Tag: spanish

In the early 1980s, when José and Gloria Ferrer first laid eyes on the Carneros land that would become Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards, there was not a single Sparkling wine house in the region. But the low rolling hills, swept by breezes from San Pablo Bay spoke to José, who had longed to fulfill his father’s dream of expanding the Spanish family’s tradition of producing exceptional Sparkling wine to the United States. Dating back to the 1500s, the Ferrers are the family behind Freixenet, the world’s largest producer of méthode champenoise Sparkling wines.

Named "tertulia" for the Spanish word meaning a social gathering of friends, Tertulia Cellars focuses on making terroir-driven wines from the finest vineyards in the region. The majority of the winery’s fruit comes from its own three sustainably farmed estate vineyards: Whistling Hills, Riviere Galets, and Elevation.

Each of these three estate vineyards is situated in a different part of the Walla Walla Valley. Whistling Hills Vineyard was the first to be planted in 2007. Its eight acres of vines, wrapped around the winery building, are nestled in deep windblown loess soil.

It has been 20 years since the founder of Abacela, Earl Jones, planted the first Tempranillo in the Pacific Northwest. In 1992, his passion for the grape and a good deal of scientific analysis was strong enough to justify a move for Earl and his wife Hilda from the Gulf Coast to Southern Oregon’s Umpqua Valley. Here, Earl found the land he dreamed of, resting over an ancient geological fault with steep hillsides featuring an exciting diversity in soil types, microclimates, and sun exposures. What’s more, at 43 degrees North latitude, the land occupied a similar geographic position as sections of northern Spain.

A soft, steady Carneros breeze often greets guests as they drive up the olive tree-lined entry road of Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards. It was this breeze, along with the familiar Mediterranean climate and gently sloping hillside that first drew the Ferrer family to the Sonoma, California land.

Relying on their Spanish roots and more than 100 years of winemaking experience, the Ferrers planted three-quarters of the Carneros estate exclusively to Pinot Noir. Now more than 25 years later, Gloria Ferrer sparkling wine is defined by this commitment to Pinot Noir.

With a love for the Napa Valley that stretches back three generations, the Komes family provides wine tourists with both an ideal place to stay—Rancho Caymus Inn in Rutherford, California—and an ideal place to taste some magnificent wines—Flora Springs The Room in St. Helena.

Rancho Caymus Inn stands on land once awarded to pioneer George C. Yount as part of the Napa Valley’s first land grant. Today, the 26-suite inn provides guests an elegant retreat in the heart of the world-famous Rutherford Bench wine country. Guests appreciate the property’s connection to its heritage expressed in the keen attention to detail in the Spanish hacienda’s architectural design, materials, and furnishings. Each suite is named for a Napa Valley pioneer. Some names (like Black Bart and Robert Lewis Stevenson) are easily recognized, while others are not. Arriving guests are always delighted to learn the story of their pioneer that waits for them in their room.

I had my first big real-life test in Spanish and I failed it… miserably. At the time, I didn’t realize that it was a test nor did I know what would happen if I didn’t pass. If I had known, I surely would have concentrated harder. I would have asked her to repeat the question again and again until I understood. I would have even swallowed my pride and asked her to speak in English. Most likely, though, I just never would have answered the phone. But I didn’t realize the consequences so, when the phone rang, I bravely and boldly answered, foolishly thinking that I was ready for such a big feat.