Many Virginia wineries offer a sparkling wine, but no other local wine region has embraced bubbly with the same vigor as the Shenandoah Valley. Around half of the valley’s wineries make a sparkling wine, with options ranging from “pét-nats” for casual drinking to more sophisticated bottles made using the méthode champenoise, the same process used in Champagne.

Not only is the Shenandoah Valley especially suitable for the production of sparkling wine, sparkling is one of the fastest-growing segments of the wine market. Between 2019 and 2022, the number of Americans enjoying sparkling wine has risen by 30%.

This growth is largely driven by changing views of when bubbly should be consumed. Sparkling is moving away from its traditional role as a ‘special event’ wine to something wine lovers should casually enjoy.

The Influence of “Terroir”

While the words “champagne” and “sparkling wine” are often used interchangeably, for over a century France has worked hard to ensure the term ‘champagne’ is legally protected. Only sparkling wine grown and made in the region of Champagne is allowed to carry that label.

France is understandably protective of this term, as Champagne’s unique terroir creates the conditions which makes its wine the pinnacle of what sparkling wine should be.

This has much to do with location, location, location! Champagne is one of Europe’s northernmost wine regions. Vineyards located at Champagne’s latitude usually struggle to get their fruit to full ripeness. Yet here this proves to be an advantage, as the high acidity present in unripe grapes is perfect for sparkling wine.

Champagne is also famous for its chalky-limestone soil, which provides good drainage. Vines with limited access to water struggle, forcing them to focus their limited energy on creating high-quality fruit.

Its soil grants another advantage. Chalk both reflects heat during the day and stores it during the night, allowing vines to stay within a temperature range that is conducive to ripen its fruit evenly.

It so happens the Shenandoah Valley emulates many of the qualities that make Champagne a premium location for sparkling wine.

Shenandoah Valley wines are likewise famous for their acidity. While Champagne’s grapes maintain their acidity due to its northern latitude, wines made in the Shenandoah Valley maintain their acid profile by virtue of the cooler temperatures found at higher elevation vineyards.

The valley’s soil also emulates Champagne’s porous limestone, as both areas were ancient sea beds. While it doesn’t have the chalk Champagne is famous for, the Shenandoah Valley’s higher elevation allows for greater diurnal temperature shifts. This means the valley has both warm days and cool nights, allowing its fruit to ripen without losing their acidity.

Perhaps the Shenandoah Valley’s greatest advantage is its lack of rainfall. The Allegheny Mountains to the west and Blue Ridge to the east create a ‘rain shadow’ over the valley between them. Most local vineyards only receive around 35-37 inches of rain a year, while northern Virginia and Charlottesville receive 42-47 inches.

Shenandoah Wineries Growing Their Sparkling Brands

Lee Hartman of Bluestone Vineyard insists the Shenandoah Valley is a great place to make wine of any type, but he’s especially proud of his sparkling program.

“We have a really good spot for sparkling. Our hill tops out at 1,400 feet, so there’s cooler air, super well drained soil, and lots of limestone. If we get 3 inches of rain, much of it washes away.

We partnered with Veritas Winery for the first two years we made sparkling, but now we’ve brought it all under our roof and doing it by hand.

During disgorging, it’s very satisfying hearing this loud cannon of wine spit out an ice cube of yeast. Given all the work you’re not really saving money, but my team and I are giant nerds, and we like having our hands in the process.

At the end of the process you get to list “Grown and Bottled” on the back of the label. It’s time consuming, but there’s something really fun in saying we did all of this.”

Sparklings that hail from the Shenandoah Valley also boast an impressive amount of diversity, both in how they’re made and the fruit being used.

Most bubbly currently made in the valley is produced using the méthode champenoise (aka traditional method), which is both the hardest and most prestigious way to make sparkling. This process requires two separate fermentations; an initial one to fashion the base wine, and a second inside the bottle to create the bubbles sparkling is famous for.

A handful of wineries also make wine using the ‘Charmat’ method, a more cost-effective process which follows the basic principles of the méthode champenoise but does the second fermentation in a steel tank and at a larger scale. A few even use the original minimal-intervention “méthode ancestrale” way, more commonly known as “pét-nats”.

Robert Muse explained his rationale why Muse Vineyards selected the most expensive method, writing back, “I prefer the traditional method as it produces a deep, rounder taste and mouthfeel. The word ‘biscuity’ is used to describe some champagne-like wines. I’ve never experienced this pleasant attribute in other sparklings.”

Two of the most popular grapes for Champagne, chardonnay and pinot noir, are likewise the grapes most widely used for sparkling in the Shenandoah Valley.

Rockbridge Vineyard & Brewery partnered with Veritas to make their new Blanc de Noir, while the 2019 Blanc de Noir from CrossKeys Vineyard took “Best of Show” at the 2022 Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association competition. Barren Ridge, Bluestone, Cave Ridge, Midland, Muse, and Ox Eye Vineyard all make Blanc de Blancs.

As the Shenandoah Valley is home to over 630 acres of vines, an abundance of other grapes are also available.

Those looking for something different should try the cayuga sparkling from Briedé Family Farm, the riesling from Cave Ridge, or the grüner veltliner coming soon from Jump Mountain Vineyard.

A number of other wineries including Brix & Columns and Wolf Gap also make Charmat-style sparklings using chambourcin or cabernet franc. Regardless of your choice of bubby, don’t wait to drink it on New Year’s Eve. Sparkling can be enjoyed at any time!