Union Sacre Sylvaner 2024

The vibe: Sylvaner?? I hardly know her! Wait but seriously, who is she? We’re so glad you asked. Sylvaner is one of our favorite niche varietals hailing from Alsace, France but rarely grown outside this region. Rancho Sisquoc, the preeminent Santa Maria Valley vineyard for Sylvaner fruit, has been owned by the same family of cattle ranchers since 1850! You may have noticed this bottle’s slender shape and long neck, and in fact, all Union Sacre bottles share this physique, owing inspiration to the elongated bottles of Alsace. With an American and French winemaker duo at the helm, Union Sacre wines are an homage to the union of two backgrounds and two terroirs. The result is an unmistakably Alsatian-coded white wine with plenty of buzzing acidity, lime leaf citrus notes, flinty minerality and a kiss of asian pear sweetness on the finish.

The winemaker: The founders of Union Sacré wines, Philip Muzzy and Xavier Arnaudin, are two unassuming friends from opposite sides of the world that met making wine in the Central Coast.  Xavier has an oenology degree from France, and Philip is a self-taught designer from Michigan. After becoming fast friends working for wineries that shared facilities, Philip asked Xavier to help him make a Riesling for his wedding. The two set off on this adventure and it was a SMASH HIT! They had quite a bit of wine left over, so they sold it off. This little project went so well they decided to run with it and continue to make wine together.

The geeky details: 100% Sylvaner. Straight to press press then fermented in stainless steel tank on fine lees. Aged in neutral French oak barrels and 500 liter puncheons. Bottled unfiltered and unfined.

Serve: With a chill.

Food pairing: This crispy, acid-driven white will complement complex dishes with savory, spicy, or umami notes and will wash down salty shellfish, grilled fish, and even the dreaded asparagus (notoriously difficult to pair wine with!).

Album pairing: Parcels - LOVED