Our History

The Ferrer family, owners of the Catalan-based cava house Freixenet, have a sparkling wine history that spans four generations and as many continents.

When the Ferrers came to Sonoma County in the early 1980s, they visited a cattle ranch in the cool-climate Carneros region with the idea that it might become the future home of Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards. At the time, there was not a single sparkling wine house in the region, but José Ferrer and his wife, Gloria, were not deterred. Nor was their faith in the viticultural potential of the pastureland shaken when the property’s resident bull charged their son Pedro, serendipitously clad in a red sweater. On the contrary, the family saw it as an omen of the unexpectedly distinctive personality that ran through the land.

The First Carneros Sparkling Wine House

The Ferrers purchased the ranch in 1982, and after acquiring adjacent acreage, planted vineyards with the traditional sparkling wine grapes of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In 1986, construction on the family’s state-of-the-art winery was complete, and Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards became the first sparkling wine house in Carneros.

Building a California winery was the fulfillment of a longtime dream for José Ferrer, whose family had been winegrowers in Spain since the 1500s. Gloria, José and their two sons, Pedro and José Maria, were deeply committed to running Gloria Ferrer as a family business, and equally determined that every bottle of wine made in their new sparkling wine house reflect its authentic California terroir. As a result, they only imported three winemaking techniques from Freixenet: their commitment to handpicking the grapes, carrying the grapes to the winery in small bins and gently pressing the fruit.

Today, winemaking at Gloria Ferrer reflects the family’s desire to capture the full expression of the distinctive cool-climate Carneros character in wines made to pair perfectly with food.