News

Breathless Wins Sweepstakes award at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition!

Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cloverdale, CA, January 10, 2020 – There were over sixty-five judges, representing various North American wine regions, evaluating nearly 6,700 wines from over 1,000 wineries for the 2020 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

Bob Fraser, SFCWC executive director, says, “The response from the wineries of North America at our 2020 competition was outstanding. Sweepstakes awards hail from Ohio, New Mexico, and California.”

The Sweepstake winners are as follows:

Sparkling Sweepstake Winner:
Breathless (CA) Sonoma County Blanc de Noir $32.00
White Sweepstake Winner:
Trader Moon Wine Company (CA) 2018 California Honey Moon Viognier $5.99
Rose Sweepstake Winner:
Ferrari-Carano (CA) 2019 Sonoma County Dry Sangiovese Rose $15.00
Red Sweepstake Winner:
deLorimier Winery (CA) 2016 Crazy Creek Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve $75.00
Specialty Sweepstake Winner:
Ferrante Winery (OH) 2017 Grand River Valley Vidal Blanc Ice Wine $30.00
Packaging Sweepstake Winner:
VARA (NM) New Mexico Vina Cardinal Rose Wine Label $32.00

Consumers are invited to enjoy these award-winning wines at the 2020 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Public Tasting at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco on February 15, 2020, from 1 to 4:30 pm. Tickets may be purchased here.

Jan 13, 2020 at 6:07 PM Permalink

Breathless Steals the Show at the Harvest Challenge Wine Competition!

In this last competition of 2019, Breathless Wines saved the best for last! Winning Best of Show for the second time this year and numerous double gold medals!

Breathless Brut

• 98 Points
• Double Gold
• Best of Class
• Best Sparkling Wine
• and Best of Sonoma County!

Breathless Blanc de Blancs

• 97 Points & Double Gold

Breathless Blanc de Noirs

• 94 Points & Double Gold

Breathless 2012 Brut

• 93 Points & Double Gold

The Harvest Challenge is a wine competition that bases its judging on a group of vineyards (or even vines) from the same region, belonging to a specific appellation, and sharing the same type of soil, weather conditions, grapes and winemaking savoir-faire, which contribute to give the specific personality to the wine.

In other competitions, this factor is ignored. At the Harvest Challenge, judges taste wines with other wines of the same appellation. Thus, with cross-regional competition removed, the inherent quality of wines can be seen without the influences that sometimes eclipse even a wine of very high quality.

Beyond the determination of medals, the Harvest Challenge affords its winners a unique selling proposition - its region ranked against its competitors. Harvest Challenge recognizes wine entries that best exemplify the soil and climate of their respective viticultural areas, and acknowledges its influence on wine quality. A medal in this wine competition not only gives your wine prestige and selling power, it adds talking points in your retail room. Favorable awards support increased local and regional sales. A win in the Harvest Challenge can put your wine into a whole new sales category.

A goal of Harvest Challenge is to learn how soil and climate contribute to the excellence and distinctiveness of wines. Over the course of this event, judges have learned to recognize when a wine's region is - and is not - a factor of wine quality. We think the bar has been lifted a little, and as a result, each year we perceive greater interest by winemakers and critics alike. Favorable awards support increased local and regional sales. A win in the Harvest Challenge can put your wine into a whole new sales category.  All wines are judged in the context of their viticultural region in order to accomplish two things: greater sensitivity to the complexities and nuances of regional wines and also to measure the influence of regional soil and weather characteristics on the taste and quality of individual wines.

According to Harvest Challenge spokesman, Christopher Sawyer, "The Harvest Challenge is a judge’s dream come true. Beyond varietal category and price point, this one-of-a-kind competition is based on appellation instead of mass-production. The end result is more definition of the wines made with grapes inside the boundaries of a specific viticultural area and distinct flavors that have helped  wines rise to the top of the scale in the global marketplace."

Dec 3, 2019 at 4:10 PM Permalink

Glass of Bubbly Review of Breathless Wines

“Sparkling Wines That Pair Well With Life’s Special Moments”

Breathless Wines is located North of San Francisco in the State of California, America, it was built by three sisters, Sharon, Rebecca, and Cynthia. Along with Breathless Winemaker Penny Gadd-Coster, the sisters are dedicated to making Sparkling Wine in the traditional method from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes.

Each bottle is aged with the yeast still in the bottle for 2 to 4 years. Their bottles are riddled mechanically using a machine called a gyropalette this simulates manual riddling on a larger scale.

We have two of Breathless Wines here to review, the Blanc De Noirs and the Blanc De Blancs.

The woman on the label is a tribute to their Mother, Martha, and all the men and women who teach and remind us to take each breath we are given as a gift to be cherished.

Blanc De Noirs Tasting Notes: “Strawberries and raspberries on the nose. Fruity flavours with green apple skin with gooseberries in the mouth. A Silver Medal Winner in the Fruity & Floral Category in The World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly Awards 2017.” Click for Full Review.

Blanc De Blancs Tasting Notes: “Slight touch of petrol with citrus on the nose. Tropical fruits, pineapple and citrus in the mouth. A Bronze Medal Winner in the Fruity & Floral Category in The World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly Awards 2017.” Click for Full Review. 

