Starting her career in the 1970s, founding winemaker Eileen Crane had the opportunity to conduct trials with varieties not widely used in sparkling. By far the most intriguing, top quality Pinot Gris was not grown in Carneros and so had no place in her portfolio. But in 2012, a local planting produced such outstanding character that Eileen jumped at the chance to develop a new wine based on what she recalled as its brilliant potential. Lucky us! Old memories and the offer of fine Pinot Gris sparked a new concept and a new wine.