It's Time to Call Oregon a Sparkling Region

Can you believe it, bud break is occurring all over the place this week. It doesn't seem possible, but trust me I am not complaining one bit. I am currently outside soaking up the sun putting the finishing touches on this month's newsletter.

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While I hope you're able to relax and enjoy your Saturday morning, {{ subscriber.first_name }}, I want you to be aware of a killer release party happening today! Jess and Paden West of Approachment know how to throw down. Last year Post Malone was there and let me tell you it was something else!

This year Paden is releasing Approachment's first Chardonnay. If you're not aware, Paden worked with Isabell Meunier. This Chardonnay is going to be stunning and the price point on it is un-freakin-believable! Here are the tickets and yes, they are using Block 55, my winery experience platform built for wineries by wineries.

Speaking of events, the AAPI Food and Wine Fest is back this year May 17th and 18th!

Are you aware of a new winery named Folly of Man? Get it on your list, it is going to knock your socks off!

I loved finding this map of which wineries have what certifications!

I need to dive deeper into Raúl Pérez​

Holy Toledo Batman Meghan Zobeck who was on Sparklers and was the winemaker at Burgess Cellars is now the winemaker at Opus One!!

​James Suckling is starting to talk about his recent visit to Oregon. I would expect his Oregon Report to drop any time!

​Force Majeure has a new winemaker, I wish it was under better circumstances. Todd Alexander was on my panel of winemakers at IPNC last year.

The plan this month was to write about the Equinox event at Zenith Vineyard. But I had another idea—something a little different. I wasn’t sure if my editor would allow this kind of craziness, so I waited until he had a glass of Sparkling on his desk, headphones on, and was deep in the Block 55 codebase.

I gingerly walked up, and without even looking up, he grumbled, “What?” I pitched the idea of spotlighting Oregon Sparkling instead—it’s been a while since we gave this category some love. He glanced up, saw Table Management on the iPad, and I braced for rejection. Instead: “Fine. Go for it. Just let me ship this feature.”

I grabbed his bottle of Sparkling, topped off his glass, and ran off to start this outline. So excited to dive into something fresh this month. And honestly—how many agencies do you know that write and code? These are wild times.

Back in 2021, I published a Sparkling Report featuring 29 wineries and 34 bottlings. You’ll recognize some headliners—Argyle, Domaine Serene, ROCO, Ponzi, Sokol Blosser. But the goal was to elevate lesser-known names like Lytle-Barnett, Corollary, Cho, Dion, and Maison Jussiaume.

Since then, the landscape has evolved. Oregon is finally getting the recognition it deserves—not just for Pinot Noir (which, let’s be honest, we already dominate), but increasingly for Chardonnay… and now Sparkling.

If the classic Champagne blend is Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier—and most bottles are just Pinot and Chard—there is absolutely no reason Oregon shouldn’t be a recognized Sparkling region. The grapes are here. The talent is here. The time is now.

Let’s start with some recent accolades.

Texsom Awards 2024 Three Oregon producers took home Platinum Medals:

• Big Table Farm – 2022 Pinot Noir

• Bryn Mawr – 2018 Blanc de Noirs

• ROCO – 2021 Brut Rosé

Compare that to California, which won 11 Platinum Medals total—but only one for Sparkling (J Vineyards NV Brut Rosé). Champagne had 46 award-winning wines, but only one Platinum Medal (Champagne Telmont 2015 Blanc de Noirs Brut). That’s some serious company we’re keeping.

Still skeptical?

Let’s zoom out to Wine Enthusiast’s Top 100 Wines of 2024:

1. ROCO 2013 RMS Brut Delayed Disgorgement – Oregon

2. Col d’Orcia 2016 Poggio al Vento Sangiovese – Tuscany

3. Epoch 2021 Veracity Red – California

That’s right. Oregon took the top spot—with a Sparkling wine.

And we’re not done:

• #12: Medici Ermete Lambrusco – Italy

• #24: Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blancs – Champagne

• #32: CHO 2018 Blanc de Noirs – Oregon

• #36: Corollary 2019 X-Omni Blanc de Blancs – Oregon

• #40: Domaine Serene 2015 Vintage Brut – Oregon

• #71: Irvine & Roberts 2018 Blanc de Blancs – Oregon

Seven Sparkling wines in the Top 100. Four of them? Oregon. Dominating.

