Scheid’s Carmel tasting room turns 10 and they have sparkling wine for the occasion.

Technically you are allowed to host a celebration without sparkling wine. But why would you? Scheid Vineyards’ Carmel tasting room turns 10 on Thursday, Dec. 23, and they are commemorating the anniversary by offering complimentary samples of sparkling wine to guests who drop by. And as fortune would have it, they have the Scheid Isabelle sparkler.

The 2015 vintage is prepared with great care by winemaker Marta Kraftzeck – a balance of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay tilted slightly toward the former, traditional methode champenoise treatment, 30 months on lees.

Streams of tiny beads lace the wine as it waits in the glass, spilling aromas of apricot and pear, with a sweet, toasty wisp and an edge of tart apple. It promises to be celebratory and it is. Bright fruits plash on the palate, with a dazzling salinity eased by honeyed brioche and a hearty minerality. The finish is rounded by citrus zest.

Chelsea Lineart, Scheid’s Carmel tasting room manager, credits both method and terroir. “The climate – we’re similar to Champagne,” she explains. “You want a cool climate that brings higher acidity and less sugar.”

And Scheid is bringing more merry to the party, introducing a new line of sparkling wines that will debut at the celebration and then stick around for the next big shindig. Come 2022, Scheid Vineyards will have been making fine wines for 50 years.

“We plan to celebrate all year,” Lineart says.

SCHEID VINEYARDS’ Carmel tasting room is at San Carlos and Seventh, Carmel. Sunday-Thursday 11am-6pm; Friday-Saturday 11am-7pm (closed Dec. 25). 626-9463, scheidvineyards.com