Schramsberg Vineyards & J. Davies Estate

Schramsberg Vineyards is one of the oldest wineries in the Napa Valley, located in Calistoga. It was established in 1862 by Jacob Schram who planted vineyards and built Napa's first hillside caves to store and age wines. In the 20th century, Schramsberg has become famous for its sparkling wines, made in the methode traditionnelle, which have been served at official functions by every US Presidential administration since Richard Nixon in 1972. 

The property was bought by Jack and Jamie Davies in the 1960s, and the first vintage, a Blanc de Noirs labeled "Napa Valley Champagne", was released in 1967. By the 1980s, Schramsberg had added a vintage-dated Blanc de Blancs and a prestige cuvée, J. Schram, to its portfolio. Nowadays, there is also a rosé, a crémant demi-sec, an extra brut, and several sparkling wines from specific North Coast appellations.

Schramsberg produces its sparkling wines from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Flora sourced from more than 110 individual cool-climate vineyard sites in Napa, Sonoma, Anderson Valley, and in Marin County. There is also 17 hectares (41 acres) of vines in the Napa appellation of Diamond Mountain planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, used for the production of still wines under Schramsberg's Davies Vineyards label.

Grapes for the sparkling wines are hand-harvested, and 25 percent of the pressed juice is fermented in oak barrels to produce a richer base wine. Schramsberg has a library of base wines aged up to 10 years in barrel to provide richness in the final blend. The wines spend a minimum of two years aging on the lees at the property's historic underground caves before disgorgement. Production averages around 70,000 cases of sparkling wine annually.