4:00 to 5:30 pm
$10.00 per person
$5.00 is credited toward purchase of the featured wines below
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The best sparkling wines of California are produced by the venerable Schramsberg Vineyards in Napa Valley. Jacob Schram emigrated from Germany and in 1862 purchased a large piece of land against the mountainside near Calistoga. He was very successful producing wines from the grape vines he planted and before long began the digging out of caves into the mountainside. These caves are where the great sparkling wines are developed today by the Davis Family who purchased the winery and vineyards in 1965. Schramsberg is sending Tracy Cervellone to join us for the event and to describe the wines and the Champagne making process as the wine is being poured.
Schramsberg Mirabelle Brut
LIST PRICE 24.00; OUR PRICE 19.99
Mirabelle is Schramsberg’s multi-vintage brut sparkling wine. This young, bright bubbly, principally comprised of Chardonnay, exhibits the crisp acidity and vibrant green apple, citrus fruit that is characteristic of this grape when grown here in the North Coast. Pinot Noir adds body, mid-palate and further depth of fruit flavor. Unlike our vintage bottlings, Mirabelle gains unique depth from the additions of lots aged in barrels and tanks at the winery from prior vintages. These older base-wine lots, which typically form up to 20% of the finished blend, add significant palate richness and aromatic complexity.
2012 Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs
LIST PRICE 35.00; OUR PRICE 31.99
The Schramsberg style of Blanc de Blancs is dry and crisp. Small lots of malolactic- and barrel-fermented wines are added for complexity. The wine is aged on the yeast lees in the bottle for about two years prior to disgorgement. With its vibrant, fruitful and crisp nature, this sparkling wine will maintain its freshness, structure and refined finish for many years, even decades following its initial release. While this wine can be enjoyed by itself as an apéritif, it is also perfect with fresh oysters and other shellfish, crab cakes, ceviche and grilled sea bass. This is the wine President Nixon served at the historic “Toast to Peace” in Beijing, China in 1972.
2010 Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs
LIST PRICE 38.00; OUR PRICE 34.99
The key to producing this complex Blanc de Noirs is focusing on diverse cool-climate vineyards. Pinot Noir from Carneros and Anderson Valley combine with fruit from low-yielding Sonoma and Marin coastal vineyards to develop a sparkling wine with a breadth of fruitful aroma and flavor. Select Chardonnay lots give zest and backbone to the blend. Making a white wine from a red grape requires great care; hand-picked fruit, early morning harvest, optimal fruit maturity and delicate pressing. A balance of bright flavors, crisp acidity and minimal tannins is achieved. Barrel and malolactic fermentation of particular lots add richness and body. Some two years of yeast contact in the bottle harmonizes all the elements together in a mature, toasty style. The youthful fruit character of the wine will caramelize and soften with additional age in the bottle. With proper storage, this sparkling wine will be delicious for many years.
2011 Schramsberg Brut Rosé
LIST PRICE 40.00; OUR PRICE 36.99
This Rosé is flavorful, complex and dry, making it both versatile with food and delicious by itself as an apéritif. The character of the wine is most strongly influenced by bright, flavorful Pinot Noir grown in Carneros, Anderson Valley, and the Sonoma and Marin coastal areas. A few small lots of Pinot Noir are fermented in contact with their skins to add depth and subtle color to this unique sparkling wine. Chardonnay gives spice, structure and length on the palate.
2006 Schramsberg J. Schram
LIST PRICE 95.00; OUR PRICE 89.00
Bright aromas of green apple, ripe grapefruit and sweet pineapple are followed by exotic nuances of mango, guava, panna cotta and toasted almond. On first sip, tangerine and kaffir lime are in evidence, which are accentuated by layers of tart pear and Fuji apple. The palate’s texture is viscous and savory on entry. A long finish is driven by generous mouthwatering and lingering acidity. Wine Enthusiast Magazine gives this wine a 95-point Editor’s Choice rating.
2009 Schramsberg Crémant Demi-Sec
LIST PRICE 35.00; OUR PRICE 31.99
This is a delicate, off-dry dessert-style wine: an American original. Crémant is French for “creamy” and traditionally refers to a sparkling wine with softer effervescence. It has roughly half the pressure of other sparkling wines and presents a creamier texture with more exotic flavors. Schramsberg made California’s first Crémant in 1972. After rigorous study, the winemaking team chose the unique California grape named Flora (a cross of Sémillon and Gewürztraminer developed at UC Davis) to be the core component of this sparkling wine. Flora unites the fruit-forward character of Gewürztraminer with the strength and depth of Sémillon. Select lots of Pinot Noir or Chardonnay add length to the palate while a touch of Gewurztraminer on its own lifts the spiced, fruitful nature of the blend. Aging on the yeast for about two years prior to disgorgement adds complexity, yet the wine will retain its youthful appeal for 20 years or more.