Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut
Time and time again, Gloria Ferrer is a brand of sparkling wine that you’ll see get accolades as a good, affordable sparkling wine. And for good reason, it’s good stuff.
I often tell people to toss aside the Champagne flutes and drink bubbly from a bigger glass. The reason is that I think aroma is an important part of the wine drinking experience with any wine, including sparkling wines, and you don’t get those aromas when you use a flute. A colleague of mine, who is another wine geek like me, disagrees with me because as he says, “why do you need to smell yeast?” In many cases there is a lot more complexity in the bouquet of bubbly wines than just yeast, but this one, I will agree, has quite a bit of yeast.
Indeed, of all the sparkling wines I’ve tasted, this one has the strongest yeast aroma I’ve ever come across. It’s like smelling uncooked bread dough. There’s also a touch of mineral and a slice of apple in the nose. The yeastiness is also very prevalent on the palate, where you’ll also find loads of citrus and green apple. The yeast flavor rests on the back of your tongue in the finish along with a touch of mineral and a pinch of sea salt. Try this wine with a triple crème cheese on a cracker… I think you’ll like it.
Wine: Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut
Variety: Sparkling White Blend
Vintage: N/V
Alcohol: 12.9%
Rating: 88
Price: $15.99
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I’m with you on the glassware. I go with a regular, oversize wine glass every time. Sparkling wine doesn’t last in my glass more than few seconds anyway, so the fact that the bubbles go away more quickly in a big glass than a flute makes no difference.
I’m seeing more and more of this, by the way.
Thanks for the comment, Tom. I think this is a trend that will continue to grow, because it makes bubbly more enjoyable.
The Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut is a thoroughly enjoyable American sparkler that never ceases to delight the palate.
I can’t say enough good things about this in-house sparkling wine of choice. I have been able to buy it below $12 a bottle between Thanksgiving and New Year, which adds to the amount I can consume, and the appreciation with which I drink it.