EVENTS

Walking the vineyards with Gloria Ferrer Vice President of Production Mike Crumly is an instructive and inspirational experience, allowing one to appreciate his thoughtful observations and sense of stewardship over the Ferrer family estate. His awareness of the nature around him is uncanny — point out an eagle on the hillside and he knows its habits, as he knows every corner of the property. His encouragement of biodiversity on the estate and the institution of sustainable vineyard practices are a natural extension of Mike’s love of nature. As VP Production, Mike is responsible for overseeing production operations, from the vineyard through the entire production process.

Mike has planted and tended the well-balanced vineyards of Gloria Ferrer from the ground up. His collaboration with Executive Winemaker Bob Iantosca almost 30 years ago is distinguished by meticulous clonal trials and groundbreaking research. This research continues to have a profound effect on his collaboration with Winemaker Steven Urberg today and the expression of the vineyard-driven sparkling and estate varietal wines of Gloria Ferrer.

Mike maintains a “genetic library” vineyard with examples of every clone he has studied since the first trial, and has spent years meticulously matching Pinot Noir and Chardonnay clones to the sites that will allow for naturally balanced vines. The diversity of growing conditions on the estate has further encouraged him to practice what he calls “micro-vinifi” a winegrowing technique that has the team studying the nuances within vineyard blocks, and then harvesting and fermenting these subtleties in small lots.

“My goal is to cultivate as many distinct vineyard lots as possible, so that Steven has the most complete array of flavors, aromas and varietal characteristics with which to make our wines,” explains Mike.

A native of California, Mike holds a degree in zoology from U.C. Santa Barbara and a degree in viticulture from U.C. Davis, where he also studied enology. Postgraduate research in canopy management with the renowned viticulturist Dr. Mark Kliewer and subsequent vineyard work in New Zealand further shaped his winegrowing philosophy — one that is defined by a commitment to nurturing balanced vines.

Mike spends much of his leisure time fly-fishing and hunting duck and pheasant in the Sonoma backcountry. He lives in Sonoma with his wife, Maureen, and their children, Thomas and Teresa.

Steven Urberg’s finely tuned sense of focus, passion for detail, and strong science background are indispensable in crafting Gloria Ferrer sparkling and estate varietal wines. As a young man from Detroit, who came to California by way of U.C. Berkeley for graduate school in chemistry, Steven discovered that winemaking provides a way in which to use his innate technical ability in creating wine as an art.

His journey into winemaking began in 1995, when he decided to take a break from chemistry. He was offered a job at the Hess Collection, working in the cellar, and he never looked back. “The excitement of that first harvest at the Hess Collection inspired me to take a left turn from the path of chemistry research, return to graduate school at U.C. Davis, and pursue my new passion of winemaking,” says Urberg.

Steven first arrived at Gloria Ferrer during the harvest of 1996 and he returned in 2001 as a full-time member of the Gloria Ferrer winemaking team. He joined Bob Iantosca and Mike Crumly, who have grown grapes and made Gloria Ferrer wines together for more than a quarter century.
With his tremendous ability for hard work and focus, Steven Urberg integrates his scientific background with inspired artistry in crafting elegant and balanced Gloria Ferrer sparkling and estate varietal wines. “I enjoy the exercise in subtlety involved with making sparkling wines. The challenge lies in creating the delicate texture and mouthfeel, while maintaining balance with the fruit structure. The same challenge lies in Pinot Noir estate varietal wines, where blending to achieve the silky mouthfeel is as important as the balance of the fruit, spice, and earth characters that are so irresistible in Carneros Pinot Noir,” says Urberg. The diverse array of clones planted on the Gloria Ferrer estate vineyards, married with the Carneros terroir, result in a palate of flavors that is a dream come true to a scientist with an artistic bent.

Clearly, Steven has the discipline and talent required to create the Gloria Ferrer wines that are true expressions of the Carneros region — sparkling and estate varietal wines — vintage to vintage. Gloria Ferrer wines have been award over 400 gold medals over the last 5 years. When not making wine, Steven enjoys cooking, entertaining, woodworking, and gardening.