With its balanced climate, cooler than the likes of Sonoma and Napa, but not so cool as Willamette to the north, the Anderson Valley in Mendocino is a wonderful place to explore the classic Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. However, it is also here that some producers have successfully produced sparkling wines alongside their still counterparts. Goldeneye is one of these producers, well respected for their range of Pinot Noirs, they have also garnered much deserved attention due to their sparkling cuvee.
A Toast to Bubbles & Caviar with Goldeneye
Goldeneye have found the perfect way to celebrate their fantastic 2016 cuvee of sparkling rose – alongside an equally splendid caviar in a tasting experience aptly named A Toast to Bubbles and Caviar. With the traditional pairing of Russian caviar alongside, perhaps, a Dom Perignon or a Krug, the team at Goldeneye tracked down sustainable producers from San Francisco and kept it American by pairing this caviar with their own bottles of bubbles.
The caviar producer Goldeneye chose is Tsar Nicoulai – who despite the name are based in San Francisco, and have been producing caviar in California since the 1980s. Unlike most production from the Caspian Sea, where fish are reared to a certain age and then slaughtered to farm the eggs, at Tsar Nicoulai they use a more sustainable method. By using massage techniques to remove the eggs from the fish whilst still alive, they remove the need to constantly re-stock their shoals. As a result, the White Sturgeon at Tsar Nicoulai live out a full life in the water, rather than the somewhat stunted life in Russia.
Continuing with a more forward thinking take on caviar, Goldeneye serve the caviar with unsalted crisps rather than the usual blinis. The result is a delicious crunchy texture that balances the soft caviar perfectly. Alongside this, you can explore the different flavour profiles that arise from pairing the caviar with chives, creme fraiche and crumbled egg yolk.
After enjoying your first taste of caviar, it’s time to taste the star of the show – the 2016 Anderson Valley Brut Rose. With an assemblage of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, barrel aged for eight months on neutral French oak, the result is a beautifully vibrant sparkling with cherry and strawberry flavours alongside baked bread notes.
Tastings at Goldeneye are set in the tasting room or out on the sun-soaked patio looking out across the hills of the Anderson Valley. Afterwards you can wander through their beautiful garden, centred around a trickling fountain, and on through their vineyards beyond.
Key Information about Goldeneye Winery
What other tastings does Goldeneye Winery offer?
Alongside their Toast to Bubbles and Caviar (US $150 per couple), you can enjoy their entry level Essentials Tasting, which showcases Goldeneye’s versatile Pinot Noirs, for US $15 per person. They also have other Elevated Experiences where you can explore the vineyard by helicopter, on foot or enjoy some delightful food pairings, which range from US $65-225 per person.
What is the best way to get to Goldeneye Winery?
Goldeneye is located in the heart of the Anderson Valley, which, with its tranquil remote setting, does not benefit from particularly good public transport links, so a rental car or driver is a must. The nearest airport is just outside Santa Rosa in Sonoma (c. 80 mins away), but for international connections, San Francisco is your best bet, which is around 2.5 hours drive away.
What other wineries can I visit?
The group that own the Goldeneye winery also own a number of other wineries across the West Coast, including the renowned Duckhorn and Paraduxx wineries in Napa Valley and their Migration brand from Sonoma. Within Mendocino, there are a number of other good wineries to visit, including Balo and Roederer.
Find Out More…
Goldeneye – https://www.goldeneyewinery.com
Explore more from Mendocino and California.
Many thanks to Goldeneye for hosting us for a tasting experience during our time in Mendocino. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely our own, we wouldn’t recommend something if we didn’t love it!
