Californian Terroir: Sparkling Wine

Bubbles in the New World

We don't really know who made California's first sparkling wine, but there is an 1857 reference to one made by the Sainsevains.

The History of Cultwines

How Screagle, Harlan et al. came to be

To fully understand the California cult wine phenomenon, one must know that it did not arise from a vacuum. Its source material lies in the fact that the wealthy and powerful always have coveted certain wines, whose rarity put them out of reach of all but Emperors and Popes...

Californian Terroir: The Russian River Valley

Within this narrow band, climate conditions are ideally balanced, with the chilly maritime influence gradually waning as it nears the hot, dry Central Valley, where superior viticulture is not possible.