Carboniste Modern Sparking
Get the Dirt from Dan Person
“The inspiration is to create a modern concept of sparkling wine from California, one that is not limited by tradition or the brands that have come before.”
What was your first vintage year? 2017
How many cases do you make per vintage? 125 cases, but planning to grow each year.
Do you have a Tasting Room? Not at this time.
If not you, who is your winemaker? Me and my wife, Jacqueline Person craft all of our wines.
What varietals do you work with? Why?
We work with Albariño, Pinot noir, and Chardonnay. We work with sites and grapes that we believe could make great sparkling wines.
What vineyards do you source from? Why?
We work with fruit from the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Sacramento Delta. We consider how interesting the grapes and their vineyards are in relation to climate and soil. We want to find sites that will produce interesting wines.
What type of oak treatment do you use? Why?
We use a combination of stainless steel on our Albariño and neutral barrels on our Pinot Noir and Chardonnay-based wines.
What’s the story behind your winery name / label?
Our name, CARBONISTE, is a functional, although made up name, that means the person or group that puts bubbles into wine. The inspiration is to create a modern concept of sparkling wine from California, one that is not limited by tradition or the brands that have come before. We use some traditional methods, but give ourselves away to bending the pre-conceptions that come along with sparkling wines.
Most importantly, what's so great about being small? What can you do as a small winemaker, that wouldn't be possible for larger wineries? Each of our lots is handled with white gloves. We take special care to love the wines and treat them in the best way possible in our opinion. This way, we are able to protect and nurture the elements of the wines that make them unique.
How do you view the future in the wine industry for small-lot winemakers?
For sparkling in particular, there is incredible room for growth. The market will bear an incredible number of brands of other wines, so will they for sparkling as well.
If you had to choose another wine region to work in what would it be?
Marin County. There is so little fruit grown there, but it has such wonderful qualities due to the very cool, indeed marginal, climate.
For more information about Carboniste, please visit their website or follow them on FACEBOOK.