A Sparkling Tale

Idaho native, Charles Falk, has been selling a very enjoyable Blanc de Blancs Brut champagne under his Falconer label since 1992, without crushing a single grape or making a base cuvée. This entrepreneurial adventure had its beginning in Boston, where Charles had set his sights on a career in the legal profession.


“At the time,” says Charles, “Boston was a hot bed of wine activity, and there were limitless opportunities to taste and learn about wine. I decided I didn’t want to be a lawyer after all, and took a job with a wine distributor, and then became western representative for an importer who represented Roederer Champagne. That really sparked my interest.

“As if it were preordained, I heard of a winery that had 50,000 bottles of sparkling wine en tirage that it wanted to sell. The idea was very intriguing, and I began experimenting with dosage. After about a year I had what I wanted, then I needed a place to disgorge the wine, and add my dosage, apply corks, hoods, capsules and labels. I was lucky to meet Gerald Ployez, who had a facility in Hayward and we signed a contract which is still in effect.”

Charles releases about 500 cases a year of his vintage dated, LD (late disgorged) champagne. Charles’ first Falconer was from the 1984 vintage, released in 1990. The current release is from the 1985 vintage.

“A good Blanc de Blancs cuvée will last almost forever,” he asserts, “if it is closed with a crown cap and kept in a cool, dark place. It’s only after it is disgorged that the clock starts ticking in real time and you only have a few years to enjoy the freshness it had when it was disgorged. The secret of my success, if there is a secret lies in the flavor that the dosage I created adds to the basic Chardonnay.”

With limited production, and distribution in 15 states, one vintage of Falconer is always sold out by the time the new wine is to be released. It costs about $26.00 a bottle