Hugh Davies was born in 1965, the year his parents, Jack and Jamie Davies, revived the historic Schramsberg Vineyards property in Napa Valley. Forty years later, he was named president and CEO of the then 40-year-old sparkling wine house. At Schramsberg, Hugh has led the ongoing effort to fine-tune winemaking and grape-growing techniques, building upon the winery's track record of producing award-winning sparkling wines. He was instrumental in replanting the winery's historic hillside vineyards to Bordeaux varietals. He holds a master's degree in enology from the University of California, Davis, and has his undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College in Maine.
Champagnes and sparkling wines are always touted as being the most food friendly of all wines. Is this true, and if so, why?
I love Chardonnay/Pinot Noir based sparkling wines with food. They have brisk, palate cleansing acidity. The pinpoint carbonation also lifts the palate in a very pleasing way. These wines also cover a range of styles and thus a range of foods. Think of how well Blanc de Blancs matches with oysters, smoked salmon, and fried calamari. Think of how well a delicious Rose goes with baked salmon or poke tuna or even a juicy panzanella salad. What goes better with a pear tart or apple pie than an off-dry demi-sec?
Probably far too much has been written about the 100 point rating scale. Some think it has empowered consumers, others claim it has distorted wine prices, while still others say it has actually changed the quality of wines being produced. What do you see as being the long term impact of the 100 point rating system?
I don’t see a big difference between a 100-point scale and any other quality measuring device. In my mind, the Zagat and Michelin rating systems impact the restaurant world similarly. If you get a good score, it helps your business. If you don’t, it’s not the end of the world. In the movie business, Oscars are good, but there are other ways of getting noticed.
Still considered a “special occasion” wine, what holds the public back from having Champagne/sparkling wine as part of their weekly or even monthly wine routine?
The U.S. sparkling market has evolved slowly relative to the table wine industry, but it has evolved. The last five years have seen some very solid growth, and part of that is fueled by consumers who drink sparkling wines regularly. Domestic production has mostly been at the low end, and the perception is that top quality sparkling had to be French. Today, there is more high quality domestic production, and the price-point is reasonable for many consumers. Frankly, many French Champagnes are in a similar, relatively affordable ($25-50) price zone. I think more people are truly starting to enjoy bubbly.
Why is it that Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Munier are the most widely used varieties for making Champagne? Have you experimented with other grape varieties and if so, what was the outcome?
These traditional Champagne varietals really work well. The have a brightness of fruit at the low sugar levels that they are picked at. They bring bright, refreshing acidity. There are other varietals. We use the Flora grape (a Gewürztraminer / Semillon cross) in our Demi-Sec. Proseccos and Cavas are made from a range of other varietals.
The Méthode Champenoise you employ at Schramsberg is a very time consuming process. Is it still worth it to make sparkling wines in this fashion?
Absolutely. We love our sparkling wines. We truly believe that they rival the very finest Champagnes or sparkling wines made anywhere in the world. We taste a very broad range constantly to really understand the category. It is tough to cut corners, the development of flavor and effervescence in the bottle doesn’t happen quickly. It takes time, it takes patience, and that’s OK.
How has Schramsberg changed the face of sparkling wine in the U.S?
That’s probably a better question for someone else to answer. We like to think that we’ve made a meaningful contribution. My parents were really the first to use Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to make commercial quality bottle-fermented sparkling wines in the states. We’ve worked very hard for the past 47 years to fine-tune our approach, covering a range of styles.
Rising wine alcohol levels in U.S. and foreign wines are an increasingly important topic these days. What are your thoughts on the subject?
Worldwide, there is a much broader range of wines produced today than ever before. In my mind, wine quality has never been better. For every wine that is above 15% alcohol, there is another that is less than 13%. People are certainly buying high alcohol wines, they are enjoying them, and critics rave about many of them. Let’s not lose sight of the fact that there are also many delicious wines produced in a lower alcohol range that people also drink and enjoy. The sparkling category is generally below 13% in alcohol, and it is a growing category.
After people visit your historic property, including the amazing caves at the winery, does that help people identify more closely with you and thereby create more long term sales?
I think so. The visit to the winery gives people a first-hand sense for the passion and labor that goes into making our sparkling wines. There is a lot more to the process and story behind the bottle than you can see by just looking at a bottle on a shelf. We’re working with 100 small blocks of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in some of the best pockets of the north coast to produce our sparkling wines. We’ll make well over 200 base wines from them each year in order craft our specific blends. Many bottles will age in our caves for 5, 7, even 15 years before we disgorge and release them. Every visit concludes with a tasting of five selections each with its own taste, flavor, and history.
Does the misunderstanding of the legal definitions of “Champagne” and “sparkling wine” confuse customers, or is it a non-issue?
It’s certainly a question that comes up over and over and over. The French Champagne producers keep pounding their message, and I get it. Champagne is a region. The industry in that region produces a very large amount (25 million 9 liter cases) of sparkling wine in the traditional, bottle-fermented method, and they rightly call their product “Champagne”. Because there is so much produced, the term assumed a generic meaning for all sparkling wine in much of the world. Today, more and more people are aware of the difference between these terms.
It’s been a long day, and it’s time to head home. What might be a favorite wine and food pairing for you?
Maybe a little sushi and Blanc de Noirs. Ask me tomorrow and I might give you a different answer. We love to mix it up.
