Scintillation: Syncline Wine Cellars

Scintillating Definition: (adjective) 
sparkling or shining brightly, effervescent: "the scintillating sun"
brilliantly and excitingly clever or skillful: "the audience loved his scintillating wit"

Exactly! The audience loved his scintillating "Scintillation." 

When I first saw this exciting label and the fact there was a new bubbly in the Northwest, I searched it out.  I had no idea where this new wine was coming from. I even asked a distributor, who also happened to be the rep for Syncline Wine Cellars if they had heard of this new sparkling wine. They hadn't - - yet. It had to be the best kept secret around. Finally, it showed up in print on the distributor's catalog, and I was thrilled and rather anxious to get a hold of it. Indeed, it turned out this new bubbly was from Syncline Wine Cellars, located in Lyle, near the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area in the southern part of Washington State. 

A few years ago, I had the pleasure to visit Syncline with a group of other wine and travel writers. We met up with James and Poppie Mantone at their modest facility tucked away in the gorgeous green woodsy setting. It is a working farm, yet a peaceful setting that takes you away from all of the problems of the world.  The Mantones wine emphasis is on Rhone varietals, biodynamic farming practices, and of course their beautiful location.  

James Mantone (photo by: W5)

Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered Syncline was also producing a sparkler, and I was able to purchase a few bottles last spring. Knowing the reputation of the Mantones and their passion for beautiful and well made wines, I was comfortable to purchase this bubbly without a preview of tasting. 

The Scintillation label is produced as a brut and also a brut rose. Lately my passion has been sparkling dry roses and I always get so excited to spot a new one.  

Scintillation Brut Rose is produced with 58% Pinot Noir and 42% Chardonnay from the Celilo Vineyard.  This vineyard rests on a bluff at Underwood Mountain, and overlooks the Columbia River Gorge. The vineyard can boast as having some of the oldest vines in the area. The Pinot Noir sourced for Scintillation is from a two-acre block planted in 1972. The Chardonnay is from an original block, planted in 1981. 

The sparking rose is one of my favorite colors of wine, as it is a pale salmon color with many-many-many very fine bubbles. If you can get your nose close enough to the wine without the bubbles tickling, it wafts of spring flowers and strawberries. Of course, it tickles the palate leaving a taste of fresh strawberries, kiwi, and lively acids. It's fresh and crisp.

If you love this style of wine like I do - - you need this one. With spring around the corner, it is perfect for porch sippin'. 

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