The 12 Best American Sparkling Wines in 2024

1. 2015 Domaine Carneros Le Rêve Blanc de Blancs

Origin: Carneros, California
Varietal: Chardonnay
Price: $125 for 750 ml
ABV: 12%

After our introduction, it might come as a surprise that the first wine on our list comes from the Champagne house of Taittinger. Domaine Carneros is the famed Champagne producer’s American winery. Although the house may have been started by the French, Le Rêve, as well as all the Domaine Carneros sparkling wines, is made by American winemaker Eileen Crane.

It’s easy to see why the 2015 tops our list of the Best American Sparkling Wines. Aromas of white flowers, fresh-squeezed lemon and a hint of smoke will intrigue you. On the palate, this wine is intense. Honey, crème fraîche and citrus hit your palate with great weight. Toward the finish it evolves to vanilla flan, which lingers deliciously with great length.

> For more information, visit the Domaine Carneros official website. 

2. Frank Family Vineyards, Carneros, Napa Valley, Blanc de Blancs 2016

Origin: Napa Valley, California
Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
Price: $55
ABV: 12%

This Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine is sourced exclusively from Frank Family’s Lewis Vineyard in Carneros. Here, the predominant maritime influence of the Pacific Ocean and San Pablo Bay creates the cool temperature, fog and wind that make their vineyard site ideally suited for growing cool climate varietals. Lewis Vineyard consists primarily of shallow and dense clay loam soils that result in extremely low yields, producing grapes with strong character and balanced acidity.

The wine reflects a pale lemon color with on the nose aromas of stone fruit, citrus and toasted bread. The palate delivers freshly cut apples, citrus juice and a touch of roasted almonds and bread dough. The finish is lively with a fine mousse and a long finish with hints of mineral and a slightly yeasty character.

> For more information, visit the Frank Family Vineyards official website.

3. 2013 Schramsberg J. Schram

Origin: North Coast, California
Varietal: 85% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Noir
Price: $130 for 750 ml
ABV: 12.5%

Schramsberg is the Napa Valley’s oldest sparkling wine house, having produced its first Blanc de Blancs in 1965. J. Schram is their Prestige wine. It represents only about 3% of Schramsberg’s production and uses the very best lots from the best vintage years.

The wine shines with an incredible depth of aromas and flavors. The nose offers all the best aromas of a crisp, autumn day with green apple, poached pear, honey, spice and a hint of toast. It offers layers of flavor, zesty, foamy richness on the tongue and a mineral note on the finish.

> For more information, visit the Schramsberg official website.

4. 2015 Roederer Estate L’Ermitage

Origin: Anderson Valley, California
Varietal: 52% Chardonnay, 48% Pinot Noir
Price: $68 for 750 ml
ABV: 12%

Another California sparkling wine estate, Roederer is located in the Anderson Valley. It’s the American winery of Champagne house Roederer. Among the wines Roederer produces in the Anderson Valley, L’Ermitage is the house’s tête de cuvée and it was an easy pick for our list of the Best American Sparkling Wines.

One of the hallmarks of L’Ermitage is texture. It is known as one of the finest-textured sparkling wines in the world and the 2011 is no exception. An impressively persistent mousse hints at the wine’s steady stream of pinpoint-sized bubbles. It’s nicely balanced with delicious bread dough and spice notes offset by crisp apple fruit.

> For more information, visit the Roederer Estate official website. 

5. 2012 Frank Family Vineyards Lady Edythe Reserve Brut

Origin: Carneros, California
Varietal: 61% Chardonnay, 39% Pinot Noir
Price: $110 for 750 ml
ABV: 12%

Frank Family Vineyards was founded in 1992 by former Disney President Rich Frank. The winery is known for both still and sparkling wines. All of Frank Family’s sparkling wines are vintage wines but Lady Edythe is their Prestige blend.

The 2012 Lady Edythe is a sparkling wine like no other. An incredibly complex wine, it offers citrus and sweet pastry dough aromas. On the palate, there’s crisp apple, freshly baked bread, lime and tangerine freshness with roasted hazelnuts and grapefruit zest at the back.

> For more information, visit the Frank Family Vineyards website. 

6. King Estate, Brut Cuvée, Willamette Valley 2018

Origin: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Varietal: 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay
Price: $40.00
ABV: 12.5%

King Estate was founded in 1991 by the King family with a deep commitment to sustainable farming. Their uniquely integrated ecosystem of vineyard and woodland, grasslands and wetlands, orchards and culinary gardens located in Oregon’s prestigious Willamette Valley, led them to first obtain certified organic status followed by the biodynamic standard in 2016. Today, King Estate is the largest certified biodynamic vineyard in North America.

This lively bubbly has a light straw color, a clean bouquet with citrus fruit, crushed oyster shell and a hint of nutmeg. The palate is well structured with ripe fruit, soft acidity and good length.

> For more information, visit King Estate official website.

