Gloria Ferrer
| Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | Sonoma, California, USA |
| Appellation | Carneros AVA |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Key people | José and Gloria Ferrer, Owners; Bob Iantosca, Director of Winemaking; Mike Crumly, Vineyard Manager; Steven Urberg, Winemaker |
| Cases/yr | 150,000 |
| Known for | Sonoma Brut, Blanc de Noirs & Carneros Cuvée |
| Varietals | Sparkling wine, Pinot noir, Chardonnay |
| Other products | Olive Oil |
| Distribution | International |
| Tasting | Open to the public |
| Website | http://www.gloriaferrer.com |
Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards is a winery in Sonoma County, California that specializes in sparkling wines, as well as Pinot noir and Chardonnay wine. It was the first sparkling wine producer in Carneros. It was also the first to plant Champagne grape clones in the region.
Gloria Ferrer was founded in 1982 by the Ferrer family as their primary venture into California winemaking. Owners of Freixenet S.A., one of the primarily Cava producers in Spain, they fulfilled the families lifelong dream of producing wine in the United States. Purchasing 156 acres of cattle ranch land, an additional 100 acres was acquired and production began. The winery was named after José Ferrer's wife, Gloria. The couple continue to run the winery together to this day.
They began producing in 1986 and while primarily founded as a sparkling wine making venue, in the early 1990s they began producing still wine. Upon this decision, red wine producing facilities were built and the wine caves were expanded for storage of both types of production.
Gloria Ferrer's wine making mission is: To capture the full expression of the distinctive Carneros terroir in wines made to pair perfectly with food.
Gloria Ferrer's head winemaker is Bob Iantosca and the vineyard manager is Mike Crumly. Iantosca, who joined Gloria Ferrer in 1984 has created more award-winning California wines than any other winemaker.
Gloria Ferrer owns 335 acres of estate owned vineyards and also works with other grape growers throughout the region to make their wines. They own two vineyards: Home Ranch Estate Vineyards, which is 207 acres of Chardonnay and Pinot noir grapes, and Circle Bar Ranch, 128 acres of Pinot noir and Chardonnay. Their grapes are hand picked, in the early morning hours, during harvest season.
Well known for their grape clone studies, Iantosca and Crumly started experimenting in 1988. Working with UC Davis they started three clonal tests on the two varietals and have since studied over 40 Pinot noir and Chardonnay clones to date. Each clone is tested for vegetation, vine balance, acidity, harvest time, and proper environment.
...
Wikipedia