In Vinho Verde, close to the Atlantic Ocean, the Gomez family, who have been farming on Andras Island, where Albariño is widely grown, since the 1800s, have been cultivating Albariño in this field near the Sacramento River since moving to California. This land has deep, rich soil and is supplied with sufficient moisture from the Sacramento River, so they practice dry farming and are in the process of transitioning to organic certification.
After harvest, the grapes are pressed whole and the juice is left to rest for two days. Fermented with natural yeast in stainless steel tanks for three weeks at 15-18°C. No racking until bottling, no SO2 added, no malolactic fermentation, yeast and a small amount of sugar added, and bottled. Aged in bottle for four months, the residual sugar is reduced to zero, and racking is added again. A small amount of wine and sugar is added to complete the wine.
Light and fresh on the palate. Floral aromas of gooseberry, kumquat and stone fruit. Goes well with many dishes, regardless of preference, but works especially well with grilled octopus.
After meeting at the University of California, Davis, Dan and Jacqueline Person traveled and worked around the world and gained experience at various wineries in California. This experience influenced their perspective on winemaking. Dan worked at Schramsberg Vineyards for three years and experienced traditional sparkling winemaking from California grapes, so he thought that a new interpretation of California sparkling wine was needed.
"No one tries to make Bordeaux in Burgundy. The climate and soil are different, and the terroir is fundamentally different... That's why I started out not just to imitate Champagne, but to prove what can be done in California. For example, the fruit on the outside of the tree is exposed to sunlight and ripens well, so the fruit flavor is very strong. On the other hand, the fruit on the inside, in the shade, which doesn't get much sunlight, is still hard and unripe. If you compare the taste of both, you should be able to clearly see the difference. So I was convinced that sparkling wine unique to California, which is bathed in plenty of sunlight, is the "modern sparkling wine" that reflects the land and the grapes, rather than sparkling wine from the Champagne region, which has a completely different terroir."
The flagship Albariño comes from grapes grown in the rich, deep soil of the Sacramento Delta. Although it is not suitable for Cabernet cultivation, Albariño is suited to this land because of its strong vines, so this variety with its lively acidity and fresh fruitiness is used. The selection of grapes and fields is led by Jacqueline, who has made still wines from various terroirs throughout California.
In order to always consider how the wine will go with food when making it, the gas pressure is slightly lower than that of champagne, and the label design was created with a focus on pairing it with fresh seafood.
Their lofty pursuit is to create a sparkling wine that is unique to them and distinctively California.