Amista Featured in Vineyard Specific Sonoma County Bubbles for New Years

Amista Sparkling Grenache

Virginie Boone, a noted journalist who writes about Napa and Sonoma wines for publications like Wine Enthusiast, the New York Times and Food and Wine, featured a wonderful list of vineyard specific bubbles for the holidays. We are honored that our Amista Sparkling Grenache was among the wines she recommended. Boone describes it as, “Made in a Brut Nature style from estate vineyards, this is a bright, fruit-forward and fun bottling that remains balanced in the glass.”

Exploring Vineyard Designate Sparkling Wines

It is refreshing to see a list of vineyard specific sparkling wines. Virginie writes a weekly series called “The Good Stuff” for the Sonoma County Winegrowers, so it is fitting to celebrate the vineyards where the grapes are grown. Boone encourages people to explore sparkling wines from Sonoma County saying, “Take that exploration up a notch by choosing a vineyard-designated sparkling wine, which’ll highlight who farmed the grapes and where.”

Check out her recommendations at Vineyard-specific Sonoma County Bubbles for New Year’s on the Good Stuff blog by Virginie Boone.

Non-traditional Grapes Varieties for Sparkling Wines

Our Sparkling Grenache is the only wine on the list not made from Chardonnay or Pinot Noir grapes. Those two varieties are the traditional grapes used most often in Champagne and in many sparkling wines around the world.

At Amista, we love to create non-traditional sparkling wines using the Rhône varieties grown on our estate, including Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and blends of the three. We also honor tradition with our Amista Blanc de Blanc, made from 100% Chardonnay grapes, which we’ve made every year since 2011.

The Debut of Amistara, a Sparkling Blanc de Blanc to Celebrate 20 Years

In 2024 we will debut a second Blanc de Blanc called Amistara to celebrate Amista’s 20th anniversary. Amistara is a vineyard designated wine from our own estate, Morningsong Vineyards. It is even more special because it comes from one small block of Chardonnay growing on the famous Wente clone root stock.

 

 

Amista Vineyards Sparkling Wine and Caviar Featured in Holiday Gift Guide

Amista Vineyards Sparkling Wine and Caviar - The Perfect Holiday Gift

The Amista Sparkling Wine and Caviar Tasting was showcased in the annual Holiday Wine and Gift Guide for 2023 by the Jet Setting Fashionista, declaring, “Amista Vineyards produces some stunning Sonoma Sparkling Wines which are perfect for holiday gifting or just to enjoy day to day. My favorite is the Blanc De Blanc, which is perfect year-round.” JSF goes on to say, “for Christmas what’s more festive than their Sparkling Syrah?”

A caviar tasting has become a delicious way to make an Amista wine tasting even more special. It includes caviar from the California Caviar Company, crème fraiche and crispy sea salt kettle cooked potato chips.

Sparkling Syrah – The First Sparkling Wine from Amista

Since launching Amista in 2004, we made Syrah from our estate Morningsong Vineyards located in the heart of Dry Creek Valley just outside the town of Healdsburg. In 2005 we ended up making a Rosé of Syrah. It wasn’t exactly planned but turned out to be a happy accident.

Amista founder Mike, was supervising the pick of the Syrah in the middle of the night and in his enthusiasm, picked more than originally planned. It fit in the tank at the winery, but it was too full to allow for the process of fermentation. So, Mike had some of the juice put in barrels with the plan to blend it back with the rest of the Syrah after fermentation was complete. All it took was one taste to decide to bottle the juice and make our first rosé. It was a big hit.

In 2007, our winemaker asked if he could have some Syrah rosé juice to make a sparkling wine in his winemaking class using the traditional Methode Champenoise. We thought that was a great idea, especially if we could taste it. It was delicious, and in 2008 we decided to try making our own Sparkling Syrah. It turned out to be both luscious and beautiful – a glittering raspberry color – with tiny pink bubbles. We’ve been making it ever since and this uncommon sparkling wine has developed a cult following.

What to Pair with Amista Sparkling Syrah

Sparkling Syrah is wonderful for the holidays. It looks festive on a holiday table and pairs beautifully with the wide array of holiday dishes – roast turkey, ham, stuffing, cranberries, and sweet potatoes.

It’s also a great choice for a barbecue. It can stand up to ribs, sausages, and pork, and it offers a refreshing counterpoint to the richness of grilled meats or the perfect companion to barbecued shrimp.

