...Joan Dutton's They Left Their Mark

Jamie and Jack Davies

Jamie and Jack Davies at Schramsberg

So much for the early days of Jacob Schram's pioneering winery. The Davies acquired Schramsberg in 1965, and set out to create a world class sparkling wine worthy of the Schram legacy. The breakthrough came seven years later, when author Robert Balzer reported the stunning development that Schramsberg was suddenly inundated with orders. The reason? In Beijing, President Nixon had hosted Premier Chou En-lai with what Time Magazine called "a scarce California label" sparkling wine. It was the 1969 vintage of Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs...and President Jamie Davis' latest release of the Blancs is today's wine.

1996 Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs
Napa Valley Champagne
Composition—Chiefly Chardonnay with some Pinot Blanc
Sugar—In the Brut range of about 1%
More Background—This Blanc was the winery's first sparkler--vintage 1965. It also was the first American sparkler to be made solely from Chardonnay.
Contact—Adrienne Asher-Gepford, (707) 942-4588, FX (707) 942-5943
Price—$26 range

Memories

About the Writer Fred McMillin, a veteran wine writer, has taught wine history for 30 years on three continents. He currently teaches wine courses at San Francisco State and San Francisco City College. In 1995, the Academy of Wine Communications honored Fred with one of only 22 Certificates of Commendation awarded to American wine writers.