It’s beginning to look a lot like the holidays, which has many of us thinking about sparkling wines. I pop open bubbly year-round — it’s my favorite wine for everything from fried chicken to foie gras (and even French toast for breakfast).
But for many folks, sparkling wine is a seasonal indulgence, with 20% of all U.S. consumption happening in December, according to the International Wine and Spirits Record (IWSR).
Sonoma and Napa County wineries have long produced sparkling wines in the manner of French Champagne, using méthode champenoise. And over the past several years, there has been a dizzying array of effervescent varietals crafted by local wineries.
More recently, a spate of tasting rooms focused on a combination of local and imported sparklings have opened, including SIGH, a sparkling specialist shop. Debuting in 2012 in a 400-square-foot Vine Alley shop off the Sonoma Plaza, it led the trend. In 2017, owner Jayme Powers moved to a new space nearby, quadrupling the footprint and adding more sparkling wine and Champagnes.
SIGH Champagne Bar in Sonoma. (Courtesy of Wilson Ishihara Design)
New locally-crafted sparklers are taking a greater spotlight. Consider Breathless Wines of Healdsburg, whose Sonoma County Sparkling Brut Rosé won the Sweepstakes Specialty wine award at this past October’s Sonoma County Harvest Fair Professional Wine Competition.
Here are some more new and favorite spots to explore the world of bubbles:
Iron Horse Vineyards
The Sebastopol estate has been legendary since 1976. But partner and CEO Joy Sterling keeps things fresh by doing innovative things like the new magnum tastings paired with picnics of charcuterie, flatbread, gourmet snacks and caviar offered in the summer, plus periodic seasonal Oyster Sundays that made a return in 2024. This retreat is pure Sonoma style, as you relax in gardens or in rustic, redwood barn buildings at the end of a meandering, one-lane road, on a hill with sweeping vineyard views.
Among the dozen-plus sparkling wines on offer, several give back to the community, too, such as the 2019 Resilience Dry Rosé, with proceeds going to the Sonoma County Resilience Fund for disaster recovery, and the 2019 Pinot Noir-based Gratitude benefiting the Redwood Empire Food Bank.
A glass of sparkling rosé from Iron Horse Vineyards in Sebastopol. (Courtesy of Iron Horse Vineyards)
At Maison Healdsburg wine bar. (Sarah Davis)
Maison Healdsburg
Small production Champagne stars at this hip, stylish salon run by a team of sommeliers and Michelin restaurant wine directors. Tasting options vary daily, and you can stock up on precious finds like a 2018 Brick & Mortar Manchester Ridge Vineyard Blanc de Blancs from Mendocino Ridge ($110) or a spectacular 2008 Krug Clos du Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut ($3,800).
Sora Napa
Part of a two-year, $25 million property upgrade at Meritage Resort & Spa in Napa, this brand-new glam salon glitters with more than 30 imported and local Champagnes and sparkling wines. Posh decor sets the stage for an elevated, often unique experience in an intimate, 28-seat setting with a marble bar, velvet chairs and glass bubble lights.
Start with a glass of 2020 Brendel Young Leon Napa Frizzante Rosé of Grignolino ($20), then move on to a bright Lavender Sparkle cocktail of Tanqueray 10 gin, fresh lemon juice, lavender and Champagne ($19). I highly recommend the four themed flights: Migration (three French labels), Native (California), Flock (Germany, Italy and Austria), and Soaring (Spain, England and France).
Sparkling flight at Sora Napa at the Meritage Resort & Spa. (Photo: Bob McClenahan)
The Bubble Bar tasting room in Healdsburg focuses on Champagnes, sparklers, Cavas, Proseccos and all things bubbles. Photo taken Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
Healdsburg Bubble Bar
Winemaker Sarah Quider fronts this new sparkling wine-exclusive tasting room in a 1906 Queen Anne Victorian off the Plaza. Quider dreamed of creating a Parisian bistro showcasing Champagne and treats like Champagne cake slathered in Champagne buttercream frosting. The sips menu changes frequently, but you can expect about a dozen premium international selections by the glass, plus page after page of interesting bottle choices. There are French bubblies, of course, but also more obscure sparklings from South Africa, Spain, Italy, England, Germany and Austria amid a smattering of California and New Zealand favorites.
Azur Wines
This new Napa space is Barbie cute, trimmed in pink walls, but sophisticated with European art and a speakeasy behind a hidden door. Owner Elan Fayard is best known for her rosé still wine but recently launched two custom-label Champagnes made through partnerships with French producers. You can taste them both in a flight, featuring generous splashes of elegant NV Hervieux-Dumez Champagne and 2018 Vincent Joudart Champagne.
To Visit and Taste
Sigh: 120 West Napa St., Sonoma, 707-996-2444, sighsonoma.com
Breathless Wines: 499 Moore Lane, Healdsburg, 707-395-7300, breathlesswines.com
Iron Horse Vineyards: 9786 Ross Station Road, Sebastopol, 707-887-1507, ironhorsevineyards.com
Maison Healdsburg: 210 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, maisonwinebar.com
Sora Napa: 875 Bordeaux Way, Napa, 866-370-6272, exploretock.com/bubbles-and-bloom-napa
Healdsburg Bubble Bar: 134 North St., Healdsburg, 707-395-4434, healdsburgbubblebar.com
Azur Wines: 1014 Clinton St., Napa, 707-812-4203, azurwines.com