I’ve been a red wine drinker for a long time but recently have been appreciating sparkling wines a lot. I’m actually a seafood lover and even though it’s not a hard rule to pair seafood with red wine, I do feel weird about opening a bottle of a cab with sushi. Ever since learning that sparkling wine actually goes well with all kinds of food (think how you can drink soda or beer with any meal 😂), I’ve been stocking up on more sparkling wines. Also random side tip, ordering a bottle of brut sparkling wine also is an easy choice at a restaurant if there are both seafood and meat dishes on the table. This being said, I’ve enjoyed adding more sparkling wines to my wine tasting itinerary. Here’s some you can try if you are looking to taste a flight of sparkling wines in California
Napa
Domaine Carneros: Such a classic Napa stop with its iconic mansion with a beautiful view of the vineyards. Located in Carneros so great to start or end the day here. Worth putting on the list anyone in Napa!
Schramsberg: Tasting room is located in Calistoga but you can also get their sparkling slight at the sister winery, Davies, in St. Helena. They make high quality traditional method sparkling wines and I love the variety here
Chandon: Well-known and widely distributed wines with a beautiful view on the hillside
Mumm: Another well-known brand with a beautiful outdoor patio and terrace
Sonoma
Iron Horse: Located up the hills in Sebastopol, they specialize in sparkling wines, Chardonnays, and Pinots. Beautiful view of the Sebastopol vineyard area
Amista: Small family winery in Healdsburg with a sparkling flight in addition to the regular white/red wine flight. They have interesting Rhone varietals and it’s a fun stop.
Gloria Ferrer: I personally have not been but included on the list as it’s one of the popular spot south of Sonoma downtown
Roederer: Technically located in Anderson Valley so need to drive further north from Sonoma but worth a stop if you are heading there. They make the famous Louis Roederer Cristal!
