Sparkling Syrah A Journey Begins at Amista
From Rosé to Sparkling…
…and the lesson we learned from it.
Lessons That Will Shape Amista's Future: Seize the Opportunity
In my last post, I shared a lesson we’ve embraced at Amista that continues to guide us: being open to serendipity. Today, I want to share another story—the second step in our journey to making sparkling wine—and the lesson we learned from it.
From Rosé to Sparkling: A Journey Begins
Our first Rosé of Syrah was born out of a happy accident. At the time, we couldn’t have imagined that this unexpected success would eventually lead us to create our first sparkling wine.
Two years after that initial Rosé (we now make a half dozen) became a favorite, our winemaker, Chris, approached us with an intriguing proposal. He was teaching a class at the local junior college on the traditional method of making fine French Champagne. Chris asked if he could use some of the current vintage Rosé of Syrah for his students’ project. Naturally, we said yes, with one condition: we wanted to taste the finished product.
Sparkling Syrah: A Class Experiment
When we finally tasted the sparkling wine created by Chris and his students, we were amazed. It was delicious, vibrant, and utterly unique. We immediately knew we had to make more—not just for ourselves, but for our friends and community as well.
To make this dream a reality, we sent one barrel each of our 2007 and 2008 Rosé of Syrah to a custom crush winery that specialized in sparkling wines. This step was critical, as it’s where the second fermentation in the bottle—a hallmark of the traditional method—transforms still wine into sparkling wine.
In 2009, we debuted our first Sparkling Syrah at our Sparkling Holidays party. It was a momentous occasion, marked by Mike’s celebratory sabrage—opening the bottle with a saber—a tradition that continues to this day.
The Lesson: Seize the Opportunity
This experience taught us a simple but profound lesson: seize the opportunity. Making sparkling wine wasn’t on our radar when Chris approached us with his idea. Yet the class project revealed an unexpected opportunity, one we couldn’t ignore.
Yes, creating a sparkling wine is far more complicated and expensive than making a still wine. But thanks to Chris’s expertise and the emergence of a local winery specializing in sparkling production, we saw a way to make it work. Partnering with a custom crush operation made the process viable. And, of course, I love bubbles and couldn’t resist the idea of making our Rosé of Syrah sparkle!
Seizing opportunities has become a cornerstone of our journey toward becoming a sparkling winery. I’ll admit, Mike was naturally better at this than I was. He had a knack for jumping in with both feet, while I preferred to research and deliberate before making a move. But whenever I’ve allowed myself to take the leap, it’s always been worthwhile.
Embracing the Future
As we continue to grow and evolve, the lesson of seizing opportunities remains at the heart of what we do. It’s a reminder to embrace the unexpected and pursue the possibilities that spark joy and excitement. Who knows what opportunities will come next? One thing is certain: we’ll be ready to seize them.
Still Thirsty?
If you want to learn more, here is a curated list of resources.
How to Properly Saber Champagne