Refreshed and ready for a new day! There is no “boring” drive in the Napa Valley. Every route, twist and turn bring an interesting and majestic view filled with vibrant colors and rows and rows of vineyard vines.
Gloria Ferrer – The First Sparkling Winery in Carneros
The architecture of this property is reminiscent of a Spanish style hacienda. The curved windows and terracotta red roof tiles transported you to another place.
José Ferrer championed his family’s dream of producing exceptional traditional method sparkling wine in the New World. In the 1980s, he ventured from Barcelona, Spain to Sonoma, California with his wife Gloria in search of the ultimate region to make sparkling wine. They settled upon Carneros…
For the Ferrers, whose Spanish sparkling winegrowing experience goes back generations, the potential of Los Carneros was unmistakable, even before it became an established AVA. They recognized the ideal climate for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay — and thus the perfect terroir for brilliant sparkling wines. Warm days, cool nights, predictable winds, summer fog, and a long growing season coax grapes to maturity slowly and consistently with a desirable balance of sugar and acidity.
( Home| Gloria Ferrar, 2020)
Interesting fact: Gloria Ferrer implemented the Code of Sustainable Winegrowing practices and became certified in 2016 which means they are committed to sustainability practices in the following areas:
- Biodiversity
- Soil health
- Water management
- Integrated pest management
- Energy conservation
- Green business
The Tasting:
We were sat on their Vista Terrace taking in the most picturesque views while being blessed by the sunshine. We enjoyed a customized flight of their four award-winning sparkling wines which we paired with the most delectable and mouthwatering black truffle potato chips served with crème fraiche and caviar. Oh, my word was it to die for! T A K E I T I N. Perfection.
Vista Brut
2017 Blanc de Blanc
2015 Demi – Sec
2008 Carneros Cuvée
We left feeling like royalty and oh so happy. What a way to start the day, but the best was yet to come.
Do you have a bucket list of places you want to visit? For us this was a night we longed dreamed of and an experience we will not soon forget. We are so grateful. To many in the industry The French Laundry is the holy grail. Chef Thomas Keller is the king, renowned for his culinary skills , setting high standards and a new paradigm within the hospitality profession – The French Laundry is his castle.
Due to the pandemic they were seating guests in their delicately manicured courtyard. You would have thought this was always their set-up because of how beautiful every detail was. Each table adorned with perfectly pressed white tables cloths, with perfectly creased corners, held tightly together with their perfect signature branded clothespin. They even had ribbons around their toilet paper! Ahh ?!!! Service staff wore custom fitted navy-blue suits, white gloves and were the epitome of hospitable. They are the best of the best.
The restaurant only serves two menus. One menu is the Chefs’ Tasting Menu, the other is “Tasting of Vegetables” which is geared towards the vegetarian palate. Both are between 8-11 courses which change seasonally except for a few world-renowned Keller dishes.
The Tasting:
The best part about this is you do not have to make any decisions on what to order! Our dinner was nothing short of spectacular, but the icing on top of the five decadent desserts was meeting Thomas Keller, being invited into his kitchen and taken through their wine cellar. Are you kidding me?!
If you ever want to hear the story about our brush with a famous band/musician while dining here, feel free to reach out. It made for an even more exciting night!
Bedtime was met with very full belly’s and smiles from ear to ear.