Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/155925
July Washington Post cartoon, "Barney & Clyde," showed pharmaceuticals billionaire Barney telling laggard employee Duane that he had been traded to another company for "a couple of prospects and a case of Virginia sparkling wine." In the next frame, Duane awakens from this nightmare and asks himself, "Domestic?" As in, "Aren't I at least worth a case of French Champagne?" "(The cartoonists) could have said California champagne, or Korbel, or even André, for goodness' sake. But they didn't," wrote Washington Post wine columnist Dave McIntyre on his blog, dmwineline.com. "We can argue about the implications of the joke, but this much is clear: The idea of Virginia wine is ingrained enough that these writers felt they could refer to it without explanation. I'll toast to that." Indeed. And the same can be said of the sparkling wines made outside of California: Any namecheck of a state's bubblies is a sign that they've arrived. California sparkling wine has been in the public eye for decades. French Champagne makers began invading in the 1970s, to produce fizz from sunny California fruit grown on then-affordable land. In 1965, Jack and Jamie Davies at Schramsberg began making Champagne-quality wines. Even before that, the Korbel brothers established their sparkling wine business in 1892 in Sonoma. These brands are well-known, their stories often told. Yet most Americans likely don't know that their country's first commercial sparkling wine success came in the early 1800s, when Cincinnati banker/attorney Nicholas Longworth produced bubblies from hybrid Catawba grapes grown along the Ohio River. Most also likely aren't aware that excellent sparkling wines are produced in Virginia, New York, New Mexico, Florida, Illinois and elsewhere. It's not all about California. Nielsen's sparkling wine sales report for the 52 weeks ending FINEST QUALITY | BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE AT A GLANCE • Lead Free Crystal • Exclusive Stemware + U.S. sales of domestic sparkling wines exceeded those of imported bubblies in 2012-2013. • Sheer Rim + While California leads in volume, sparkling wine makers in other states also excel at méthode champenoise production. June 22, 2013, showed U.S. consumers spent more on domestic bubbly than imports, though only by a narrow margin ($5.21 million to $5.11 million). The numbers include all sparkling wines sold at U.S. retail outlets, from pricey Champagne to red-hot moscato, and everything in between. American-made bubblies posted an encouraging 5% increase in dollar sales from the previous 52 weeks (imports were up 3.9%). The top-selling price-point for domestic sparklers was $10-$14.99; bottles priced $8-$9.99 showed the largest sales growth by dollar sales, up nearly 20% over a year ago. Those selling for $25 and over suffered a small decline, suggesting that midpriced sparkling wines are striking a positive nerve with consumers. Moscato, Spanish cava and Italian Prosecco capture a large chunk of the $14.99 and under market, along with Domaine Ste. Michelle Vintage Premier 19.5oz Vintage Premier 15.5oz Vintage Premier • Innovators in Glass Decorating 12.75oz + Vinifera, hybrid and native grape varieties can produce high-quality sparkling wines. + Using encapsulated yeast for in-bottle fermentations can reduce labor time and production costs w w w. v w m media.com O ur family owned business has been supplying custom decorated glasses since 1983. Whether you are looking for glassware for your tasting room, festival, or special events we can recommend the right glass to fit your needs. 23780 NW Huffman Rd. Ste. 101 Hillsboro, OR 97124 S e p t - O c t 2 0 13 888.284.7934 www.glasstechweb.com dfoss@glasstechweb.com | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 65