Oregon Wine Month Is Here—Let’s Talk Bubbles 🥂

Hi Wine Friends,

​​I’ve still got Champagne on the brain after my recent trip—and the universe has a funny way of timing things. Just days after I got home, VinePair released their list of the top wine travel destinations for 2025, and guess who landed at number one? Oregon. And number two? Champagne.

I swear I didn’t bribe anyone.

While I’m not about to choose favorites (I’m too much of an equal opporwine-ist for that), I will say this: both regions 100% deserve top spots. And since May is Oregon Wine Month, I thought this would be a great opportunity to talk about my favorite local sparkling wines.

Oregon’s sparkling scene is absolutely exploding right now, and it’s easy to see why people start comparing us to Champagne. But they’re totally different animals.  Yes, both are using the traditional method and, for the most part, both are using Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. But the soil types are completely different.

Champagne sits on ancient limestone soils, which give those wines that signature chalky minerality and mouthwatering linearity. In contrast, the Willamette Valley is built on acidic volcanic clay, which lends more weight and savory depth to our wines. Think citrus and chalk vs. fruit and spice. Both beautiful. Both worth celebrating.

And while it might raise eyebrows to see Oregon sparkling wines priced alongside Champagne, here’s the thing:

Most Oregon producers are still paying off land and building their wineries from the ground up—whereas in Champagne, land has often been passed down through generations. That means Oregon winemakers are shouldering much higher overhead from day one. On top of that, traditional method sparkling wine takes years to make. Producers have to ferment the base wine, then age it in bottle (often for two, three, even five years) before it’s ready to release. So while they’re waiting, they’re sitting on huge amounts of inventory—paying for grapes, storage, glass, labels, labor—long before they ever see a dollar back. It’s a long game. And it’s why Oregon sparkling wines aren’t cheap—but they are worth it.

So next time you see a $50 Oregon sparkler, know that it’s priced not because it’s trying to be Champagne—but because it’s working just as hard to be something all its own.

Before diving into my top Oregon sparkling picks, let’s take a quick refresher on how traditional method sparkling wine is made…

Sparkling Wine 101: The Traditional Method

Also known as the méthode traditionnelle or "Champagne method" (though only wines from the Champagne region can legally use that term), this process involves:

• Base Wine Creation: Grapes are fermented into a still, dry wine.
• Tirage: A mixture of sugar and yeast is added to the base wine, which is then bottled and sealed with a crown cap.
• Second Fermentation: Inside the bottle, the yeast consumes the sugar, producing alcohol and carbon dioxide—the latter gets trapped, creating bubbles.
• Aging: The wine ages on the lees (dead yeast cells), developing complexity.
• Riddling: Bottles are gradually turned and tilted to collect the lees in the neck.
• Disgorgement: The neck is frozen, and the lees plug is expelled.
• Dosage: A mixture of wine and sugar (or just wine for "Brut Nature") is added to adjust sweetness.
• Final Corking: The bottle is sealed with a cork and wire cage.

This meticulous process results in the refined bubbles and complex flavors characteristic of traditional method sparkling wines.

🥂 My Top 5 Oregon Sparkling Wines

1. Corollary Wines 

If you haven’t visited Corollary yet, you are missing out! Jeanne and Dan are the incredible duo behind this all-sparkling house in the Willamette Valley, and not only are they making some of the most exciting bubbles in Oregon—they’ve also built one of the most drop-dead gorgeous tasting spaces I’ve seen. Think architectural stunner meets vineyard views meets Instagram goals. But don’t let the beauty fool you—the wines are serious, elegant, and made with precision and patience. They make a range of styles, from blanc des blancs brut nature all the way to a vibrant carbonic rosé from the historic Momtazi vineyard.  Go for the vibes, stay for the wine, and leave with a trunk full of bubbles.

 2. The Missoula Flood
 

Andrew Reicher's already has serious cred as the winemaker for Audeant and Sacred Shore, but this new project is a passion-fueled deep dive into Oregon’s under-sung sparkling potential. The Missoula Flood focuses only on high-elevation, old-vine sites in the Columbia Gorge—some of the most rugged, rocky, wind-battered vineyards you can imagine. The result? Sparkling wines that are racy, mineral-driven, and totally alive. The labels are also wildly cool (IYKYK), but it’s what’s inside the bottle that has me hooked: pure energy and a sense of place that’s hard to fake. Keep your eye on this one—it’s going to blow up.

 3. Flâneur Wines Extra Brut
 

If you love that rich, toasty, classic Champagne profile—think golden brioche, lemon curd, and ultra-fine bubbles—then Flâneur’s Extra Brut is your Oregon go-to. It’s made in a decidedly old-school style, with extended lees aging and a dry, structured finish that’s the perfect pairing to caviar and class. I like to call this one a Champagne dupe for people who want luxury and local. Bonus: we’re featuring Flâneur at Arden the second week of May as part of our Oregon Wine Month series, so come by and enjoy a glass. It’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

4. CHO Wines

CHO has taken the Oregon wine world by storm—and for good reason. Founders Dave and Lois Cho are not only making killer wines (their 2018 Blanc de Noirs scored 95 points and landed in Wine Enthusiast’s Top 100), they’ve created a winery experience that’s just… fun. Think karaoke nights, chef collabs, creative events, and a social media presence that’s more than just bottle shots. But don’t let the fun fool you—their sparkling wines are legit, clean, and expressive, with a strong sense of style. This is the kind of place you bring friends who say they “don’t like wine tastings” and watch them completely change their tune.

5. Call Me Dolores

Kate Payne Brown is Oregon’s sparkling queen. She’s spent years working in the Champagne world, and now she’s head winemaker at Argyle—basically the birthplace of Oregon bubbles. But Call Me Dolores is her personal passion project, and it’s quietly fascinating. She works with Pinot Gouges, a rare mutation of Pinot Noir with white skins that gives the wine this subtle, textural magic. The wines are tiny production, super niche, and leave your palate curious for more. If you see a bottle, grab it—you won’t regret it. This is sparkling wine for the true nerds (aka us).  

🎬 Her Way Update

We're in the final countdown! We’re heading to Napa and Sonoma the day after Memorial Day to begin filming the first episodes of Her Way. We're still fundraising to complete the season, aiming to raise an additional $20,000 to bring stories from Oregon and Washington to life. Every contribution helps us spotlight the incredible women shaping the wine world.

👉 Support Her Way on GoFundMe

Cheers,
Kelsey