Tag Archives: california wine

American Champagne: A Sparkler For All Celebrations + How It’s Made

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Wow, this past Sunday was something else! 😛 Are you still recovering like I am? What. A. Game. I do feel a smidge bad for the Patriots – it must have been like watching something die in slow motion – but I knew it was our year to win. I am sort of thankful it was a lot of “boring scoring” on our part; no tense drama and physical exertion in waiting to see who would win. I’ve lived through enough nail-biter games and while those are exciting, it’s sometimes nice to kick back, relax, and not be freaking out the whole game.

Congratulations, Seahawks, on a thoroughly-deserved win! You brought electrifying plays thanks to your tight focus and energy. You were incredible to watch this season. ❀

(If you want to read some of my previous philosophical waxing on the last Seahawks Super Bowl victory, click here.)

Anyway, switching gears…. 🙂

I meant to post about this wine around New Year’s Eve, but that didn’t happen. Rather than waiting 11 months, I thought I would share it with you now — you’re either celebrating the Seahawks’ victory, drowning your sorrows as a Patriots fan, or looking for something “Valentine’s Day-y” to present your loved one(s). Or maybe you’re just reading this and curious about trying an entry-level sparkling wine, or adding something really good to your existing drinks repertoire. Either way, keep reading, and let me introduce to you my ULTIMATE favorite, affordable sparkling wine….

A few years ago, we went out to dinner at a Joey’s Restaurant, and upon entering the restaurant we were greeted with flutes of this wine as an aperitif. I took a sip and was wowed by how good it was. I couldn’t believe this wine was their complimentary house  sparkler. It tasted way too expensive to fit that bill.

And they call it….

Wycliff Brut: A Festive Crowd-Pleaser That Sparkles and Dazzles

Wycliff Brut American Champagne

Wycliff Brut American Champagne

  • $7.99 at Total Wine & More
  • 10.5% ABV
  • Charmat Method Sparkling Wine, Secondary Fermentation Before Bottling
  • Light-bodied, exuberant perlage
  • Wonderful aromas and flavors of apple, citrus, stone fruit, honey
  • Balanced, tight acidity keeps it refreshing
  • Try it with seafood, spicy foods, and salty snacks
  • Perfect for sipping on while watching the Winter Olympics
  • If Disney’s Tinkerbell were a wine, this would be it!

Now, for those of you “vino-it-alls”, yes, you are correct, there is no such thing as American Champagne, it is mainly a marketing term. Certain American wineries, though, such as Wycliff, are legally able to use the terms “California Champagne” and/or “American Champagne” due to being grandfathered in to a 2005 trade agreement with the EU.

But since then, American wines have been required to have clearer labelling terms so that consumers aren’t getting duped by American impostors can trust that food products have the authentic origins they claim. 🙂 Burgundy wine can only come from Burgundy, France; Port can only come from Portugal, California sparkling wine can only come from California.

True Champagne is sparkling wine grown and made in Champagne, France. It is also and ONLY made using the traditional method, where a secondary alcoholic fermentation takes place inside each individual bottle, as opposed to a giant tank.

Allow me to illustrate….

Here’s how it works: wine, yeast, and sugar get invited to party in a bottle and get sealed up. The yeast can’t help themselves and go to town gobbling up the sugar and then create more alcohol and carbon dioxide (the bubbles). These wild partygoers are all trapped inside the bottles with nowhere to go. Once the yeast cells have gorged themselves to death, the secondary fermentation is complete. The dead yeast cells settle into a layer of sediment called lees. Rest in peace….

But, wait! Just because they’re dead doesn’t mean their job is finished. The lees break down in a process called autolysis, which imparts those fascinating toasty, almondy, bready flavors that wine people call autolytic character in Champagne or traditional-method sparkling wines. There are a few more steps in the winemaking process, but basically, the spent yeast gets the boot from each bottle via disgorgement. Then the wine is topped off with a little more wine and maybe sugar (called dosage) and then the bottle is sealed with cork and cage. Party’s over, folks (until the cork gets popped).

On the other hand, some sparkling wine, such as Wycliff Brut, is made using the tank method, also known as the Charmat method. It is much quicker to produce and much less labor intensive.

In this method, the original three party guests – wine, yeast, and sugar – are added to a giant tank and then locked inside to party and create another secondary fermentation. Again, those yeast just can’t help themselves and they start their sugar binge, producing alcohol and carbon dioxide. The alcohol and carbon dioxide can’t escape; they are all still trapped together in the tank. This is the point at which the winemaker decides enough is enough, and breaks the dead yeast cells (lees) free from tank prison by filtering them out. Then the remaining dry sparkling wine is bottled under pressure and voila, you’ve got yourself another sparkling wine, just this time without the toasty, bready flavors of autolytic character.

