have much breadth of experience here) is much more likely to be sour and bland.

In any event, I finished the bottle of Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs last night, and it was probably better the second night than the first. Perhaps this is because it lost some of its carbonation and was consequently a bit less acidic. I don't know. But I do know that I don't feel cheated at all by spending $30 on a bottle of sparkling wine, and that's saying a lot by itself. I will have to try the rosé next, even though it is $37 a bottle. If I don't feel ripped off by that price, I should just stop drinking sparkling wine altogether because it would likely lead me to bankruptcy.

Last Night's Tipple

Schramsberg is the oldest producers of sparkling wine in the United States. The winery dates to 1862, when German immigrant Jacob Schram gave up barbering in San Francisco and places north to buy land in Napa County and grow grapes. As far as I can tell, though, production was entirely still wines until 1940, when John Gargano and the California Champagne Company bought the winery. Douglas Pringle acquired the winery and the California Champagne Company in 1951, and he continued to produce wine until his death in 1960. The winery remained shuttered until 1965, when Jack and Jamie Davies bought the property and resumed production. The winery is currently run by the Davies' son, Hugh Davies.

Today, Schramsberg has three lines of sparkling wine. Wines in the Mirabelle line are multi-vintage and retail around $20 a bottle. The main line is composed of vintage wines, and the various bottlings retail for between $30 and $50 a bottle. At the top end, there is the reserve range, composed of the Pinot Noir-heavy Reserve, the Chardonnay-heavy J. Schram, and the J. Schram Rosé. These are typically more than double the price of the main line wines, and they feature extensive sur lie aging. The mainline Blanc de Noirs has the reputation of being one of the best sparklers (from California or elsewhere) available for the price (which isn't insignificant). I had gone looking for it a few days ago and couldn't find it. I was luckier when I tried again the day before yesterday.

Despite the name, this wine isn't just made from black grapes: it has about 15% Chardonnay. I don't know if it would be permissible in France to label a sparkling wine with 15% Chardonnay as Blanc de Noirs; but Schramsberg isn't in France, and it's obviously okay in the United States. Some Blanc de Noirs sparklers will have a slight pink tinge. Not this one: it's a deep gold, but there's not a hint of orange or red in it. But it does have a lot of the berry flavors and aromas that one typically associates with a Rosé wine, and a good deal of the body, too. I think that I enjoy this more than any of the other sparkling wines that I've tried recently. It's excellent.