2005 Gloria Ferrer Brut Rosé, Sonoma CA

Yesterday we jumped in the car and headed out to do some wine tasting with a couple goals in mind.  One was to visit Gloria Ferrer and the other was to discover some new wineries that we'd never been to.  Gloria Ferrer is probably our favorite sparkling winery to visit in Sonoma and we always make it our first stop when heading up to Sonoma to do some wine tasting.  The winery has a tasting terrace/patio that overlooks their vineyard and the surrounding Sonoma Valley and is a perfect setting to enjoy a glass of their sparkling wine and a few roasted and spiced almonds.  We also like this spot because we can bring our dog Toby with us since they allow dogs on the patio. 

The Brut Rosé pictured above has been our hands-down favorite Tête de Cuvée sparkling wine for some time because of the fruity and citrus flavors.  It has a great finish and is very versatile allowing you to pair with seafood, cheese and olives.  Tasting notes from the winery can be found here.

For anyone planning a wine tasting trip to the Sonoma Valley, I highly recommend stopping off at Gloria Ferrer which is one of the first wineries you will come across when entering the valley.  They offer tours of their champagne caves as well which is pretty neat.  Winery Map.