San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Honoring American AgCredit Sweepstake winners
SPARKLING SWEEPSTAKE Laurent Gruet
Gruet Winery 2012 Blanc de Blancs, New Mexico, $46
Winemaker Laurent Gruet was born and raised in Bethon, the Champagne region of France. Growing up he often worked closely with his father, Gilbert Gruet, at the family’s winery Gruet et Fils. Mentored primarily by his father, with supplemental studies at Lycée Viticole de la Champagne in Avize, France, Laurent developed his passion for sparkling wine.
In 1983, in pursuit of expansion and affordable vineyards, Gilbert Gruet toured the U.S. and moved the family to rural New Mexico to plant vineyards.
Laurent, along with his sister Nathalie, took the lead of what would be known as Gruet Winery. The first official wine release from the Albuquerquebased winery was in 1989.
Quality is always at the heart of all Gruet wines, following the strict protocols of Méthode Champenoise. In 2011, Wine Spectator named Gruet NV Blanc de Noirs a Top 100 wine of the world, a nearly unprecedented achievement for a sparkling wine under $20.
More than 25 vintages later, Gruet Winery has achieved exceptional acclaim and remains a favorite of the nation’s top sommeliers.
SPARKLING SWEEPSTAKE
Trump Winery
2015 Blanc de Noir Monticello, Virginia, $55
Jonathan Wheeler leads the winemaking program at Trump Winery in Charlottesville, Virginia and is directly responsible for numerous bestinclass designations and internationally awarded gold medals for his range of white, red and sparkling wines. He brings expertise gained from working in Sonoma and Monterey, Marlborough, New Zealand and his home in the Finger Lakes of New York.
ROSÉ SWEEPSTAKE David and Katharine DeSante
Dancing Crow Vineyards
2020 Rose of Syrah Lake County, California, $17.99
Katharine and David DeSante came to Napa Valley in 1994. They’ve merged their talent sets in business, food science, culinary arts and viticulture to find happiness and adventure. In addition to making wine for Dancing Crow Vineyards and their own tiny DeSante Wines, David and Katharine consult for wineries in Napa Valley and Lake County.