River Grove Winery I love tiny bubbles… especially when they are floating around in a glass of sparkling wine. What better time for the bubbly than the holiday season?
Last month I had the pleasure of discovering sparkling Shiraz for the first time. What a treat that was. Erik an Australia who owns a WineStyles store in the Sacramento area suggested sparkling Shiraz for Thanksgiving. The Aussies are the ones who ran with the concept and many Australian wineries add bubbles to their Shiraz.
In the article about Thanksgiving wine pairings, I wrote that I thought the Aussies were the only ones who made the fizzy red wine. I was wrong. I found two wineries in Northern California who make sparkling Shiraz.
Steele Wines in Lake County (directly north of Napa County) makes a sparkling Syrah called “Shooting Star Black Bubbles.” I haven’t tried it, but hope to someday.
The other California winery that makes sparkling Shiraz is River Grove in the wine appellation of Clarksburg, which is on the Delta of the Sacramento River. Every afternoon a strong on-shore ocean breeze blows in and cools down the grapes, promoting excellent flavor.
The Pylman Family owns River Grove. They sell 99% of their premium grapes to large name wine labels in Napa and Sonoma. They keep 1% of their premium grapes to make the estate grown wines of River Grove. Their vineyards grow Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah.
And some of that Syrah becomes their sparkling Shiraz. Thank goodness.  I tried River Grove’s Sparkling Shiraz for the first time on Thanksgiving. I loved it! Bubbles in a red wine, are really unexpected. In fact, it’s hard to see the bubbles in the glass. But you can definitely feel them in your mouth.
I had a tough time getting people to try the sparkling Shiraz. It almost seemed they were afraid of it at first. But they kept coming back for more. Within 10 minutes the bottle was GONE. I’m officially hooked! Below are the winery’s tasting notes.
River Grove 2005 Sparkling Shiraz ($18.00)
Particularly smooth and satisfying wine that complements crisp flavors and savory foods; everything from a grilled shrimp appetizer to a holiday roast. A robust wine, its palate includes wild berries and tropical spices, topped with a luxuriant fizz.
And the bubbles don’t end there. River Grove has a 2000 Blanc de Blancs made from 100% estate grown Chardonnay. This sparkler has won numerous awards and is considered River Grove’s flagship product.  Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to try the 2000, but a friend and I indulged in River Grove’s 2005 Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine. It was fantastic. The wine was very smooth and refreshing with that great sparkling bite. Below are the winery’s tasting notes.
River Grove 2005 Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine ($17.00)
Balanced crispness with an aroma that defines and accentuates the flavor of the wine and a clean, refreshing palate that pairs well with a wide variety of foods and occasions.
River Grove uses the original “methode champenoise” to handcraft their sparkling wines.
Unfortunately River Grove doesn’t have a tasting room yet, but they are working on it. River Grove does however have tastings on the third Saturday of every month at Husick’s Country Store at 36510 Riverview Drive (also known as South River Road) in Clarksburg, California. For more information about River Grove’s wines or events call 916-744-9000. You can also go online for information or to order wines at www.rivergrovewinery.com.
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