By Mark Stock

If recent history is any indication, the Willamette Valley is no stranger to sparkling wine. As the quality continues to rise, and more and more producers join the party, the region long known for still Pinot Noir will be talked about in the same reverential tone for its bubbly.

With so many New World sparkling operations, the French influence abounds; for Lytle-Barnett, the Old World nod is practically a bow. It’s the guiding light for one of the newest arrivals to the Willamette Valley effervescent stage. Co-founder Andy Lytle explains, “My partner, Antony Beck, and I wanted to make high-end sparkling wine in Oregon the same way that the French make vintage méthode Champenoise in Champagne.”