Marin County and its immediate appellate environs — Carneros, the Petaluma Gap, the Sonoma Coast, etc. — produce quite a few pinot noirs and plenty of chardonnay. So, it’s odd that there isn’t more sparkling wine available from the area, since both of these grapes find their way into champagne.
And sparkling wine is the universal solvent when it comes to wine-food pairings. There’s almost nothing that doesn’t go with bubbly — from oysters to steak and lobster to cake, it doesn’t really matter, which makes its dearth in the culinary nexus that is Northern California almost indefensible.
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But sparkling wine is often expensive to both make and purchase. And if recent trends are any indication, expensive wines tend to stick around a lot longer than they used to, both at the winery and on the store shelves, which might be why it’s not that odd lately to see many 5-, 6- and 7-year-old vintages of everything still available. But luckily, unlike some other varietals, sparkling wine is one of those wines that does age remarkably well, both in the barrel and in the bottle.
Bubbly is also one of those few things that should never be ordered willy-nilly. Fine champagne can easily set you back $50 a glass or several hundred dollars a bottle — and nowadays, so can some California sparklers. Ultramarine, for example, the Sonoma Coast cult favorite, is often in the $300 a bottle range, if you’re “lucky” enough to find it. So, the goal here was not to break the bank, but rather to offer up some more reasonable choices in the category.
But reasonableness is subjective; the venerable Dom Pérignon, the monk most responsible for the creation of champagne, is reported to have said upon its discovery, “Come quickly, I’m tasting the stars.” And nobody has ever said that the stars are cheap.
Here are my four current favorites: two rosés, one blanc de noir and one blanc de blanc:
2020 Carboniste Sparkling Marin Blanc de Noir, Marin County, $46
Carbonitste’s Marin County offering is not exclusively a blanc de noir, which means white from black, and indicates a white wine made from dark-skinned grapes. With many blanc de noirs, that grape is usually pinot noir, but this wine also happens to include some chardonnay. Organically grown but not organically produced, this richly luxuriant (barrel-aged) wine is the remarkable child of both modern and traditional winemaking: whole cluster pressed, native and commercial yeast, lees aging and a nontraditional enclosure make this wine not only delightful but also unique. So unique, in fact, that we will never see it again, as Carboniste’s Marin grape contract has not been renewed. So, get it while you can.
For more information, or to order, go to carboniste.com.
2019 Keller Estate Sparkling Brut Rosé, Petaluma Gap, $70
This is the third release of sparkling wine from this Lakeville Highway winery. Located just below where Tolay Lake used to exist — and where Tolay Lake Regional Park now does, ergo the name Lakeville — this small winery produces primarily estate-grown chardonnay and pinot noir as well as some syrah and viognier. Those top two estate-grown regional cousins find their way into this copper-hued chardonnay-pinot noir blend: 85% pinot and 15% chardonnay produces a fuller mouthfeel redolent of acidic pear and, strangely enough, actual rose. 14.1% puts it on the high side for sparkling wine, but, hey, this is California after all.
For more information, or to order, go to kellerestate.com.
McEvoy Ranch, Glass House Sparkling Rosé, Sonoma County, $40
McEvoy Ranch is situated in Marin but only accessible through Sonoma County via Petaluma. Better known for their olive oil, they have — and do — produce some interesting wines. And this nonvintage sparkler is one of them. Vinted from pinot noir, pinot meunier, chardonnay and pinot blanc, McEvoy uses four of the eight officially permitted “champagne” grapes — the other four are pinot gris, petit meslier, arbane and voltis — but we’re not calling it champagne. No, we’re not. However, this fresh, vigorously bubbly combination of red raspberry and honeysuckled orange comes invitingly close. 12.19% ABV also keeps it all on theme.
For more information, or to order, go to mcevoyranch.com.
2020 Skywalker Vineyards Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine, Marin County, $85
Want to get on the wine critic train? Start saying malic instead of citric when speaking of tartness. That will get their attention. There’s actually a difference, and that difference is the one between a green baking apple and a lemon. And this wine is full of malic crispness, like that apple, or maybe even a slightly underripe pear. But then add some yeastiness and bubbles, and you start seeing stars. Blanc de blanc means 100% chardonnay, in this case estate-grown, coupled with 12.5% ABV makes this wine the least expensive and lowest alcohol sparkling wine option from Skywalker. Celebratory? Sure. Expensive? Yep. May the Fourth may have passed, but for a very special event, this just might be the wine you are looking for.
For more information, or to order, go to skywalkervineyards.com.
Jeff Burkhart is the author of “Twenty Years Behind Bars: The Spirited Adventures of a Real Bartender, Vol. I and II,” the host of the Barfly Podcast on iTunes (as seen in the NY Times) and an award-winning bartender at a local restaurant. Follow him at jeffburkhart.net and contact him at [email protected]