Breathless Wines was founded by three Sonoma-born sisters — Sharon Cohn, Rebecca Faust, and Cynthia Faust — as a tribute to their mother, Martha Jane, who passed away from Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, a rare genetic lung disease. Martha never took a breath for granted, and she made sure her daughters didn't either. The name "Breathless" honors both the moments she created and the harder truth of her passing.

Founded in 2011 and opened to the public in 2015, Breathless produces exclusively traditional-method sparkling wines from select North Coast vineyards — sourced primarily from Sonoma County and Mendocino County. The tasting room in Healdsburg, built from five reclaimed shipping containers and styled with a 1920s Art Deco interior, is one of Sonoma's most distinctive destinations. In 2020, Breathless was named Winery of the Year by the Rising Wine Stars awards. Forbes called the wines "excellent… joyous and playful."

Every Breathless wine is made using méthode champenoise — the same labor-intensive traditional method used in Champagne, with secondary fermentation happening in the bottle and wines aged a minimum of three years on the lees. The portfolio spans 14 to 15 distinct bottlings: Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, Brut Rosé, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Blanc, Moscato, and a Late Disgorged Brut aged over a decade before release.

Production is based at Rack & Riddle — the premium custom sparkling wine facility co-founded by sister Rebecca Faust and Bruce Lundquist in 2007, one of the most respected sparkling wine production facilities in California. Having their own production backbone gives Breathless both the infrastructure and the expertise to produce at a level most small wineries couldn't access independently.

Sharon Cohn leads Breathless as founder and "Sister 1 of 3," handling hospitality, brand, and customer relationships. Rebecca Faust co-founded both Breathless and Rack & Riddle — bringing over 25 years of wine industry finance experience from Piper Sonoma and Lambert Bridge Winery. Cynthia Faust rounds out the founding trio. Winemaker Penny Gadd-Coster — named "Winemaker of the Year" by the North Bay Business Journal and described by the sisters as their honorary fourth sister — has led the wine program since the beginning with over 37 years of sparkling wine expertise, including stints at Jordan and J Winery.