European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 30, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A amps Dov Catey Tho Henkel a Salt Noeln operation in Wiesbaden la far from old fashioned. A amps Daw Demy Henkel a so Heleln sekt is fermented in huge temperature controlled vats a modification of the French Champagne  deut a Keldermann in Southwest Germany sekt production is steeped in tradition. Each bottle is stored in Limestone caves and turned by hand numerous . Bubbly Ages Well by Micheal Dresser the Baltimore Sun Yankee bubbles Are becoming More Dandy All the time. Only a few years ago any suggestion that american sparkling wine was coming close to the Quality and character of True French Champagne would have been a Triumph of patriotism Over palate. Even a relatively inexpensive non Vintage blend from the Valley of the Marne could make even the Best american Sparkler look oafish. But winegrowers and winemakers in California Washington and other states Are beginning to get the hang of this a Bubble  there Are in fact California sparkling wines that could fool expert tasters into thinking they were Champagne. Washington produces what is probably the Best sparkling value in the solar system. And with Champagne prices in the stratosphere at the same time the elegance Gap is closing there a less reason than Ever to insist on French bubbles. These observations arise out of a recent series of tastings of sparkling wines from around the world All costing under $25 at retail. All of the wines were dry and with a few exceptions were fermented directly in the bottle according to the traditional Methode Champenois. And it was the americans that produced the most pleasant surprises. In California m. Ribault Schraffenberger and Roederer estate continue to gain in elegance and intensity. And Domaine Mumm whose regular bottling has been unexciting has produced a 1986 winery Lake bottling that is the equivalent of the Best no Vintage Brut champagnes. In a nutshell this is the Story of american bubbles. American winemakers in the 19th Century wanted to make wine that duplicated real French Champagne but because they had neither knowledge nor much Choice they tried to do so with the wrong grapes planted in the wrong places and made the wrong Way. This continued until the California wine Boom of the 1960s and 1970s, when serious american producers such As sch Ramsberg decided that the Way to make Champagne style wines was to use the traditional Champagne varieties pinot noir and chardonnay and the time consuming labor intensive a amp Hode Champenois. Franco american ventures such As Moet amp Chandon s Domaine Chandon in the Napa Valley followed suit. But while the californians now had the right grapes and the right methods they still had the wrong places. Champagne itself is one of the world s coolest growing regions and the grapes there Are picked at Low sugar Levels that would produce a wretched still wine. Yet because they have to hang on the Vine a Long time to get even that Ripe they develop character. You just Don t get those flavor nuances when you grow those grapes in a hot Region but that is what Many California winegrowers tried to do Early on. It just does not work that Way. The wines May be clean and Well made but they will never develop anything approaching the character of real Champagne. During the 1980s, the Best California sparkling wine producers a often representatives of the great Champagne houses a sought out the coolest regions of California where you can barely Ripen a grape. They found them in such areas As the Anderson Valley of Mendocino county the Green Valley of Sonoma county and parts of Santa Barbara and Monterey counties. And there they planted. These vineyards now coming into maturity Are responsible for the great leap in Quality. Now that does not imply that California is the Only Region with the potential to rival Champagne itself. In Washington state Domaine Ste. Michelle May not have quite the finesse of the Best Golden state sparkling wines but it s equal to or better than most of them. It is a bargain at its usual Price of $9-$10. Some other american states could also get into the act. There have been promising results from new York s Finger lakes particularly Glenora and Woodbury and Oregon s geography suggests the state has potential