7. 2014 Sparkling Pointe Seduction Brut

Origin: North Fork, New York
Varietal: 50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir
Price: $70 for 750 ml
ABV: 12.5%

If you don’t know Sparkling Pointe, you need to discover this Long Island winery, especially if sparkling wine is your “thing.” Considered the leader in North Fork sparkling wines, it’s a member of the Long Island sustainable winegrowers and their 2014 Seduction was an easy choice for our list of the Best American Sparkling Wines.

Aromas of toasted almonds, apples and pastry hint at the wine’s layers of flavor. It’s a concentrated wine with lively bubbles that roll the flavor across your tongue. Almonds, tangerine, French bread, grapefruit zest and a hint of vanilla fill the senses, with the surprise of an almost salty note near the finish.

> For more information, visit the Sparkling Pointe official website. 

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8. 2012 Gloria Ferrer Carneros Cuvée

Origin: Carneros, California
Varietal: 54% Pinot Noir, 46% Chardonnay
Price: $88 for 750 ml
ABV: 12.5%

Gloria Ferrer was the first sparkling wine house established in Carneros. In addition to sparkling wines, the house produces still Chardonnay and Pinot Noirs, but the Carneros Cuvée is what is considered to be the Gloria Ferrer signature wine.

Like many of the wines on this list, the Carneros Cuvée is only produced in select vintage years. It offers crisp fall fruit flavors on the nose. Its flavors offer layers of savory and sweet. Fruit notes include red apple and plum with lemon acidity, but underneath the fruit sweetness there’s brioche, citrus rind and minerality on the finish.

> For more information, visit the Gloria Ferrer official website. 

9. NV Mumm Napa Brut Prestige

Origin: Napa, California
Varietal: 45% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir, 10% Pinot Gris/Pinot Meunier
Price: $24 for 750 ml
ABV: 12.5%

Mumm Napa was founded by Champagne’s G. H. Mumm. The house produces many sparkling wines but considers the Brut Prestige to be their flagship wine.

This wine makes our list of the Best American Sparkling Wines because of its great value for money. It’s as beautifully made as many of the vintage sparkling wines on this list, yet it retails for under $25. It offers citrus aromas with hints of lemongrass and vanilla cookie. It has a nice weight on the palate with apple, hints of honey, sweet, toasted oak and vanilla.

> For more information, visit the Mumm Napa official website. 

10 Paula Kornell, Brut

Origin: Healdsburg, California, USA
Varietal: 80% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir
Price: $22.00
ABV: 12%

Paula Kornell grew up embraced by tradition. Her father brought his European background to California with Hanns Kornell Champagne Cellars, producing sparkling wine in the traditional method.

Fruit for this wine comes from certified sustainable vineyards in some of the coolest growing regions around California. The wine displays lively bubbles and a pale-yellow color. The nose shows jasmine, apple and a slice of toast followed by flavors of strawberries, cherries and brioche. Lively acidity leads to a long, balanced finish.

> For more information, visit the Paula Kornell official website.

11. Priest Ranch, Brut Rosé, Napa Valley 2018

Origin: Napa Valley, California
Varietal: 100% Syrah
Price: $60.00
ABV: 12%

The historic Priest Ranch is now part of the Somerston Estate, a significant property totaling 1,682 acres of which 225 acres are hillside vineyards in Napa Valley. The wines of Priest Ranch are blends from multiple blocks that showcase the diversity and complexity of the combined properties. Their 2018 Brut Rosé is produced using Syrah grapes from Block 2 in the west side of their estate. The wine was fermented and aged in stainless steel for a total of 24 months before being bottled and going through its second fermentation and kept on the yeast for an another 24 months.

The wine shows a light salmon color and a fine, persistent effervescence. Aromas of strawberry, melon and lemon zest emerge in the nose. The palate is a fine balance between the fruitiness of ripe strawberries and the juicy acidity and the touch of mineral.

> For more information, visit Priest Ranch Wines official website.

12. Decoy, Brut Cuvée, Sparkling Wine | Sonoma, California, USA

Origin: Sonoma, California, USA
Varietals: 49% Pinot Noir, 47% Chardonnay, 4% Pinot Meunier
Price: $25.00
ABV: 13.5%

Co-founded by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn in 1976, Duckhorn Vineyards has spent almost forty years establishing itself as one of California’s best producers of premier wines. From its modest inaugural vintage of a few hundred cases of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in 1978 to its addition of Sauvignon Blanc in 1982, Duckhorn Vineyards has created a tradition of quality and excellence that continues today. Gradually, other brands were created under the Goldeneye, Paraduxx, Migration, Canvasback and Calera labels with the final addition of Decoy sparkling wines.

Fine bubbles emerge in the light golden liquid. The nose shows white peach, lemon zest and white flower blossom with a touch of vanilla. The palate offers delicate fruit flavors balanced by juicy acidity.

> For more information, visit Decoy Wines official website.