Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/148134
WINEMAKER TEX SAWYER INSURES CONSISTENCY OF QUALITY AT SCHARFFENBERGER CELLARS The Scharffenberger Cellars Brut Rosé Excellence mirrors the style of the Brut, but "with a handful of raspberries thrown in," says Sawyer. W ith 25 years of sparkling winemaking to his credit, Tex Sawyer has long been the hand behind Scharffenberger Cellars. Sawyer, a Texan whose given name is a mystery to all but a few, personifies the wine style and quality that have been constants at Scharffenberger since he became winemaker in 1989. In marking a quarter-century milestone, Sawyer is quick to credit vineyard manger Tom Reed, who also joined the winery that same year, as well as his production and vineyard crew, some of whom have seen 27 harvests on the estate. "We're in our sixth rendition of the Scharffenberger Cellars label and we're still making the same style of wine," said Sawyer, whose team produces upwards of 30,000 cases of the popular California sparklers. Early on in his career, it was a role at Navarro Winery that first drew Sawyer to Mendocino County's Anderson Valley. He went on to spend some time in Lake County at Steele Winery after Jed Steele gave up the day-to-day demands of winemaking, before returning to cooler, coastal vineyards and his enduring career at Scharffenberger. True to House Style Tex Sawyer is an avid surfer. Scharffenberger Cellars has a storied past, but it escaped the fate of many wineries that have repeatedly changed hands. The winery has been under the ownership of three venerable champagne houses since it was founded as a virtual winery by chocolatier John Scharffenberger in 1981. It was the property of Pommery-Lanson when Sawyer came on board, and his tenure through decades of champenoise ownership has stayed the brand through its evolution. Between 1998 and 2004, it was held by Moët Hennessey under the name Pacific Echo. The brand reverted to its original moniker in 2004 when the house of Louis Roederer took the helm. With Sawyer leading the winemaking efforts, the quality of the wines has only improved while staying true to the house style he established 15 years earlier. august 2013 / the tasting panel / 61 TP0813_034-65.indd 61 7/24/13 9:48 PM