Just in time for National Bubbly Day are three well priced and absolutely enchanting sparkling wines from Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards, one of my favorite wineries (click here for why!). Apparently, social media’s National Bubbly Day, held on the first Saturday in June, was started in 2017 by Freixenet in order to officially celebrate those sparkling wines that everyone these days is craving. I’m in!
Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards
Perhaps you’ve heard of José Ferrer. His family, an established sparkling wine producer in Catalonia, Spain, had been winegrowers since the 1500s and was the family behind La Freixeneda, a 12th century farming estate. When José’s parents wed, two prominent wine families were joined. The result was Freixenet, now internationally recognized as one of the world’s largest producers of méthode champenoise sparkling wines.
José Ferrer and his wife, Gloria, visited Sonoma County in the 1980s with a pioneering spirit and vow to honor his father’s thwarted dream of developing a winery in the New World. In 1982, the Ferrers purchased a 160-acre cattle ranch. On it were planted three quarters of Pinot Noir vineyards and the remaining area to Chardonnay. One year later, Los Carneros became the first wine region to receive an American Viticultural Area (AVA) designation, one that is based on climate and terroir as opposed to political boundaries. Ferrer’s intuition that the land was exceptional for grape-growing was validated.
Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards was developed with the mission to maintain “continuity and long-term sustainability – as a business and for the land that will sustain the Gloria Ferrer family for generations to come”. Gloria Ferrer now owns 385 acres and has expanded the wine portfolio to include estate varietal wines as a complement to its sparkling wine portfolio. It was the first sparkling wine house in Carneros, a well justified source of pride.
Vineyards at Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards
I don’t know about you, but I never need a reason to open a bottle of bubbly… Momentous occasions only? NO! Sparkling wine should be sipped any day of the week with whatever or whomever you wish! I could suggest food pairings, but in my humble opinion, a delicious bubbly can be paired with appetizers, your favorite dish served at lunch or dinner (breakfast, perhaps?) or an exhilarating conversation with your bestie!
So that you’re able to start your National Bubbly Day party early, check out the following wines from Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards, purchase a few bottles from your local wine shop, and enjoy!
Gloria Ferrer NV Blanc de Noir ($22) – With each sip of the Blanc de Noir, a blend of 92% Pinot Noir and 8% Chardonnay, I felt like royalty! Aromas and flavors of strawberries and cream held court although I was mesmerized by the persistent mousse, luscious elements of red flowers, vanilla, black cherries, ripe orchard fruit, and strawberries, and a long finish. Pinky out!
Gloria Ferrer NV Brut Rose ($29) – I absolutely love this wine with its bright aromas of ripe strawberries, lemon, and toast that were a welcoming portal to flavors of tart raspberries and a creamy finish. Versatile in every way, this low-alcohol bubbly should be one of your sparkling wines at-the-ready!
Cheers! ~ Cindy
Ann Wilkerson
Cindy Rynning