On June 14, Wolf Mountain Vineyards and Winery in Dahlonega, Georgia, will release three new sparkling wines that are created using the traditional Methode Champenoise, which is the “French Method” used in Champagne and involves several distinct steps. The winery, the first in Georgia to use this method in fine sparkling wine production, is also proud to announce that every aspect of the manufacturing process is done by hand, which will keep production very limited; 50 cases each of the Brut Rose and Sparkling Demi-Sec (both $23.95 per bottle) and 150 cases of the Blanc de Blancs Brut, the winery’s flagship sparkling wine ($19.95), will be released this year. This first release of sparkling wines will only be available at the Winery.

“Because I enjoy sparkling wine so much, I was curious to learn more about the details of the traditional Champagne Method, then it became a challenge,” says Karl Boegner, owner and winemaker of Wolf Mountain Vineyards and Winery. “We began the hand process a year and a half ago, and I wouldn’t do it any other way. Wolf Mountain is about quality and handcrafted wines.”

Karl began the research process by visiting Champagne houses in California as well as in Epernay and Reims, France. He studied the styles and techniques of these estates in order to incorporate the same exceptional methods into Wolf Mountain’s production to achieve the quality of prestigious producers while still maintaining a local, distinctive character.

The process begins by creating a still wine with low alcohol, delicate flavors and lots of acidity – creating the cuvée. Then yeast and nutrients are added to cause fermentation in the bottle. This mixture is then bottled and sealed. When fermentation is complete and the yeast settles after several months, known as the tirage, the winemaker gets the dead yeast cells to collect in the neck of the bottle by placing the bottles upside down in a rack and turning each bottle by hand one quarter turn every day for two months (a process known as riddling). The sediment is frozen in the neck and then popped out of the bottle when the cap is removed with a small tool; this step is called disgorging. From here, dosage trials are used to adjust the sweetness and acidity. Once the right flavor is achieved, the Winery uses the dosage machine, which was imported from Spain, in order to get the correct flavors precisely added. The sparkling wine is then capped. Wolf Mountain uses a crown cap method instead of a cork, following in the footsteps of Domaine Chandon’s Étoile flagship sparkling wine. The crown cap is then dipped in black wax, giving the bottle an elegant and mysterious appearance.

“I think it brings to the winery a certain elegance to produce sparkling wine,” says Brannon Boegner, Karl’s son and vineyard manager and assistant winemaker at Wolf Mountain. “It completes our family of wines and gives guests and consumers the full experience.”

Karl and Brannon spent most of their research and production time on dosage trials, doing about 15 per sparkling wine. On May 19, Karl guided local food and wine professionals through a tour of the facility and a tasting of Blanc de Blancs, Brut, Brut Rose, and Sparkling Demi-Sec. This select panel assisted in identifying the final dosage options for Georgia’s first sparkling wine.

“Winemaking is an art form,” says Brannon. “We established ourselves in 1999, and now, nine years later, we’ve become much more refined. “I’m excited to see our sparkling wine evolve in the same way as we continue to refine the production process.”

Wolf Mountain Vineyards and Winery will offer their new sparkling wines as part of their winery tasting experience. Guests will be given the option of tasting the Winery’s sparkling wines for $10 per person, a flight of red and wine award winning still wines for $10 per person, or $15 for those who would like to try flights of all three. Winery Tastings are available Thursday through Saturday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Monday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Come August, the Winery will also celebrate the signing of Georgia’s direct shipping law, which goes into effect on July 1, 2008 and allows Georgia wineries to ship their products to Georgia residents of legal drinking age, by offering the first shipment of the state’s premiere sparkling wine made in the traditional method to its Wine Club members along with other exclusive benefits. For more information about the Wine Club or to sign up, visit www.wolfmountainvineyards.com.

Wolf Mountain’s philosophy of winemaking is more European than Californian, incorporating French oak aging with an emphasis on blending grape varietals to achieve more complexity. Wolf Mountain wines are produced at the 1,800-foot elevation of the Dahlonega Plateau. The Boegner family’s pastoral hillside vineyards, fieldstone-encased winery and hospitality facilities overlook the foothills of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and offer a wine and food pairing lunch Monday through Saturday followed by an elegant Sunday brunch. The Vineyard and Winery provides the perfect setting for the enjoyment of award-winning handcrafted wines, vineyard weddings, Sunday brunch, cafe lunch and gourmet dinners. Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery is located at 180 Wolf Mountain Trail in Dahlonega, Georgia. For more information or to make reservations, call 706-867-9862 or visit www.wolfmountainvineyards.com. Visit the Winery’s Facebook product page at www.facebook.com/pages/Wolf-Mountain-Vineyards-Winery/26198040303.