I hope that helped you better understand the difference between traditional and tank production methods. Basically, yeast gets to decompose in bottles (traditional method) but not in tanks (tank/Charmat method).

We should probably also talk about the Asti method in the not-too-distant future. Note to self.

So, there you have it. If I have to grab a sparkling wine that will please me and the vast majority, this is it. It’s also only $8/bottle (as of February 2026), and tastes way above its mere “under $10” price bracket.

Trust me, you can’t go wrong with this wine.

How about you? Have you tried Wycliff Brut? Comment!

A Spirited Wine Recommendation for Father’s Day

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Disclosure Statement: This post contains affiliate links. When you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, I receive a commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own.

June tends to be a busy month of festivities, doesn’t it? I’m sure many of you are filling your calendars with recitals, graduations, and celebrations of the big impending holiday of Father’s Day.

This month, in the season of dads and grads, I’ll be looking at a couple distinct wines that fit these two special occasions.

Have any of you seen the Amazon docuseries, Shiny Happy People? I just finished watching all four episodes last week, and while it was stomach-turning and heart-wrenching, I had to laugh at a preposterous single male character who had the balls to tell wives and moms how they should act. Because, OBVIOUSLY he is an expert. 😉

Now, I am not a dad, so I cannot speak from first-hand experience about what wine-drinking dads like to get for Father’s Day, but you can trust that my wine recommendation is solid, and I will not presume to tell you how to be a dad.

Anyway, enough with the whack-jobs and back to contemplating dear ol’ dad, and what to treat him to on his special day….

I am blessed with both a wonderful dad and dad-in-law. Both love great wine, but of course they each enjoy certain kinds of beer and various spirits.

The cellarmaster at Cooper & Thief believes one should not have to choose between wine and spirits, and so cleverly combines the two in a bourbon barrel-aged red blend. Very wise. Very savvy.

If your dad enjoys bourbon or port, here is a red wine with those same qualities that makes an unusual and utterly delicious gift. Cooper & Thief Bourbon Barrel Aged Red is a red wine blend from California (who knows how to party) that takes a nice extended vacation for three whole months in bourbon whiskey barrels (yes, former homes of bourbon). Don’t you think your dad would like to lounge for three months in a bourbon barrel? Sounds kind of great, actually.

Cooper & Thief Bourbon Barrel Aged Red Wine BlendAnyway, what this does to the wine is it infuses the wine with warmth, smoothness, and complexity as it ages and develops into its fine self (do not tell your dad he’s aging like a fine wine, just don’t!). You taste the character of the bourbon barrel treatment in the wine, and it makes it really stand out. At 16% ABV, the alcohol level is encroaching on port territory. It’s got full fruit but still enough other structural traits (tannin and acid) to keep it from being a flabby, over ripe blackberry (you’ve tasted those in the summer, right?).

According to the winemaker’s notes, “Cooper & Thief Bourbon barrel-aged Red Blend offers a swirl of warm toasty vanilla notes, with dark fruit and a gentle hint of classic bourbon spice. Blackberry and jammy dark currants lead to a rich finish, with the elegance of a fine sipping bourbon.”

You sold yet? 🙂

Grab a bottle or two of this classy wine for your dad. He’ll appreciate you taking to heart his lessons on killing two birds with one stone, right? 😉

Happy Father’s Day, dads! Cheers to you and how you lead and love us well.

Nat Geo Wines of the World

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter: La Crema Chardonnay

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Disclosure Statement: This post contains affiliate links. When you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, I receive a commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own.

Hey vino lovers! I hope I didn’t lose too many of you with my two-part pregnancy series, “What to Drink When You’re Expecting.” That’s my life right now so I like to go off on tangents every once and a while, but rest assured, we’re back to wine talk! I might not be able to drink right now, but there are MANY wines I have tried and that I’m ready to blog about and share with you! So, back to wine… what haven’t we done in a while? How about a chardonnay? Sure, let’s do it!

Most of us fall into either the red or the white camps. I would have to say I prefer reds over whites, but I know well enough not to refuse a really good white if it’s offered to me. There are some whites out there that are as rich, complex, flavorful and fascinating as any really good red.