Our Sparkling Syrah is surprisingly versatile. It goes well with spicy pizzas, a variety of appetizers, like cranberry and goat cheese in phyllo cups, as well as desserts like a creamy panna cotta with a raspberry coulis. And it’s perfect with spicy stir fry’s, Thai dishes, curries, and sushi.

Check out the Holiday Wine Gift Guide 2023.

Amista Sparkling Syrah - Wine Roads Wine Style of the Month

We are thrilled to announce that our Sparkling Syrah was selected as one of the top six sparkling wines featured by Wine Roads in their Wine Style of the Month! Wine Roads praised our Amista Sparkling Syrah from our estate Morningsong Vineyard, describing it as “an effervescent delight that is fresh and bright.”

Each month, Wine Roads highlights a specific wine style or varietal, showcasing the incredible variety and richness of wines produced in northern Sonoma County. And we have to agree with their notion that “sparkling wines aren't just for holidays and celebrations—they're a perfect choice for everyday meals and pair beautifully with a wide range of foods.”

What Pairs with Sparkling Wines?

In the past, pairing sparkling wines was simpler, mainly because the options were limited. The mention of sparkling wines typically conjured thoughts of traditional French Champagne or similar styles made with the same grapes outside of Champagne.

However, the world of sparkling wines has exploded in the last two decades. Today, sparkling wines are crafted in many regions using a wide range of grape varieties. In Champagne, only six grape varieties are permitted, with most wines being made from the three primary grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. Outside of Champagne, there are fewer restrictions on both the grape varieties and the methods used to produce these wines.

While Champagne adheres strictly to the Methode Traditionelle (or Methode Champenoise), which requires a secondary fermentation in the bottle, sparkling wines from other regions often explore different techniques and grape combinations, creating a rich and diverse array of flavors to enjoy and pair with food.

What Pairs with Champagne?

Classic brut Champagne, with its slight hint of sweetness and dry taste, pairs beautifully with oysters on the half shell or roast chicken. For a unique twist, Eileen Crane, the founding winemaker and CEO at Domaine Carneros, recommends enjoying it with a filet mignon. (Learn more about Eileen’s sparkling career and her other favorite pairings).

Blanc de Blancs Champagne, meaning "white from whites," is made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes and typically has a lighter body than brut. This elegant Champagne complements caviar, scallops, and other delicate fish. Surprisingly, it also pairs wonderfully with French fries.

What is Sparkling Syrah?

Sparkling Syrah is crafted from the red Syrah grape and is typically produced as a rosé. The grapes are left on the skins for just a few hours, imparting a slightly darker hue than most rosés. This extended skin contact gives the wine more body and tannins. While there are many styles of Sparkling Syrah, the common thread is this richer, more robust profile.

On the other hand, Sparkling Shiraz, which originated in Australia, is a different style. Unlike Sparkling Syrah, it is a sparkling red wine, much deeper in color than its rosé counterpart. Despite the difference in name, Shiraz is simply another term for Syrah, and both wines are made from the same grape variety.

Why Does Amista Make a Sparkling Syrah?

Our first Sparkling Syrah began serendipitously in 2008, and it quickly became a cult favorite. We call it “joy in a bottle.” This was our first sparkling wine, and it sparked our passion for creating non-traditional sparkling wines. In fact, we were the first winery in Dry Creek Valley to make sparkling wines, and we now craft seven unique offerings.

What Pairs with Amista Sparkling Syrah?

This is where the adventure begins—not just with our Sparkling Syrah, but with the wide variety of sparkling wines made from different grapes in various styles. Pairing food with sparkling wines becomes an exciting journey of matching diverse flavors with an equally diverse selection of dishes. While we haven’t explored all the possibilities yet, it’s definitely on ourlist!

Let's focus on our Amista Sparkling Syrah. Marcy Gordon, in the Wine Road feature, highlights spicy crab cakes as a fantastic pairing. Here are five more of our favorite pairings:

1. Thanksgiving. There are so many assorted flavors on the Thanksgiving table, it’s hard to find a wine that works. Enter Sparkling Syrah! Because it spends several hours on the skins, it has added heft that enables it to work with the bigger flavors of roast turkey and stuffing. At the same time, its fruit characteristics pair well with the cranberries and sweet potatoes. The bubbles cleanse the palate and the wine’s effervescence is a welcome counterpoint to the richness of the Thanksgiving feast. Added bonus – the brilliant color turns any meal into a celebration.
    
