Behind the Bubbles

We spent an afternoon at Shelton Vineyards for learning, food and bubbles

Winemaker Ethan Brown talks to a group about Shelton Vineyards’ sparkling wine program. Photo by Dathan Kazsuk.

By Dathan Kazsuk & Jennifer Primrose

Bubbles have been a lifelong obsession. As kids, we’d spend hours with those slippery little bottles of soapy water, dipping that tiny red wand and blowing bubbles until the backyard looked like a low-budget magic show. Indoors? Yeah, we tried that too—until mom put an end to it. Then came the bubble guns, firing off a rapid stream of floating spheres faster than we could chase them.

Fast forward to adulthood, and we’re still chasing bubbles—just in a different way. Now, instead of soapy water, it’s in a glass, preferably something chilled and with a bit of elegance. That yeasty, bready aroma, hints of apples, and, let’s be honest—a little tipsy magic at the end. Some things never change. We still love bubbles. We just drink them now.

So, when Screw it Wine & Spirits was invited to Shelton Vineyards in Dobson by Jennie Hess, director of hospitality and winemaker Ethan Brown, we made sure our calendars were open to experience the winery's "Behind the Bubbles,"
back again for its third year!