Where to Taste Sparkling Wines near Healdsburg
Discover Amista’s Collection of Distinctive Sparkling Wines…
…and how they came to be.
Exploring Sonoma’s Sparkling Wines: Amista’s Unique Collection of Bubbles
Today, when you want to taste distinctive sparkling wines in Sonoma County, the place to go is Amista Vineyards, home to a collection of seven sparkling wines. All are crafted from certified organic grapes grown in our estate vineyards. But it wasn’t always so.
When we launched Amista, we never imagined we would be the first winery in Dry Creek Valley to make a sparkling wine. In fact, making sparkling wine was the furthest thing from our minds, despite my love for sipping bubbles.
Rhône-Inspired Sparkling Wines of Amista
Our journey began with a happy accident, followed by an unexpected opportunity that led to the creation of our first Sparkling Syrah in 2008. As we became more excited about experimenting with unusual grape varieties and blends, our lineup grew. Most sparkling wines are traditionally made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. At Amista, however, we craft sparkling wines from Rhône varieties—including Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and a GSM blend of all three—alongside two different Blanc de Blancs made from Chardonnay and a Chardonnay-based blend with a kiss of Grenache and Syrah.
Amista, Healdsburg’s Premier Grower Sparkling Wine House
Amista is now considered the premier “grower” sparkling wine house in Healdsburg. Like a grower Champagne house, we make our wines exclusively from grapes grown on our estate, allowing us to carefully oversee every stage of the growing process. From winter pruning to bud break, blossom, veraison, and finally harvest, we meticulously time our grape picking for sparkling wine at lower sugar levels to ensure balance and freshness.
Organic Sparkling Wines in Dry Creek Valley: A Taste of Amista’s Estate
A milestone in our sparkling wine journey is our commitment to organic farming. Our estate vineyards were certified organic by CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) in June 2024, making us the first sparkling producer in Sonoma County to craft exclusively from organically grown grapes. This means we use no synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, or herbicides.
All our bubbles are packaged in clear glass bottles to showcase their stunning colors—from the golden hues of Blanc de Blancs to the blush pink of Grenache and the bright cranberry of Sparkling Syrah. While many sparkling wines are bottled in green glass to protect them from harsh store lighting, our wines go directly from our winery to you, ensuring they remain pristine. We recommend storing them in a dark, cool place until ready for chilling and enjoyment.
Amistara: Celebrating 20 Years of Innovation in Sparkling Wine
Our newest sparkling wine was created to celebrate our 20th anniversary in 2024. It’s a Blanc de Blanc made from our Chardonnay grapes, but with a twist. Winemaker Ashley incorporated a small percentage of still Chardonnay fermented in our concrete egg into the final dosage, along with a restrained addition of sugar syrup, resulting in a dry, refreshing bubbly. We named it Amistara, meaning "to become friends" or "to bring together" in Spanish—a fitting tribute to 20 years of making wine and friends.
Innovation has always been at the heart of our sparkling wine journey. Some innovations arose from serendipity—turning mistakes into opportunities. Others came from recognizing an unexpected chance to create something new. Still others were deliberate, like our decision to craft a Blanc de Blanc from our estate-grown Chardonnay. Over time, we expanded to include sparkling rosés from our Rhône varieties and, ultimately, a GSM rosé blend.
Today, we offer a sparkling wine to match each of our still wines. At our annual dinner in the vineyard last year, we paired each course with two wines—one still and one sparkling of the same variety—allowing guests to explore which pairing they preferred with each dish.
The spirit of innovation will continue to guide us forward, ensuring that Amista remains a destination for distinctive, estate-grown sparkling (and still Rhône-style) wines in Dry Creek Valley.
Still Thirsty?
If you want to learn more, here is a curated list of resources.
Amista’s Organic Certification
How Sparkling Wine Began at Amista - Serendipity