Our History

The First Sparkling Wine House in Carneros

When the Ferrers first came from Barcelona, Spain to Sonoma County, California in the 1980s, there was not a single sparkling wine house in Carneros. But the windswept hills, at the time predominantly home to cattle and sheep ranches, awoke a familiar inspiration in José and Gloria Ferrer. The Mediterranean climate, sloping hills, and maritime influences, reminiscent of their native Catalonia, would be ideally suited for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the two most important sparkling wine grapes. In 1982, they purchased a 160-acre cattle ranch and planted three-quarters of their new estate to Pinot Noir vines and the remaining quarter to Chardonnay. As the first sparkling wine house in Carneros, Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards opened its doors in 1986 with a new winery designed to resemble a masia (Catalan farmhouse). Now 24 years later, Gloria Ferrer has 335 acres, including the 128-acre Circle Bar Ranch, and has expanded the wine portfolio to include Pinot Noir and Chardonnay estate varietal wines as a complement to the sparkling wine portfolio. With a winegrowing team headed by VP Production Mike Crumly and Executive Winemaker Bob Iantosca, who share almost a quarter century of vintage memories, Gloria Ferrer continues to garner hundreds of gold medals and top accolades throughout the world.

Founding Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards was the fulfillment of a longtime dream for José Ferrer. The Ferrers, winegrowers since the 1500s and the family behind La Freixeneda – a 12th-century farming estate – were well-established sparkling wine producers in Catalonia, Spain. The marriage of José’s parents, Pedro Ferrer Bosch and Dolores Sala Ferrer, had united two prominent Spanish wine families. The result was Freixenet, which would eventually become the world’s largest producer of méthode champenoise sparkling wines.

José’s father, Pedro, dreamed of expanding the Ferrer’s tradition of exceptional sparkling wine to the New World, and he began searching for land in the United States in the 1930s. His dream had yet to be fulfilled when he and his eldest son lost their lives in the Spanish Civil War. His youngest son, José Ferrer, inherited his father’s pioneering spirit and passion for sparkling wine and never forgot Pedro’s wish. José shared this dream with his wife, Gloria, who encouraged him to build her namesake winery in a breathtaking Carneros pasture. José and Gloria’s son Pedro, and his family, moved to California to lay the foundation for the family’s first American winery.

The family was resolute that, while Gloria Ferrer wines would be true to the Carneros terroir, the winery itself would be a vibrant blend of their cherished Catalan culture and new California home. Their Spanish culture of generosity continues to be expressed through José and Gloria’s commitment to high-quality wines for everyone to enjoy. True to family tradition, the Ferrers established Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards with an eye on continuity and long-term sustainability – as a business, and for the land that will sustain the Gloria Ferrer family for generations to come.