Historically, the Willamette Valley Wine Auction has centered on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. This year, the theme is Whimsy & Wonder—and for the first time, Sparkling is invited to the party.

Event details:

• May 14 – Trade & Collectors Online Auction & Celebration

• May 15 – Trade-Only Live Auction

There are 39 wines featured. Six are Sparkling (yes, I counted):

• Chehalem 2020 Blanc de Blancs “Fizzical Attraction”

• CHO Wines 2023 Brut “CHOose Your Adventure”

• Et Fille + Matzinger Davies 2021 “Human Spark”

• King Estate 2018 Brut Cuvée “Bubble On”

• Lytle-Barnett 2018 Brut Cuvée

• RMS “8-Year Delayed Disgorgement”

Not bad for Sparkling’s debut. I think Corollary needs to show up next year with something like “Roaring Bubbles”, “Some Like It Sparkling”, or “Bubbly Ever After” just for the fun of it!

Let’s give it up for two heavy hitters who are doing way more than just “making wine.” They’re building the Sparkling scene brick by bubbly brick.

Kate Payne Brown – The Queen of Sparkling

If you haven’t heard the name, well… that’s on you. Kate’s journey has taken her from Stoller to Ambar, and now she’s at the helm of Argyle. That’s right—Argyle. She’s only the third winemaker in the winery’s 38-year history (preceded by Rollin Soles and Nate Klostermann). That’s not a promotion. That’s a coronation.

Let’s be real: when your nickname in the Valley is “Queen of Sparkling”, you better deliver. And she does—vintage after vintage, bottle after bottle.

Kenny McMahon – aka Dr. Bubbles

No, seriously. He has a PhD in Sparkling. Who does that?

Kenny runs Arabilis, and he’s not here to play it safe. He’s the only winemaker in the U.S. doing tirage under cork—a move so rare it gets the attention of Champagne houses. In fact, he just shared the stage with the winemaker at Dom Pérignon to talk about it.

Crown caps are for soda. Kenny’s putting a cork in it. Literally.

These two? They’re not just making wine. They’re rewriting what Oregon Sparkling can be.

You know how Champagne has its moment? Oregon is about to have ours.

On Saturday, July 26, Method Oregon is throwing the first-ever Grand Tasting dedicated to traditional method Sparkling—and they’re doing it big. The event is hosted at Domaine Willamette, and it’s bringing together 20+ producers who don’t mess around.

This isn’t your fizzy patio sipper lineup. Every wine poured must be made Méthode Champenoise and aged at least 15 months on lees. No Pet-Nat. No carbonation. Just the real-deal, bottle-fermented, time-intensive stuff.

Here’s the crew showing up to pour:

Adelsheim, Arabilis, Argyle, Corollary, Domaine Serene, Domaine Willamette, Elk Cove, Flâneur, Goodfellow, Gran Moraine, Lundeen, Lytle-Barnett, Maison Jussiaume, Mellen Meyer, Pashey, Ponzi, ROCO, R. Stuart & Co., Sokol Blosser, Soter, Stoller, Winderlea.

Two ticket options:

• $250 – All-day pass (includes lunch + fireside chats with the winemakers)

• $150 – Grand Tasting only

Honestly? That’s a steal. There’s never been an event like this in Oregon. It’s not just about bubbles—it’s about raising the standard, defining the category, and showing the world that Oregon Sparkling is here, and it’s damn good.

So, I am going to see you there right? There is zero reason for you not to be there and you have had plenty of notice. Here is the link to the website. Summer time and Sparkling, it doesn’t get much better and when you see me at the event please please please come up to me and say, “A.J. sent me!”

With Gratitude, A.J.

P.S. With all this talk about bubbles, you know what’s coming: another Sparkling Report is dropping by the end of summer. It’s time. Oregon’s Sparkling scene has exploded in the last four years, and there are new names that deserve the spotlight.

Remember—back in 2021, Dr. Bubbles reached out to share his project for the first time. Who’s next? If there’s someone you think should be included, hit me up. This next chapter is going to be special.

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