Glorious Gloria Ferrer Pairings

“Sparkling wine goes with everything,” a phrase we commonly hear when pairing bubbly with food. Technically speaking though, I have to disagree. Some sparkling wines are so light, that they rarely pair well with some of my favorite seasonal dishes. I’m always on board with comfort foods in the winter, and made it my mission to pair these rich, substantial side dishes with a sparkling wine. Why? Because I love my bubbly, duh. Luckily, I found Gloria Ferrer as proof that bubbles can in fact stand up to my winter go-tos. Perhaps this is due to their warmer climate and Carneros situation, which gives their sparkling wines a little more umpf.

Gloria Ferrer was founded and stilled owned by the Ferrer family of Spain. In fact, they were the first winery in the Carneros AVA over 30 years ago! Today, with 335 acres under vine, the vineyards produce some of the best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, both of which are used for sparkling and still. Similar to the production in Spain, the family makes sparkling wine in the traditional method only. This isn't always the case for wineries in California. I can personally notice a heightened complexity and immensely longer-lasting bubbles, due to the secondary fermentation in the bottle. 

GLORIA FERRER SONOMA BRUT: (91% Pinot Noir, 9% Chardonnay)            

A delicate sparkling wine with a full-bodied palate. Hints of ripe raspberries and red roses complete the fruit-driven nose and toasted almonds on the palate. With effortless minerality, this sparkling wine can pair easily with slow-cooked seasonal vegetables, like my roasted carrots or charred Brussels sprouts.

GLORIA FERRER BLANC DE BLANC: (100% Chardonnay)

Brioche, orange blossoms and ripe pear graze the nose, while green apples and lemongrass complete the palate. Extremely well balanced, this highly textural sparkling wine can easily stand up to cream sauces, (even my rich risotto) as the acidity cuts right through the fat.

Don't believe me? Try these three recipes with Gloria Ferrer’s Blanc de Blanc and Sonoma Brut.

1.)    Brussels sprouts with chorizo. Recipe by Saveur HERE or copy and paste: http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Brussels-Sprouts-with-Chorizo

2.)    Sesame roasted carrots and parsnips. Recipe by Big Girl Small Kitchen HERE or copy and paste: http://www.biggirlssmallkitchen.com/2015/12/roasted-carrots-and-parsnips-with-sesame-sauce.html

3.)    Mushroom orzo risotto. Recipe by My Recipies HERE or copy and paste: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/mushroom-orzo-risotto

DID YOU KNOW… Gloria Ferrer wines have earned over 500 gold medals and 50 90+ scores in the last 5 years! Pick up yours and learn more here: http://clvr.li/1I2GxmY

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.