2023 A Donkey and Goat Winery Dommen Vineyard Sparkling Pinot Meunier

Donkey & Goat Winery in Berkeley is part of the new wave of urban “garagiste” producers. Up and down the West Coast young winemakers who generally do not own vineyards are making very small batch wines in basements, garages and urban industrial parks. Typically, they make varietals or blends that are not common to their region, and they contract with vineyards for grapes. Donkey & Goat also sets itself outside of the mainstream by making what it calls “natural wines,” a philosophy which covers both agricultural and cellar practices. Donkey & Goat is owned and operated by the husband and wife team of Jared and Tracey Brandt. They have been making wines commercially since the early 2000s, contracting for grapes from growers in the Sierra Nevada, Mendocino and Napa, always working with vineyard managers who practice some variation of sustainable, organic and/or biodynamic viticulture. In the cellar the Brandts believe in minimal intervention. Donkey & Goat makes many Rhone style wines, both red and white, as well as Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Gris.

Russian River Valley AVA is named for the river that meanders from Mendocino County in the north until it finally runs into the Pacific Ocean north of San Francisco. The AVA is cool thanks to its proximity to the northern California coast and the river, and grape growers must learn to deal with regular fog. Nevertheless in recent decades the AVA has become one of the best in the state, meaning that its wines often earn excellent reviews and have considerable cachet. The AVA status was awarded in 1983 and today the appellation has 15,000 vineyard acres. Chardonnay is the most widely planted grape though Pinot Noir has also been very successful in recent decades. Russian River Valley Pinot Noir are known for being rich, lush and filled with concentrated fruit and berry flavors. Russian River Pinot Noirs are today considered some of the best domestic Pinot Noirs.