Zak Miller is the sparkling winemaker for Domaine Carneros in the Los Carneros AVA of California. After more than a decade working on the winemaking team under Domaine Carneros’ founding winemaker Eileen Crane, Zak stepped into the role of sparkling winemaker in 2020. Before discovering his passion for winemaking, Zak spent years working as a forestry scientist, but following his first harvest at neighboring Carneros winery Saintsbury Vineyards, he was hooked. Zak went on to work harvests abroad in New Zealand and Chile, returning home to join the team at Domaine Carneros in 2008. At the time, he was focused on still winemaking and mastering Pinot Noir, but under Crane’s guidance, Zak developed a deep fascination and appreciation for sparkling and never looked back. Media Inquiries: Sofia Spieler sofia@charlescomm.com | https://www.domainecarneros.com/
What’s the ONE THING most unique, authentic, & memorable about your brand?
The unique characteristic of Domaine Carneros is that we make wines with a sense of place. We were started by the Taittinger’s, and the old-world winemaking philosophy is at our very core. We are 100% Carneros, we own and manage 400 estate acres. We are essentially a domestic grower/producer, and that is rare in New World Sparkling wines. Philosophically we look at our estate fruit as “we are growing the wines”. Estate fruit gives us complete control over the clone, the root stock, the block size, row orientation, etc. This all translates to the highest quality and allows us to make wines that are a great value for their price point.
Describe how and what you’d do with your winemaking career or winery business if you were not constrained.
If there were no limits (no financial, logistical, or resource constraints) I suppose I’d spend less time worrying about what’s possible and more time refining what’s already exceptional. The truth is that winemaking is defined by its constraints. They force creativity, precision, and care. Without them, there wouldn’t be much of a challenge or much fun.
At Domaine Carneros, we’ve chosen a path of intentional limits: to make sparkling wine of the highest quality, with a true sense of place, in the traditional method. That focus means we’ll never be the biggest producer, but that’s by design.
If we’re dreaming big, I’d imagine having access to endless parcels of pristine Carneros fruit, the time to experiment with every possible blend and dosage, and the ability to share our wines instantly with anyone, anywhere in the world. And maybe, in this perfect world, I’d live on a small island in the Pacific and scuba dive on the weekends.
What is the One Wine most emblematic of your brand and/or winemaking style? Tell us its story.
My desert island wine would have to be Le Rêve. I often say it’s like choosing a favorite child, but if I had to pick one wine to drink for the rest of my life, this would be it.
Le Rêve was born from founder Claude Taittinger’s dream to craft the finest Blanc de Blancs in the New World, modeled after the world-famous French counterpart, the Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs. It became the embodiment of that vision under Eileen Crane’s leadership, capturing both her precision and her pioneering spirit as she guided Domaine Carneros forward.
Today, Le Rêve stands as the ultimate expression of our house style, pure Chardonnay, refined through time, patience, and intention. To me, it’s more than a sparkling wine; it’s a story of continuity, craftsmanship, and quiet confidence. It represents everything we strive for: elegance, longevity, and a true sense of place. Please read my review of this exceptional sparkling wine.
Bonus Question: Why Winemaking?
Why not winemaking? Because it’s the perfect intersection of science and craft. Each vintage is a single opportunity, a once-a-year experiment, to learn, adapt, and refine. No matter how much experience you gain, there’s always something new to discover: a technique, a texture, a nuance in the fruit.
The goal is simple but never complete, to make the wine just a little better each time. That pursuit is endless, and that’s what makes it so captivating. The challenge can never be fully mastered, which is precisely what keeps it rewarding.
After nearly two decades at Domaine Carneros, that constant evolution still excites me. Every harvest feels like both a continuation and a new beginning.