Pinot Meunier Sparkling Wine Tasting

Visit either Riverbench tasting room from Thursday, June 6th through Sunday, June 9th for a taste of Santa Barbara County’s only sparkling wine made with Pinot Meunier. As a part of our sparkling wine tasting flight, you’ll also be able to taste bubbly made from our estate grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. 

ABOUT THIS WINE
In 2014, we decided to fully invest in developing our grower sparkling wine program by planting Pinot Meunier. This rare grape is famous in Champagne, France, but has yet to make itself known in California; we are, in fact, the first to grow it for sparkling wine here in Santa Barbara County.

We jumped in with both feet and took a chance, and this first Pinot Meunier sparkling wine is lighting up our world. The grape itself has quite a backbone, forming a sparkling wine with structure and complexity. Bright citrus and ripe blackberry plays softly in the background behind a pretty puff of pillowy yeastiness and a touch of cream. Some might get an exciting and unique note of rye on the finish. Either way, this bottling stands for something that puts a smile on your face.