Schramsberg Vineyards

As we wound our way up the deeply shaded drive toward Schramsberg Vineyards, the second oldest winery in Napa Valley (Charles Krug is older by one year), I was struck with just how dense the hillside forest must have been in the 1860s, when Jacob Schram bought this land intending to clear it, grow grapes and make wine.

Being of intrepid German stock, Schram persevered. About 45 acres were cleared and vineyards planted to traditional European varietals. He then oversaw the digging of more than half a mile of caves into the side of Diamond Mountain. As growth continued, Schram built a lavish Victorian home for his family.

Following Schram’s death in 1905 and Prohibition in 1920, the winery was sold several times and eventually fell into disrepair. In 1965, Jack and Jamie Davies bought the property and set about restoring it to its former grandeur. Of course, the plan called for wine—but not the 18 varietals of Jacob Schram’s era. Instead, the Davies decided to focus on sparkling wine, made using the traditional French méthode champenoise. Initially, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir winegrapes were planted on the property. Eventually, cooler climate Carneros, Anderson Valley and Sonoma Coast AVA vineyards were established. The winery’s first release was a 1965 Blanc de Blancs in 1967 (in the ’90s, the estate vineyards were replanted to varietals more suited to Diamond Mountain and are now used for a limited production of J. Davies Cabernet Sauvignon).

In 1972, Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs was used by then-President Richard Nixon and Chinese Premier Zhou En Lai in a “toast to peace” that was watched internationally. It was the first time a non-French sparkling wine had been used for such an occasion. Schramsberg sparkling wine has been served at State events by every presidential administration since.

Take the tour and you’ll be transported back in time. You begin outside the majestic Victorian mansion, then move through the visitors’ center where portraits, photographs and newspaper articles chronicling the winery’s long, rich history line the walls. And then you step into the caves (another 1.5 miles of which were added by the Davies family in the ’80s), where you’ll learn about all stages of sparkling wine production.

It’s hard to describe the eerie-but-impressive spectacle of millions of wine bottles lining tunnel walls, floor-to-ceiling, and stretching in every direction. With about 2.7 million stored bottles, some sections are up to 60 rows deep (with each row holding 5,000 bottles), while other enclaves house the sparse remains (some as few as eight to 10 bottles) of older vintages, thick with undisturbed dust and still awaiting final corking. Though your way is lit, it’s dark and cool (the caves maintain a constant temperature of about 57 degrees). The walls are close and the ceilings in the original cave areas are covered in dangling subterranean lichen, “the sign of a healthy cave environment.”

At the tour’s end, you’ll taste delectable Schramsberg offerings. We tasted a 2005 Blanc de Blancs (apple nose, dry with citrus), a 2001 J. Schram Brut (crisp and dry), a 2005 Blanc de Noirs (fruity, creamy) and a 2001 Reserve Brut (dried fruits, but then unexpectedly meaty). Hugh Davies oversees the winemaking program, which also includes winemakers Keith Hock and Sean Thompson.

Here in the North Bay, we constantly hear reference to our region’s winemaking legacy, but rarely do we have the opportunity to have any direct or meaningful contact with it. So if you’re looking for a dose of history with your wine, visit Schramsberg Vineyards.

Did You Know?

Author Robert Louis Stevenson wrote extensively of his meetings (and drinkings) with Jacob Schram in his 1883 tome Silverado Squatters.