2. Taco Salad. This is a casual summer meal. The combination of spicy taco meat coupled with garden fresh lettuce, tomatoes and cilantro makes this a challenging pairing. Sparkling Syrah comes to the rescue. Plus, it is so refreshing on a warm summer evening.
    
3. Cranberry Brie Phyllo Cups. This is a delicious and beautiful appetizer that is spectacular with Sparkling Syrah. The tartness of the cranberries, the creamy brie, and the crunchy phyllo cup come together with the Sparkling Syrah and everything pops! This easy appetizer is sure to impress your friends.
    
4. Hot and Spicy Baked Crab is a favorite of our winemaker, Ashley Herzberg. It has long been a tradition in her family on Christmas Eve and serving it with our Sparkling Syrah has become their new tradition. In fact, Sparkling Syrah is a fabulous choice with all kinds of spicy cuisines, like Thai, Szechuan, and Indian dishes.
    
5. Panna Cotta with Raspberry Coulis. We served this at one of our annual Sparkling Holiday Soirees and it was a homerun! The Sparkling Syrah was dazzling with the tart, sweetness of the raspberry coulis and the silky panna cotta.

What We've Learned About Wine and Food Pairings

Over more than two decades of experimenting with various wine and food combinations, we've discovered that there are often delightful surprises. Some pairings that sounded perfect didn’t work out, and there are no strict rules to follow. Instead of striving for the perfect pairing, the real joy lies in tasting, experimenting, and finding your own favorites.

Discover all six featured sparkling wines in Wine Roads Wine Style of the Month – Sparkling by Marcy Gordon.

 

Still Thirsty?

If you want to learn more, here is a curated list of resources.

Champagne Pairings: Expert Tips to Pair Champagne with Food

Food and Champagne: Food and Champagne: The Perfect Match

Sparkling Shiraz: Sparkling reds & why you should be drinking them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Raising our Glass to Mike Farrow

Mike Farrow (1943 - 2023)

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Amista Vineyards co-founder Mike Farrow, who died at the age of 80 in hospice care on December 4, 2023. His wife and Amista co-founder, Vicky shared details of Mike’s health challenges in a blog post in August. Ultimately, he never fully recovered after contracting sepsis from an injury sustained during a fall earlier this year.

Mike’s wife Vicky, Amista’s CEO, will continue to lead the winery and carry on the spirit of Amista with the help of their dedicated team. She invites those who knew Mike to come by the tasting room anytime to raise a glass in his honor.

It was Mike’s inspiration that led to the founding of Amista Vineyards with Vicky in 2004. The journey actually started in 1994 when he decided to plant 150 vines on their property in Saratoga, California, to solve a landscaping problem. Shortly thereafter, he started dabbling in making wine in their garage. Mike immediately fell in love with the alchemy of turning grapes into wine and sharing this love with others, including the many friends along the way who encouraged Mike and Vicky to found Amista. The winery name, as anyone who’s ever been to the tasting room knows, roughly means “making friends” in Spanish. 

Mike retired to “Winemaker Emeritus” with the appointment of Ashley Herzberg as winemaker in 2011. Their friendship and collaboration over the years resulted in the expansion of Amista’s wine program, notably the planting of additional Rhône varietals and the creation of Mike’s favorite wine, a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, which they named Tres. Ashley and Vicky ultimately persuaded Mike that they should launch what has become a growing portfolio of estate sparkling wines.     

Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of Amista’s founding. It was always a great source of pride for Mike to have built a business that created friendships and connections, including helping to nurture career paths for many team members over the years.

Mike was born in 1943 in Boulder, Colorado, as the sixth in a line of eight boys to parents Mason, a chemist and Elizabeth, a teacher. After attending the University of Colorado Boulder and then going on to earn a PhD in chemistry from Oklahoma State University, he performed research and taught at the University of Utah, and then joined IBM as a research chemist. While at IBM he met Vicky, and they were married in Boulder in 1983. Mike is survived by his wife, his brothers Joe, Bob, and Tom, brother-in-law Chuck Goudge and many nieces and nephews, and his faithful shelties Torin and Dylan. 

A celebration of Mike’s life is planned for the spring, and his legacy will be honored throughout 2024 as part of our 20th anniversary celebrations. We will share more details early next year, in the meantime, please come by for a special pour of Tres in his honor.  

Cheers to you Mike, we tip our hats to you!

- Vicky and the Amista Team

Mike and Vicky have been longtime supporters of Sonoma County’s Career Technical Education Foundation. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to support the foundation’s work to provide hands-on, career-connected learning opportunities to local students at https://ctesonomacounty.org/support-us/