Hugh Davies, President, Schramsberg Vineyards

Wine Podcast: The Honest Pour with John Lenart

Among aficionados California sparkling wine has always played a bit of a second fiddle to sparklers from other parts of the world. While that is changing over the past few years with the emergence of Grower Champagne-like wines coming from the likes of Under the Wire and the cult wine Ultramarine, among others, the one exception to this notion has always been Schramsberg. Gaining prominence going back to 1972, when Nixon used the Blanc de Blanc to toast the Chinese Premier at the White House, wines from this historic estate have been served by every administration since. I met with Hugh Davies to talk about his family's commitment to sparkling wine, why they tore up their historic estate vineyard and replanted with Bordeaux varieties in the late 1990's and of course to taste some delicious wine.