In my opinion, they are both fabulous wines, with each bringing something different to the table, even though they are non-vintage wines they have both aged very well and I personally think they would now receive a higher score in The World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly Awards this year.

-

Oliver Walkey

Journalist focused on Champagne, Sparkling Wines and Food Pairings. Social Media manager for Glass of Bubbly.

Sep 5, 2019 at 8:08 PM Permalink

Breathless Wines Gold at American Fine Wine Competition, San Francisco Chronicle

Gold Medals & great scores for Breathless as we kick off the 2019 Wine Competition season!

The Blanc de Blancs was awarded a gold medal from the 2019 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competitions, one of the largest and most prestigious competitions in the U.S.

And the following scores and medals were awareded from the 2019 American Fine Wine Competition. The AFWC, which began in 2007, has become the most influential wine invitational in the country. The competition takes place each January, and is followed by a series of SIP Social events that feature the award winning wines and help to raise money for a variety of non-profits and continues to promote the wines throughout the year.

• Breathless Blanc de Noirs - 94 Points & Double Gold Medal
• Breathless Brut - 92 Points
• Breathless 2012 Brut - 92 Points
• Breathless Blanc de Blancs - 91 Points

Feb 10, 2019 at 12:51 PM Permalink

Breathless Featured in the San Jose Mercury News

Breathless was featured in the San Jose Mercury News on April 28, 2018 as a special feature for Mother's Day! Excerpt below and click here to view the whole article.

Breathless Wines

If it’s bubbles and baubles mom is after, a visit to Breathless Wines is in order. Sisters Sharon Cohn and Rebecca and Cynthia Faust, who have eight children and one grandchild between them, launched their label as a tribute to their mother, Martha.

Like their wine, the tasting room also sparkles. Crafted out of four shipping containers that feel more chic than industrial, the room doubles as a boutique, filled with jewelry and a collection of pretty Champagne flutes and coupes.

Surrounded by a flower garden, the patio is an attractive oasis a few blocks off Healdsburg’s town square, and a great place to sample sparkling wine from award-winning winemaker Penny Gadd-Coster. The pinot noir-based Blanc de Noirs is a treat, as is the Brut, which is served with a side of potato chips.

Details: Tastings are available from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Tuesday, for $16 or up to $69, if you opt for the sabrage experience, which includes a lesson in opening a bottle of bubbly with a saber. 499 Moore Lane, Healdsburg; www.breathlesswines.com

Jun 19, 2018 at 6:51 PM Permalink

Breathless Wines Earns 10 Gold Medals so far in 2018!

Breathless Wines is having an extraordinary wine competition season so far in 2018, here are some noteworthy medals!

Blanc de Blancs

• Double Gold - American Fine Wine Competition
• Double Gold - San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
• Gold & 90 Points - San Diego Wine Challenge
   

Blanc de Noirs

• Double Gold - American Fine Wine Competition
• Gold & 90 Points - San Diego Wine Challenge
• Gold - Monterey International Wine Competition

Brut

• Gold - American Fine Wine Competition
• Gold - San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

2012 Brut

• Gold - San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

Brut Rose

• Double Gold - American Fine Wine Competition

Apr 16, 2018 at 6:11 PM Permalink

Breathless on the Weekly Wine Show

Breathless wines and an interview with Sharon Cohn was featured on the Weekly Wine Show podcast! Read the article and listen to the interview HERE.

Jan 4, 2018 at 2:22 PM Permalink

11 Best Sonoma and Napa Wineries for Sparkling Wine

From the recent slideshow/article in Sonoma Magazine, Breathless was included among the top 11 wineries in Napa and Sonoma for Sparkling Wine. Click Here for the full article and to see the other fantastic producers.

Excerpt: "Owned by three bubble loving sisters, who have partnered with legendary winemaker Penny Gadd-Coster, Breathless produces fun-loving, refreshing sparklers. Their tasting room, located a few walkable blocks from downtown Healdsburg, offers an unpretentious and retro-inspired tasting experience with Art Deco decor. Enjoy a tasting on their patio, which is surrounded by gardens. Breathless also offers a Sabrage Experience, which teaches you how to slice open a bottle of sparkling with a sword - a necessary skill for any bubblehead. 707-395-7300, 499 Moore Ln., Healdsburg."

Dec 18, 2017 at 2:09 PM Permalink

Where can I find wines by the Glass? - North Bay Bohemian - July 2017

Breathless Wines: "It's hard to pour just a little Champagne at this stylish industrial tasting room." - James Knight, North Bay Bohemian 7/19/17. Read the full article here: https://m.bohemian.com/northbay/spy-glass/Content?oid=3760131

Jul 21, 2017 at 2:09 PM Permalink

Breathless Wines Featured in the North Bay Bohemian

"'It's hard to pour just a little Champagne," says Sharon Cohn with a smile, after I remark on the healthy pours of sparkling wine lined up on the bar at Breathless Wines. The little sparkling wine brand with a big heart has opened a new tasting room just in time for the holidays." Read more here: http://www.bohemian.com/northbay/bubbles-up/Content?oid=3067885

Jan 13, 2017 at 6:34 PM Permalink