United States of America Flashcards
Tell us about Sparkling wine from the USA?
Sparkling wine production in the USA goes back into the nineteenth century, with companies such as Haraszthy and F. Korbel & Bros. The modern period began, however, in 1965 when Schramsberg produced a Blanc de Blancs Brut sparkling wine that was also the first commercial use of Chardonnay in an American sparkling wine. This was followed in the 1970s with the establishment of a number of companies owned by Champagne and Cava producers that set up to make traditional method sparkling wine, spearheaded by Moët & Chandon (Domain Chandon, 1973).
A range of styles is made: traditional method, tank method and, latterly, a small amount of Pet Nat. Most production is in California, which produces more than half of all sparkling wine produced in the USA, but sparkling wine is made in many states including Oregon and Washington State.
Traditional method Chardonnay and Pinot Noir blends are made with quality levels that are good to outstanding and prices from mid to super-premium. These wines typically offer medium intensity aromas of ripe apple and lemon with toasty autolytic notes and medium (+) acidity. They are typically made in a Brut style. A few producers also use Meunier, but this grape is much less commonly used here than in Champagne.
In addition, tank method wines with additional fruit flavours (raspberry, peach, etc.) and Pet Nat wines are made. Tank- fermented wines are often in an Extra Dry style, with noticeable residual sugar. They are inexpensive to mid-priced.
Explain the growing environment and grape growing in California?
In California, grapes for premium sparkling wines from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are predominantly grown in the coastal regions cooled by the cold Pacific Ocean. Cool air from the coast is drawn towards the hotter Central Valley, bringing cool breezes and/or fog to areas close to the coast, along river valleys and gaps in the coastal mountains. These cooling influences make these coastal parts of California ideal for growing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, helping to produce grapes with ripe flavours yet with high levels of acidity and moderate alcohol. These characteristics are well suited to the production of premium sparkling wine.
In addition to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, a wide range of varieties is used for mainly tank method wines, including Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Syrah and Tempranillo. Where grapes are grown in warm regions, they are harvested early. The wines may require residual sugar to compensate for under-ripe flavours.
What are the most important areas for sparkling wines in the USA?
(Specifically the first 3)
CALIFORNIA Anderson Valley (Mendocino County) The north-western part of this AVA is close to the Pacific. Cool ocean breezes and fog are conveyed along the Navarro river valley to moderate temperatures and reduce sunshine hours further up the valley. Wide diurnal temperature ranges are common and enable growers to maintain high levels of acidity in the fruit. This region is home to Roederer Estate (founded by the Champagne house of the same name). Wineries that predominantly make still wines also make small amounts of sparkling wine. In addition, many wineries from outside the region buy Anderson Valley grapes for their sparkling wines.
Russian River Valley (sonoma County)
Cool breezes and fog provide cooling influences both via the river and through the Petaluma Gap in the coastal mountain range. Russian River Valley is home to the sparkling pioneer, Korbel.
Carneros (sonoma and napa counties)
While not on the coast, Carneros gets significant cooling from the San Pablo Bay. It is home to Gloria Ferrer (founded by the Cava producer, Freixenet) and Domaine Carneros (founded by Taittinger).
Napa Valley (napa County) While most of Napa is too hot for growing grapes for sparkling wine, important wineries that produce it were founded here, even if they now source their grapes in cooler areas (for example, Schramsberg). Some producers continue to grow or source all their fruit from within the Napa Valley (including Carneros), whereas others choose to blend Napa fruit with that sourced from other regions.
Monterey (Monterey County)
In the 1940s, professors Winkler and Amerine of the University of California, Davis, devised the Heat Summation Scale and identified large portions of Monterey as cool zones 1–2 (suitable for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir). As a result, many new vineyards were developed. The main influence is the wide Salinas valley that is open to the ocean (which is particularly cold due to a deep canyon in the ocean floor near this part of the coast). This creates cool areas in the northern parts of Monterey with high diurnal temperature ranges, creating sites suitable for grapes for sparkling wine.
