Entrance to Gloria Ferrer Winery
23555 Arnold Dr., Sonoma, CA 95476
Website: http://www.gloriaferrer.com/
I had Gloria Ferrer on my list of wineries to visit for quite some time before I actually stopped in. I read good reviews online and in wine magazines about both their still and sparkling wines. I had also tried a couple of the sparkling wines at wine expos near my home.Each time I visited Sonoma, I drove by the winery on my way to other places but always seemed to run out of time on my itinerary. This winery closes a little earlier than the other wineries in the vicinity. I also put off visiting the winery because their tasting experience works a little different from other places. Instead of offering a tasting flight, their sparkling wines can be sampled by the glass. Since I like being able to try multiple wines when I visit a new place I was hesitant to put this at the top of my list. Finally, I didn’t want to put it off any longer and took my husband and sister along with me. My thought process was that if there were three of us each purchasing a glass of wine we would be able to sample each other’s, and hence it would be like getting a tasting flight. I regret that it took me so long to get to this winery because I really enjoyed the wines and experience.
Gloria Ferrer tasting room
Gloria Ferrer is located off of Highway 121 in the Carneros region of Sonoma. It is in close proximity to Viansa, Jacuzzi, and Cline wineries. Upon entering the driveway we drove past a vineyard to our left with the winery up on a hill in the background. This winery is owned by the Ferrer family who have been winegrowers in Spain since the 1500s. It is the same family that owns Freixenet, one of the world’s largest producers of méthode champeniose sparkling wine. José Ferrer started Gloria Ferrer winery in 1982 and named it after his wife who convinced him to purchase the property after visiting Carneros and writing her husband a letter about the beauty of the land that reminded her of Catalonia.
The winery looks like a villa surrounded by trees and vines. There wasn’t a whole lot to see at the winery but their one big selling point is the outdoor terrace with a gorgeous view looking out over Carneros. Gloria Ferrer does offer daily tours of their wine cave for a more in depth history and view of the winery. They also have an indoor tasting bar and seating area. However, most visitors are drawn to the terrace when the weather is nice. That’s where my husband, sister, and I headed when we arrived at the winery.
A view from the outdoor patio at Gloria Ferrer
We sat down at one of the tables and a server brought us menus and a bowl of delicious spiced nuts. Their tasting menu includes a selection of several sparkling wines and some still wines served by the glass. We each ordered a glass of sparkling wine and leisurely sipped it while taking in the surrounding views. It was very relaxing and we loved the wine! The experience was more like having a nice lunch at a café with friends than the typical tasting room where everyone stands around the bar. I would stop in again when I am looking for a place to wind down and drink some good bubbly.