Domestic Bliss: American-made Sparkling Wines Keep Getting Better and Better

It’s not your imagination: sparkling wines made in the United States – long a subpar choice – are achieving greater heights than ever before. Of course, champagne is the safe bet for your holiday celebrations, but this season, maybe it’s time to go off that beaten, imported path – you’ll find bottlings worthy of your swankiest gatherings.

The best stateside examples come from established vignerons who have finally turned their attention to making wines of distinction in this category. Here’s a trio to serve to your friends and family, from three different states.

There are pioneers aplenty in Oregon winemaking, and then there are a handful of true OG artisans. At the vanguard is Adelsheim, whose arrival in 1971 is as good a mark as any to declare the real beginning of the world-class industry thriving there today.

That’s when founders David and Ginny Adelsheim purchased 19 acres just outside Newberg, in what is now the Chehalem Mountains AVA, at the northern end of the Willamette Valley. They started, of course, with Pinot Noir, and that grape finds its way into some of their other sparklers, but the true star of the line is the 2017 Blanc de Blancs, a 100% Chardonnay charmer.
 

At the front is a tremendous rush of crisp apple, its juiciness quickly supplemented by lime pith and a sense of exotic spice. There’s bright acidity and the intrigue of lemongrass. Serve it as your guests arrive or perhaps with a first course of scallops. Would it also be excellent with Thai takeout? Absolutely.
 

This refreshing crowd-pleaser speaks for itself, but its provenance makes for a great conversation point as well. It’s the first 100% New Mexican-grown bubbly from the Albuquerque-based VARA Winery & Distillery operation, a fairly new addition to the still-growing wine scene there.

At 72% of the blend, the lead grape is the versatile Chenin Blanc, most associated with South African wines of many sorts and with the Loire Valley’s Vouvray. Just 10% is Pinot Meunier, and the balance is Listán Prieto, a rare varietal first planted in the area in the early 17th century by Spanish missionaries.
 

VARA’s winemaker for sparkling is none other than the pioneering Laurent Gruet, whose namesake bottling should be familiar to most bargain seekers. He started in Champagne, and by 1984 had planted 60 acres in New Mexico, eventually relocating there to develop his family's new project. By 1999, production had reached 100,000 cases, and the family sold their winery in 2014. This bottle showcases some of the best and still unexpected stuff the States can make.