sparkling pinot noir Archives - Dr. Liz Thach, MW

Breathless Winery Wins “Rising Wine Star Winery of the Year” Award

In less than 10 years since it opened, Breathless Wines has already won multiple awards, including the San Francisco Wine Competition, American Fine Wine Competition, Wine Enthusiast, among others. This time, it is awarded by LuxeSF, a luxury marketing organization, as their “Rising Wine Star Winery of The Year”, after a tough competition with 74 other nominations across 5 award categories, selected by a 14-person panel of respected industry veterans. Have you tried Breathless Wines yet? They are currently offering a special duo Blanc De Noir and Brut Rose pack at $60 including shipping this week until September 18. Better [...]

By Fiona Fang|2021-01-30T17:33:57-08:00September 14, 2020|

A Legacy Sparkling with Personality

Hailing from a pioneer winemaking family in Napa, Paula Kornell is a Napa native who has seen the region’s rise from idyllic countryside to a world-renowned premium wine destination. Paula has acquired decades of experience throughout the wine industry, having held management positions at Mondavi, Phelps and other wineries. She has been a member of the Board of Napa Valley Vintners and served a term as its President, and has also chaired the famous Napa Wine Auction several times. Paula Kornell serving her wines at home. Meeting Paula Kornell and Tasting Her Very First Vintage Now, Paula is carrying on [...]

By Fiona Fang|2021-01-30T17:35:43-08:00September 11, 2020|

A Breathless Experience: My First Time Breaking A Wine Bottle With a Saber

Have you seen a champagne or sparkling wine bottle being broken open with a saber? I have not, until I was very lucky to have a chance to try it at Breathless Wines, known for their traditional method (the original method for making Champagne) sparkling wine in Healdsburg when Dr. Thach and our group visited! What is Sabering? A saber is a type of sword with a curved blade associated with light cavalry in the early modern and Napoleonic periods. The technique of breaking open a champagne bottle using a saber, called “sabrage”, was popularized after the French Revolution, when [...]

By Fiona Fang|2021-01-30T21:12:34-08:00July 28, 2020|

Pink Prosecco is Coming in 2021!

Great news! If you enjoy Prosecco, a new “pink version” called Prosecco DOC Rosé will make a sparkling debut in 2021. This past week the Prosecco DOC’s trade Consortium announced the hallmark decision by the Italian National Wine Committee to finally approve introduction of Prosecco DOC Rosé after years of discussion. A Glass of Sparkling Pink Prosecco Rules for Producing Prosecco DOC Rosé While sparkling rosé wines are nothing new, Prosecco DOC wines, like Champagne, is a protected designation in which wines must follow strict regulations (such as percentage of grape varieties used and fermentation methods) to be labelled as [...]

By Fiona Fang|2021-01-30T21:45:45-08:00June 2, 2020|

Schug Winery Kicks Off SSU Wine Sense Club Tasting for Fall 2013

Harrison from Schug Winery By Guest Author Dominique Levenberg. There was excitement in the room for the first Sonoma State University Wine Sense Club meeting of the Fall 2013 semester. Harrison from Schug Carneros Estate Winery was a hit with the 38 students who enjoyed tasting five different wines paired with cheese, meats, and crackers. Favorite Schug Wines The line-up included Schug’s sparkling Pinot, a Chardonnay, two different Pinots from the Sonoma Coast and Carneros appellations, and a Cabernet Sauvignon. At the end of the tasting, everyone voted for their two favorite. The winners were the 2012 Schug Chardonnay [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:32:35-08:00September 19, 2013|