“Wine is meant to be enjoyed with food; it’s part of the table,” says Eva Bertran, executive vice president of Gloria Ferrer. “That’s not just my philosophy, it’s a Spanish philosophy. In Barcelona, Spain, where I’m from, we drink sparkling wine throughout the meal—and it’s hard to understand why that hasn’t caught on in the United States.
“Wine should enhance the eating experience. Sparkling wine has so many food affinities—it has both acidity [because the fruit is picked early] and sugar, which is always added to sparkling wine. Most wines have one or the other, but since sparkling has both, it creates a wider palate of colors to play with.”
Bertran is obviously passionate about this point, even though, she concedes, “it’s an ongoing battle.”
Lucky for us, it’s a battle the Ferrer family is willing to wage.
Descended from a Spanish lineage of sparkling wine makers (Freixenet, anyone?), José and Gloria Ferrer established their Carneros vineyards in 1982; their first vintage was released in 1986. Along for the ride from the very beginning were Bertran, winemaker Bob Iantosca and vineyard manager Mike Crumly (both are also vice presidents). “We came from the trailer times,” laughs Bertran, referencing the days when there was no winery structure, only a small trailer in what would later become the parking lot.
This longevity, says Bertran, “means everything. Wine starts in the vineyard. A winemaker can’t make a miracle; he can only enhance what’s there. Mike and his team know our vineyards intimately. They can recognize patterns over many years and make calculated changes to enhance the quality of our fruit. And Bob’s experience is the same. He knows what every lot brings to the mix.”
Gloria Ferrer produces six different sparkling wines, each hand-harvested and gently pressed. At the top end are the 1997 Carneros Cuvée, the limited release 2004 Brut Rosé and the 2000 Royal Cuvée—but they’re all worthy of a Best Of nod. “They’re all special,” agrees Bertran. “And as the vineyards mature, the flavors will continue to change and mature, and the wines will reflect that evolution.”
In 1991, the winery began producing still wines as well, and now offers Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and small amounts of Merlot and Syrah. “It’s traditional for Champagne houses to produce a small amount of still wine,” explains Bertran.
If all this is making you curious to know more, Gloria Ferrer has established an educational tasting series, hosted by wine educator Cindy Friedman. Topics range from the basics of wine tasting to more advanced lessons in cheese or food pairing. Then there’s the Catalan Festival, an annual celebration of the Ferrer family’s Spanish heritage scheduled mid-summer to roughly coincide with the winery’s first vintage anniversary. Flamenco dancers and Spanish guitar fill the air as guests enjoy a variety of (mostly) Spanish culinary treats and, of course, fabulous Gloria Ferrer wine.
So as the website invites, try Gloria Ferrer to “discover cool-climate wines served with warm Spanish hospitality."
