Sonoma Winery Stages First Event in Celebration of World Champagne Day 2023
(October 19th – Healdsburg, CA) — Breathless Wines will host the inaugural Breathless Sparkling Wines World Champagne Showdown on Saturday, October 28 from, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Breathless Wines Salon in Healdsburg, California, in tribute to the 2023 World Champagne Day. Tickets for the Breathless World #ChampagneDay Showdown are on sale now at BreathlessWines.com.
Attendees will participate in a blind tasting of French Champagnes verses Breathless Sparking wines, alongside professional wine judges to select the winning favorites. Six champagnes and sparkling wines will be paired, including Blanc de Blanc, Brut and Blanc de Noir.
“This first-ever blind-tasting event presents the chance to truly experience the differences between French Champagnes and our California sparkling wines, both made in the same traditional winemaking méthode champenoise,” said Breathless Wines President and Co-owner Sharon Cohn.
In addition to the blind champagne tasting, guests will learn about fascinating champagne history, insights into the grape varietals used to make sparkling wines, and tasting notes from the panel of participating wine experts and judges including:
- Sharon Cohn — President and Co-owner, Breathless Wines
- Sarah Boyd — Wine Reporter, Santa Rosa Press Democrat
- Heather Irwin — Food and Wine Journalist
- Chris Sawyer — Renowned Sommelier, Wine Educator, Journalist, Critic and Public Speaker
- Ziggy, The Wine Gal — Radio Host, Critic, America’s most enthusiastic, authoritative and entertaining Libation Expert.
- Scott Lange — Certified Sommelier, WSET Level 3, Be Bubbly Napa
- Rebecca Rosenberg — Author, Champagne Widows
Breathless Wines is a boutique, family winery founded and owned by sisters Sharon Cohn, Rebecca Faust and Cynthia Faust, that specializes in producing méthode champenoise sparkling wines in Healdsburg, California. Sparked by the love of these three sisters, and in memory of their late mother Martha, Breathless encompasses the passion for life that their mother passed down to them. Their award-winning and critically-acclaimed wines made by winemaker Penny Gadd-Coster are created to pair well with life’s special moments, and to be enjoyed in the company of the world’s finest wines.
The sisters, born and raised in California’s Sonoma County, carry on a deeply embedded social and philanthropic mission of celebrating life, family and community. For more information and to reserve tickets to the Inaugural Breathless World Champagne Showdown visit BreathlessWines.com/Events or call (707) 395-7300. Breathless Wines is located at 499 Moore Lane, Healdsburg, California, 95448.
Breathless Champagne Showdown Judge Bios:
Sarah Doyle writes about wine, spirits, and beer for The Press Democrat. Her work has appeared in more than 50 publications, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Wine Enthusiast, Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure and Saveur. A professional wine judge, Doyle has held innumerable positions in the wine industry since 2006 and holds the WSET Level 3 Award in Wine.
Christopher Sawyer is an internationally-renowned sommelier, wine judge, consultant, wine educator and public speaker. Voted Best Sommelier of Sonoma County 2023 by Bohemian Magazine for the tenth consecutive year, he is also a recipient of many additional prestigious awards and industry honors. To enjoy his wine adventures follow his blog The Sommelier Files, subscribe to his YouTube Channel featuring The Varietal Show both accessible from his website SawyerSomm.com.
Ziggy Eschliman, known on the airwaves as Ziggy the Wine Gal, is among America’s most enthusiastic, authoritative and entertaining libation experts. For more than 29 years Ziggy has set and reported trends in all things wine and spirits. Her radio shows are broadcast throughout Northern California on FM stations, stream live worldwide and are available online. Her internationally known company, ZigStyle, combines her artistry for wine country entertaining and gardening while integrating her expertise of wine and spirits, showcasing her vibrant lifestyle.
Heather Irwin is a professional food and wine writer in Northern California’s Wine Country, columnist and food writer for the Santa Rosa Press Democrat and frequent contributor to Wine & Spirits magazine. Her writing has appeared in numerous outlets including the San Francisco Chronicle, Sunset Magazine, the North Bay Bohemian, Wine Country.com and Imbibe.
