BEST SPARKLING
B REATHLESS WINES
“It’s sparkling and just a bit more fun than still wine—well maybe a lot more fun!” —Sharon Cohn, founder
By Alexandra Russell
F ounded by sisters—Sharon Cohn, Rebecca and Cynthia Faust—Breathless Wines burst onto the wine scene with its initial release, a nonvintage traditional method blanc de noir that won Sweepstakes in the 2013 Sonoma County Harvest Fair. “We created Breathless as our last chapter in our business lives,” says Cohn. “Doing it together reminds us every day of our mom, who had a genetic lung disease called Alpha1 and was breathless in the end. She never took a breath for granted and we learned to live like that every day.” Today, Breathless makes 15 distinct sparklers, all under the masterful hand of winemaker Penny Gadd-Coster who has been voted by NorthBay biz readers as this year’s Best Winemaker. All are made at Rack & Riddle, a sparkling wine custom crush located in Healdsburg and, coincidentally, owned by sister Rebecca and partner Bruce Lundquist. Using the labor-intensive traditional method, in which a secondary fermentation takes place in each individual bottles (often called méthode champenoise), Gadd-Coster uses science and artistry to craft two blanc de noirs, four blanc de blancs, four bruts, two brut rosé, a moscato, a pinot meunier and a pinot blanc for the brand. Confused? Blanc de noirs are produced solely from red grape varieties such as pinot noir and pinot meunier. Blanc de blanc means that the wine has been produced from solely white grapes (typically chardonnay). Brut refers to a dry—not sweet—sparkling wine.
From left, Head Winemaker Penny Gadd-Coster pictured with the sisters of Breathless— Cynthia Faust, Sharon Cohn and Rebecca Faust.
blending grape but is here given a chance to shine on its own; and finally, pinot blanc is a versatile white-wine grape variety used in the production of still, sparkling and sweet dessert wines. Breathless has recently forayed into still wine territory, but sparkling remains its flagship. “Right now, I love the pinot blanc,” says Cohn. “We can’t find anyone else that makes it. It’s a single vineyard designate and shot to the top of my list as soon as we released it!” Located just a few blocks from the historical Healdsburg square, Breathless opened its tasting room in 2015. The dog-friendly welcoming patio and garden has five different tasting experiences available— including one specifically for wine club members. One highlight is the Sabrage Experience which, according to breathlesswines.com , consists of a one-on-one with an experienced guide. Attendees will learn the proper technique of opening a bottle of Champagne using the impact from a saber and will get to enjoy that same bottle of Breathless Sparkling Wine on the property. How fun is that? Speaking of fun, I asked Cohn what makes Breathless special. “It’s sparkling and just a bit more fun than still wine—well maybe a lot more fun!” She continues, “We’re humbled and grateful [for this award]! We know the bubble business is booming, and there are so many great sparkling wines in the North Bay! Thanks, NorthBay biz voters!” v
Moscato is made primarily from the muscat canelli grape and has a bit of sweetness; Pinot meunier is typically a red
Experience the bubbles at the Breathless Tasting Room at 499 Moore Lane in Healdsburg.
breathlesswines.com
Best of the North Bay 2024
Northbaybiz 31
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