Edna Valley and arroyo grande (san luis Obispo County)
These two AVAs are in the coolest part of San Luis Obispo, because of their proximity to the coast and the cold ocean.
Santa Maria Valley and sta. Rita Hills (santa Barbara County)
Winkler and Amerine also identified large portions of Santa Barbara County as cool zones 1–2. The east–west running Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley form channels to allow cool breezes and fog to seep into Santa Barbara County.
Lodi (san Joaquin County)
The Central Valley and Lodi are too warm for grape growing for premium sparkling wine. However, companies such as Weibel produce large volumes of tank method and flavoured sparkling wines here.
WASHINGTON STATE
This is the second largest producer of sparkling wine in the USA, with Chateau Ste. Michelle being by far the largest producer. A northerly latitude and a high diurnal range contribute
to grapes with high acidity, suitable for sparkling wine. Blends from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier are produced. Styles include Blanc de Blancs and Blanc de Noirs wines. In addition, single varietal wines from other varieties (including Müller Thurgau, Riesling and Gewurztraminer) are made. The wines tend to be mid-priced.
OREGON
Oregon has increasingly added sparkling wine to its offer of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The cool climate of the Willamette Valley allows fruit to ripen slowly and to retain naturally high acidity. The pioneer and largest specialist producer is Argyle. For wineries that do not specialise in sparkling wine, the technically demanding processes required for traditional method wines can be supplied by a specialist company such as Radiant Sparkling Wine.
Explain the winemaking for sparkling wine in the USA?
As elsewhere, premium sparkling wines are typically made by the traditional method, while inexpensive wines are made by the tank method. Premium sparkling wines are often made by blending a range of base wines. For example, a winemaker might blend higher acidity wines with wines with ripe fruit notes but lower acidity. Many wines are made with extended periods on the lees in bottle (e.g. three years). This adds to the intensity of toasty autolytic notes and to the cost of production, and therefore price.
Blanc de Noirs, white wine made from black grapes, typically Pinot Noir, is a more common style in the USA than in other countries. However, unlike in the EU, there are no specific regulations regarding the Blanc de Noirs term. Often, producers use mainly black skinned fruit, but complement it with some small percentage of white grapes. Schramsberg is a good example of this technique, where its Blanc de Noirs includes 10 per cent Chardonnay.
Many wineries are now making small batches of sparkling wines only sold through the tasting room or direct to consumers. For these wineries, it is not financially feasible to invest in the equipment needed to perform riddling, disgorgement and dosage, nor do they necessarily have the expertise. Specialist custom crush facilities provide these services, for example, Rack & Riddle in Sonoma and Brut Custom Crush in Napa.
Explain the wine law and wine business for sparkling wine in the USA?
Several historical producers label their sparkling wines ‘Champagne’, and the US government allows the use of the Champagne term on US brands established before 2006 if the geographic origin accompanies the Champagne term on the label (typically California Champagne). New US brands after this date are not allowed to use the Champagne term.
As noted, there are different types of company producing sparkling wine:
- Specialist sparkling wine companies often founded by Champagne and Cava houses. These companies have distribution across the USA and export small qualities of sparkling wine. Examples include Roederer Estate.
- Wine companies that produce small batch, premium sparkling wines. These wines are sold at the cellar door, direct to consumers, in the winery’s own restaurant or locally. Examples include Schramsberg.
- Large wine companies that produce inexpensive sparkling wines as part of a larger range, including companies with national and international distribution. Examples include Barefoot and Cupcake.
In 2018, around 12,500 cases of sparkling wine were produced in the USA, virtually all in California. This supplied 45 per cent of the total shipments of sparkling wine in the USA in that year. While sparkling wine consumption has grown steadily for the last 15 years, Californian sparkling wine has lost significant market share to imported sparkling wine, especially Prosecco. Sparkling wine has been seen as a special occasion-only wine in the past and the large domestic brands have dominated. However, millennials are less bound to American brands and perceive foreign wines as more authentic, offering an open door to foreign sparkling wine.