Chardonnay is the heavyweight white, standing opposite equally hefty heavyweight Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnays are made from the Chardonnay grape (wouldn’t you feel dumb if you lost that one at trivia!) and range in style from crisp, clean, and minerally, to buttery, toasty, and tropical fruity. That last one makes it sound like a Trix cereal jingle, but trust me, I didn’t intend for it to be. 🙂

When sugary grapes ferment and are combined with yeast, you get wine. The fact that some of these grapes can produce a literally buttery flavor in the mouth is mind-boggling! (This buttery character, I have since learned in my wine education, is a result of malolactic fermentation). I can’t believe it’s not butter! (said in Kim Cattrall’s sultry voice). And who doesn’t love butter? Especially wine that tastes like butter… still unconvinced? Read on!

La Crema’s Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is usually in the $20 range (depending on where you buy it) and is one of the better Chardonnays I’ve tried that is readily available and easy to locate. It’s dry, but it’s a perfect balance between buttery and acidic on the palate. This California Chardonnay is “beautifully aromatic, citrus-laced, and layered.”

According to the winemaker’s notes, “This vintage opens with bright aromas of Meyer lemon and yellow apple, punctuated by hints of butterscotch and subtle floral notes. The palate adds flavors of juicy yellow plum, lemon curd and vanilla custard. Rich tropical tones and a lingering spice add richness and texture to the long, fresh finish.”

Hello!

When I first had this wine, I enjoyed it purely on its own. However, if you’d like to try pairing it with some different foods, the La Crema website has some delicious sounding recipes to go with this tasty Chardonnay, including crab risotto with fine herbs and chicken curry and sultana raisin sandwich. Yes, you are more than welcome to make these for me. 😉

If you’d like to explore a richer, heftier white wine this summer, or else you’ve never tried Chardonnay and would like a good one to start off with as well as one to stick with, the La Crema Chardonnay is your best bet.

Drinking Inside the Box: A Review of Black Box Cabernet Sauvignon

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The notion of drinking wine from a box, admittedly, causes many of us to flinch, shake our heads in pity, or shudder from horror. Images of Franzia Blush Zinfandel in my parents’ basement fridge come to mind, and leave me with conflicting feelings. I’m in the age range where I personally never drank boxed wine (just my parents), but the current stigma of drinking wine in a box puts one to shame for even thinking of trying it. It therefore seems an off-limits purchase reserved for dive bar establishments, desperate housewives and borderline alcoholics.

But why the prejudice? After all, you can’t judge a wine by its artsy label or sexy bottle shape, any more than you can judge a book by its cover. Wine is ultimately judged by its taste. One company took this challenge to task and flat out shattered the stereotype that all boxed wines are bad. In fact, there is one in particular that is very good. This boxed wine label has several key advantages: quantity, value, freshness and taste that last a long time, and sustainable packaging.

I ordered a glass of Black Box Cabernet Sauvignon while on vacation recently in Leavenworth. I was in a beer garden, feeling rather anti-beer, and this was the house wine, and I thought, what the heck, let’s give it a shot. I have to say, it wasn’t bad; in fact, it was quite tasty to drink! It’s an absolute bargain if you need a larger quantity of wine in a pinch for a party. Here is why you should try this wine, from the winery:

“What’s the most delicious way to enjoy acclaimed wines without a hefty price tag? Lose the bottle. In 2003, Black Box Wines redefined the category by becoming the first U.S. vintner to offer super-premium, appellation-specific, vintage-dated wines in a box. Since then our expanding repertoire has earned 28 gold medals in wine competitions nationwide, yet still costs 40% less than comparable* bottled wines.

“Our superb grapes are harvested from world-class appellations, including California’s storied wine country and the acclaimed vineyards of Argentina and New Zealand. Through a meticulous, traditional winemaking process, Black Box Wines are crafted to be food-friendly and fruit-forward—all without the expense and fuss of bottled wines. So whether you crave sumptuous reds or crisp whites, you’ll delight in the quality and value inside every box.

“The grapes that create our full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon are grown within reach of cooling Pacific Ocean breezes that extend the growing season. Offering a lush display of dark berries, our Cabernet Sauvignon’s smooth tannins create a soft, lingering finish. Spicy cinnamon and vibrant black currant aromas accompany warm notes of vanilla and toasty oak for an irresistible, approachable glass of wine.”

Their 2009 California Cabernet Sauvignon earned a Gold Medal at the 2011 Winemaker Challenge, and in 2012, Wine Enthusiast Magazine awarded the 2010 vintage a “Best Buy.”

If that didn’t shake up your stubborn notions about boxed wine, perhaps trying a glass of the real thing will.

Here’s to thinking outside the box while drinking inside the box!