One of the original sparkling wine makers in Santa Barbara county using the traditional method to make bubbles — méthode champenoise — was Flying Goat Cellars. Norm Yost and Kate Griffith have been picking early, fermenting grapes, providing the proper environment for a second fermentation in the bottle and disgorging in the Lompoc wine ghetto since 2005. Flying Goat is one of the few bubbles producers in the county to master handcrafting sparkling wine at its own facility, where every step of production is done in-house.
Norm’s been a Pinot Noir maker, drinker and fanatic since landing in the Santa Ynez Valley in 1979. But for him, the Sta. Rita Hills‘ and Santa Maria Valley’s high acidity, low sugars, and great flavors were perfect for sparkling wine.
Flying Goat is the first to open a Bubbles Bar in their tasting room in the Lompoc Wine Ghetto, where you can taste all 5 of their stellar sparkling wines. Sounds like you need a road trip to Santa Barbara’s OG of sparkling wine!
Goat Bubbles:
- Rosé (a fruity Pinot Noir)
- Blanc de Blancs (Chardonnay)
- Blanc de Noirs (Pinot Noir)
- Brut Cuveé (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay)
- Crémant (a tart fruit Pinot Blanc)
