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WINEMAKING California with solid experience in sparkling production. But they were surprised to discover, Fred Frank says, that in the cool- climate Finger Lakes, they no longer needed to make the substantial acid additions they were used to with California fruit. Rollin Soles insists it's the climate of the Willamette Valley that produces distinc- tive fruit and thus distinctive wines, resulting in a flavor profile different from anywhere else in the New World. Some- day, he hopes, one of the major French Champagne houses will figure this out and shift their operations to Oregon, firmly putting the state on the map as a major world sparkling region. As part of its vine-to-glass offerings, Rack & Riddle can help locate good grape sources within a winery's AVA or geo- graphical region; that way, those bubbly bottles in the tasting room are part of the same package as the winery's still wine, not outliers from some unrelated area. Most of these producers concentrate on the traditional varieties from Champagne: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, perhaps Pinot Meunier. But just as nearly every red grape on earth gets made into rosé some- where, sparklers don't have to be limited to those three grapes. Ranch-WV-Nov10b.pdf Undeterred by his father's disdain for sparkling wines, Willy frank (above) launched a 4,000- label brand. after Willy's death, his son fred took over as president of Vinifera Wine cellars. 11/11/10 3:47:43 PM L. Mawby works with the usual sus- pects as well as with Pinot Gris, Vignoles, Seyval and Regent. Lake Ridge does Muscadine, as aromatic as grapes get. South Coast works with the traditional varieties, but also does sparkling Muscat, Gewürztraminer and Syrah. Chateau Frank does a sparkling Riesling. In the cellar, unless your family comes from Champagne, there is bound to be a steep learning curve. It helps to navigate through all the trial and error if, like Rol- lin Soles, you "enjoy the heck out of it." But the payoff Soles has noticed through- out the years is that the demands of cutting-edge sparkling winemaking have C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Everything you need is already here. CRUSH | WINEMAKING | BARREL & BULK STORAGE | BOTTLING 707.963.4520 RANCHWINERY.COM 38 Wines & Vines FeBRUARY 201 1