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The Sparkling House of William Chris
Rebecca Caroline is the sparkling house of William Chris Vineyards, named for June Rebecca and Tess Caroline, Chris and Katharine’s daughters. We make traditional-method sparkling wine from Texas grapes, and we pour it in the old Hye Post Office on US-290, right across the street from the winery where all of this started.
From Chris Brundrett
There are moments when you recognize something special before the path is clear. For me, that moment came in 2013, when we produced our first traditional method sparkling wines in Texas. The quality was there. So was the challenge.
At the time, we were still building William Chris: securing fruit, farming vineyards, and supporting our team and families. A true sparkling program required significant investment, specialized equipment, and the right people. It wasn’t something we could take on yet, so we waited.
The turning point came years later. After tasting one of our pétillant naturel wines, my daughter, June Rebecca, asked why we didn’t make traditional method sparkling. As I explained how difficult it is, my youngest, Tess Caroline, said, “Just because something is really hard doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing.”
Not long after, I shared a bottle and a conversation with my friend and fellow Aggie winemaker, Seth Urbanek. We had talked for years about what Texas sparkling wine could be. That night, I decided to stop waiting and asked Seth to help lead the way.
Nearly four years later, we are at the start of something special, something that requires patience, intention, and a deep commitment to quality.
Our promise is simple: we will remain steadfast in crafting the highest-quality traditional method sparkling wines that Texas vineyards can offer. We will be patient, allowing the wines to tell us when they are ready. We will honor this time-tested method while staying true to who we are. And we will continue to grow the good life, together with you.
With gratitude,
Chris, Katharine, June Rebecca, Tess Caroline, Seth, and the Rebecca Caroline Team
How it travels
The second fermentation happens inside the individual bottle you drink from, not in a tank. That is the whole difference, and it is why it takes years.
Stop 01
A small amount of yeast and sugar goes in and the bottle ferments a second time in the dark. The carbon dioxide has nowhere to go, so it dissolves into the wine, which is why the bubbles are fine and persistent rather than coarse.
Stop 02
The spent yeast cells break down slowly against the wine over months or years, a process called autolysis. It is what gives traditional-method sparkling its texture and bread-and-pastry character. There is no shortcut for it.
Stop 03
The bottles are turned and tilted until the sediment collects in the neck, the neck is frozen, the plug fired out under pressure, and the bottle topped up and corked. Every bottle, one at a time.
The Fruit
Boxing RabbitDell ValleyLetkeman FamilyDarst RanchJohn Dale
Sparkling wine starts with grapes picked early, before the sugar climbs and while the acid is still bright. That is a demanding thing to ask of a warm state, and it is the reason most people assume Texas cannot make wine like this.
Our fruit comes from all over the state: the Texas High Plains, and Dell Valley out in Hudspeth County, up against the New Mexico line; and some East Texas counties, with Darst Ranch and John Dale Vineyards. We name the vineyard on the label as often as we can, because the site is the whole point. The method is borrowed. The fruit is not.