A renowned French champagne house landing in a tiny under-the-radar valley in Northern California may have sounded more like the setup for a sitcom than the auspicious beginnings of a preeminent new sparkling wine empire, but forty years later Roederer Estate has proven this was no joke, quality and excellence hold the stage. The needs of the vines drove the location, not the wish for a prestigious address. In 1982, when then Louis Roederer president Jean-Claude Rouzaud went searching for the perfect location to establish a presence in California, he found it in Anderson Valley’s cool nights and well-drained clay and gravel soil.
Since planting the first vineyards in 1984 and the debut product offering in 1988, Roederer has proven itself to be one of California’s premier sparkling wines, remaining true to the excellence and style of its French heritage. Part of the secret to this consistency may be that in 40 years there have only been two winemakers. Roederer’s current winemaker, Arnaud Weyrich has been at the helm since replacing Michel Salgues in 2002. Weyrich’s connection to the estate though goes back to 1993, when he was an intern on the property.
Longevity and continuity of the estate team speak to the quality and care of Roeder’s culture. In a region challenged with a severe housing shortage, Roederer provides lodging for their skilled workforce, routinely adding and updating buildings on the Estate to meet demand.
Thoughtful land stewardship is another essential element of Roederer’s core values and influence in the valley. Not limited to just the 100 acres they farm organically, but by adapting and modifying practices whenever possible, Roederer’s commitment to sustainable farming methods earned an estate-wide Fish Friendly Certification.
In selecting to establish the Roederer California outpost in Anderson Valley, Jean-Claude Rouzaud proved that love and fidelity to quality viticulture transcends language and surface differences. Turns out a centuries old maison de champagne is a perfect fit to small town Northern California. Anderson Valley Winegrowers Association wishes to congratulate Roederer Estate on 40 years of excellence in California winemaking and thank them for being the quality land stewards and neighbors that they are – Cheers!
Sign Up for Our Newsletter
Get Updates On The Happenings In Anderson Valley!
