In 1986, Gloria Ferrer became the first sparkling wine house in California’s Sonoma Carneros region, and today it still embodies Spanish winegrowing history, time-honored tradition, and centuries-old sustainable practices, making exceptional sparkling wines that pair beautifully with food. The Ferrer family has assembled a strong winegrowing team with an eye toward longevity, and the vineyard crew shares almost a quarter century of vintage knowledge. All of the fruit for Gloria Ferrer’s varietal wines and a portion of the fruit their sparkling wines is cultivated on two Sonoma Carneros estate properties. The Pinot Noir is planted in the rocky, volcanic soils on the estate’s highest ridges while the Chardonnay is planted in the clay-rich soils on the lower sections of the estate. Diverse growing conditions within the two vineyard properties allow Gloria Ferrer to plant vineyards with particular wines in mind. The consistent release of water on the well-drained valley floor eliminates vine stress which is an ideal condition for sparkling wines.
What I loved about visiting Gloria Ferrer was the personalized experience they strive to create for each guest. Unlike some wineries that want you to taste as many of their wines in as short a time as possible, Gloria Ferrer really encourages you to find a cozy location, order a glass or two of wine and some delicious basque snacks (sold at the winery tasting room) and enjoy the whole experience without rushing, or overwhelming your palate. You won’t find guests crowded around the tasting bar, pounding back taste after taste. Instead, people order their wines from the bar, and servers then take the glasses of wine to wherever you’re ensconced either at an indoor table in front of the cozy fireplace or outdoors on the sundrenched terrace. The sparkling wines themselves are excellent and pair beautifully with food. I visited Gloria Ferrer directly after a trip to Iron Horse Winery, and the key difference I tasted between their sparkling wines was that Gloria’s were warmer, maltier and had more sweetness than Iron Horse, whose wines had a lot more minerality than warm baked fruit flavors. My favorites were the Carneros Cuvee and the Sonoma Brut Late Release but you can’t go wrong with any of the sparkling wines from this winery.
My tasting notes below:
2007 Brut Rose: $42 per bottle - 95% Pinot Noir, 5% Chardonnay
This blushing rose is slightly sweet with bright pink hints of rose petals and strawberries and ripe blood orange. Great to pair with spicy cuisine like Thai or Indian and can also hold up well to Chicken, sushi or crab.
Va de Vi - $22 per bottle - 89% Pinot Noir, 8% Chardonnay, 3% Muscat
Classic cava-style sparkling wine with luscious flavors of warm, ripe baked apple and pear with a long, vanilla finish. This wine is one of the few sparkling wines that is sweet enough from the Muscat to pear well with a fruit based dessert.
2004 Royal Cuvee: $32 per bottle - 67% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay
A delightful medley of bright apple, cherry, strawberry and hints of citrus fruits. Slightly drier than the Va da Vi.
2000 Carneros Cuvee: $50 per bottle - 55% Pinot, 45% Chardonnay
This delicious beautifully aged cuvee bursts with warm caramel apple flavors, buttered bread, and baked pear.
Sonoma Brut Late Release: $25 per bottle - 87% Pinot Noir, 13% Chardonnay
This sparkling wine has more than 5 years of age allowing it to develop mature flavors of hazelnut, baked apple and honey with a honeysuckle floral nose. This wine has warm yeasty flavors but enough acidity to pair well with creamy cheese, shellfish and roasted fowl.
Blanc de Noirs: $20 per bottle - 92% Pinot Noir, 8% Chardonnay
This creamy wine has ripe red flavors of wild strawberry and black cherry with sweet vanilla notes. A perfect pairing for main course dishes like pork, quail and foie gras.