Funds raised will benefit Sonoma Valley Education Foundation
Sonoma, CA (April 10, 2014) — Imagine if you could take a trip to Barcelona, Spain, and raise money for a good cause, all without the transatlantic flight, jet lag and expense. Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards, located at 23555 Carneros Highway in Sonoma, has found a way to turn this fantasy into reality. Visit the winery on July 19th and 20th from noon to 4:00 p.m. for the 2014 Gloria Ferrer Annual Catalan Festival, benefiting the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation. Now in its 22nd year, the two-day festival was established by the Ferrer family of Spain to honor the opening of Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards in 1986, the first Catalan-owned winery in California. Depending on your interests and level of participation in the festival, tickets range from $60-90 per person and are on sale now at www.gloriaferrer.com or call the winery directly at (707)933-1917.
Each day of the lively festival, guests will stroll Las Ramblas, replicating Barcelona’s popular main street filled with the colors, smells and sounds of Spain. Along the way they will sample savory tapas, enjoy paella and cooking demonstrations, and participate in educational seminars, cocktail demonstrations, food & wine pairings and a festive grape stomp. Acclaimed Gloria Ferrer Carneros sparkling and estate varietal wines, as well as select wines from the Ferrer family’s Spanish wineries, will be available for sipping. Those captivated by the mood may also learn to dance the traditional Sardana or learn about Havaneras. This year, music and entertainment will be provided by Makru Music and Sol Flamenco. Finally, each year the handmade artistic replica of the Gegants de Mataró made specifically for Gloria Ferrer is presented during the festival. These 15-foot-tall paper mâché figures represent the Catalan Medieval King & Queen and are traditional to every Catalan town festival.
Honoring its commitment to education, proceeds from this year’s festival will benefit the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation. Last year, the winery donated $15,000 from festival proceeds to the organization. As part of an ongoing effort, the winery also donates a portion of the sales of every bottle of its gold-medal winning extra virgin olive oil made from the winery’s estate-grown Catalan and Tuscan olives to the foundation.
Like the winery, the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation was established more than two decades ago. The foundation has been a strong ally to the local schools, supporting over 5,000 children and 10 schools in Sonoma Valley. Gloria Ferrer is proud to help fund the mission of the Foundation and the Sonoma Valley Unified School District to help make sure all students graduate from Sonoma Valley Schools well prepared for college and career.
Since Gloria Ferrer’s opening, over one million national and international guests have visited the estate to tour the winery and taste Gloria Ferrer’s highly acclaimed wines. Gloria Ferrer wines have received over 400 gold medals and over thirty 90+ point ratings from wine publications in the last five years. Most recently, the winery was named a “Top 100 Winery of the Year” by Wine & Spirits magazine.
