Gloria Ferrer Champagne Caves: The Ferrer Family Brings A Taste Of Spain To Carneros
In 1982, the Ferrer family, proprietors of Freixenet USA, purchased 250 acres of land in Sonoma County’s Carneros wine district. 
There, they planted vineyards with the traditional sparkling wine grapes, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Four years later, their state-of-the-art winery, Gloria Ferrer Champagne Caves, opened to the public. The winery was named after Jose Ferrer’s beloved wife.
In the Ferrer family, women have always played an important role. Jose’s mother, Dolores, ran their winery in Spain for many years after her husband died in the Spanish Civil War. So it’s no surprise that Jose named this winery for Gloria.
Gloria Ferrer Champagne Caves has produced some of the world’s most honored and acclaimed sparkling wines, winning more than 100 gold medals in the last five years alone. The estate was the first in Carneros to specialize in sparkling wine, and helped establish the region as a center of quality winemaking.
Jose wanted to build a winery that would remind him of his home in Catalonia, Spain. That’s why there are red tiles on the roof, thick walls that are the color of the Spanish plains, and hacienda-style archways.
The winery now cultivates 385 acres in Carneros, and produces a range of both sparkling and still wines. With the expansion of the estate vineyard holdings, Merlot and Syrah have been planted where their affinity with the land is clear.
Visitors to the winery will notice the unique Spanish tapestries and antiques, and a tour of the facility – with it state-of-the-art, man-made caves – will unlock the secrets of the classic methode Champenoise process.
The estate’s wines are available for sampling, accompanied by a Catalan tapa of roasted and spiced almonds, either in the expansive tasting room or outdoors on the Vista Terrace, which overlooks the estate vineyards and the southern Carneros appellation.
