Gloria Ferrer is a pioneering sparkling wine house in Sonoma County, California, founded in the early 1980s by the Ferrer family of Spain, who are also behind Freixenet. Their vision was to bring the centuries-old tradition of Spanish sparkling wine to the New World, combining deep expertise with the unique terroir of Carneros. At that time, the Carneros region was just emerging as one of California’s most promising areas for cool-climate grapes, and Gloria Ferrer became the first sparkling wine house established there.

From the beginning, the estate focused on planting Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the classic Champagne grapes, experimenting with different clones to see which best thrived in Carneros’s soils and fog-cooled climate. Today, the estate encompasses hundreds of acres of vineyards, and nearly all of their sparkling wines are estate-grown, giving them a high degree of control over quality and style. The wines are made in the traditional méthode champenoise, with secondary fermentation in bottle, which allows them to deliver fine bubbles, elegant structure, and layers of complexity that have become hallmarks of the brand.

While sparkling wine is the foundation of Gloria Ferrer’s identity, they also produce still Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that express the character of their vineyards. Sustainability is central to their philosophy, with practices such as cover cropping, composting, and wildlife habitat protection ensuring the health of the land for future generations.

As a brand, Gloria Ferrer represents a union of Old World heritage and New World innovation. It embodies Spanish winemaking tradition, California terroir, and a commitment to refinement. Over the decades, it has become not only a leader in American sparkling wine but also an ambassador for Carneros, proving that this corner of Sonoma can produce wines of elegance and distinction that rival some of the best in the world.