Breathless Sparkling Wines

Breathless was founded in 2012 by three Sonoma-born sisters (Sharon Cohn, Rebecca Faust, and Cynthia Faust) as a tribute to their late mother, Martha Jane, who taught them that each breath is a gift and to “live life breathlessly.” Women-owned from the start, the house makes only traditional-method sparkling, the same méthode champenoise used in Champagne, guided by award-winning winemaker Penny Gadd-Coster, who calls herself the honorary fourth sister. The cuvées are aged two to three years on the lees, giving them a depth that holds its own in a blind pour against bottles many times the price. The tasting room opened in 2016, a few blocks off the Healdsburg plaza.

The room itself is a destination. Built from four reclaimed shipping containers by a metalworking artist, it hides a glamorous 1920s Art Deco interior (Parisian-blue walls, chandeliers, and marble-and-mixed-metal accents), opening onto a dog-friendly garden patio. Guests reserve a seated flight from the Sparkling Collection, then linger over a glass or a bottle; for every $100 spent on wine, one tasting fee is waived. Add a sparkling-and-chocolate pairing with seasonal bonbons from a Top-10 American pastry chef, or book the signature Sabrage Experience: a one-on-one lesson in opening a bottle with a saber, after which you keep the bottle you opened to enjoy on the property. Tastings run Thursday through Monday by reservation.