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May 17-19, 2019

EVENTS

Immersion: Vineyard Exploration + Tasting

Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards
Friday, May 17, 2019
9:30 AM – 11:30 AM

A CLONAL EXPLORATION
Gloria Ferrer has done extensive clonal research projects in conjunction with UC Davis University. The studies were done specifically for sparkling wine, and more than 40 clones of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, 18 of which were brought for the first time from Champagne, France. Director of Vineyard Operations, Mike Crumly, who led Gloria Ferrer as one of the great Pinot Noir pioneers in the 1980’s, will lead guests on an exciting vineyard exploration, exploring various clone trials currently in the field. Guests will even get the opportunity to see a replant of one of the original clone trial vineyard blocks – a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. Following the vineyard exploration, Director of Winemaking, Steven Urberg, will lead guests in a tasting of single Pinot Noir clones – some Dijon and Swiss clones, as well as some California clone selections – discovering the unique characteristics of each.

FEATURING WINES FROM GLORIA FERRER CAVES & VINEYARDS

$125

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The Setting

Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards

Gloria Ferrer is not only the first sparkling wine house in Sonoma Carneros, but also the first to plant Champagne clones and the first to plant in Carneros. Almost thirty years later, with 335 acres under vine, the estate vineyards at Gloria Ferrer produce Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that rival some of the world’s finest.

Featured Panelists

MIKE CRUMLY
Vice President of Production
Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards

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.

Mike Crumly

Vice President of Production

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STEVEN URBERG—Winemaker
Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards

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.

Steve Urberg

Winemaker

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Mike Sangiacomo

Grower
SANGIACOMO FAMILY VINEYARDS

Mike Sangiacomo is a third generation partner at Sangiacomo Family Vineyards, located in Sonoma, California where his family has farmed since 1927. He has lived and breathed agriculture from the day he was born. His grandfather taught him how to prune fruit trees from the ground up when he was eight years old and was too short to climb the ladder. Later he was thrilled when, at age 12, his uncle Buck let him drive the fork lift during harvest. Shortly thereafter he began assisting at the inspection station for pears as they were sorted for the canneries. When the family business transitioned from orchards to vineyards he began learning the intricacies of grapegrowing and has never looked back.

He has lived his entire life in Sonoma Valley with the exception of his college years at Santa Clara University where he studied business and marketing and a year working at Charles Schwab. In his heart he always knew that he would return to Sonoma Valley and the family business.

He shares responsibility with his brother Steve for managing the family’s 1600 acres of vineyards as well as grape sales to more than 70 premium wineries, many of whom vineyard-designate their wines with the Sangiacomo name. He particularly enjoys the daily agricultural challenges as well as the long-term strategic challenges of nurturing and sustaining a large family business. He takes great pleasure in growing a tangible product that is ultimately so enjoyable to share with friends and family.

Mike is a Commissioner of the Fiscal Oversight Commission of the Sonoma County Agricultural and Open Space District and a current board member of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, the North Bay Water District, the Sonoma Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency, and the Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance.

He continues his lifelong passion for sports that began when he lettered in football, basketball and baseball in high school and then played football and rugby in college. After twenty years as an Assistant Football Coach at Sonoma Valley High School, he began coaching Little League baseball and CYO basketball. He loves coaching kids as he feels there are great life lessons to be learned through sports.

Mike lives in Sonoma with his wife, Whitney, and their children, Joe, Julia, and Robby. When not in the vineyards or spending time with his family, he enjoys hiking and playing golf.

Mike Sangiacomo

Sangiacomo Family Vineyards

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Christopher Sawyer is an internationally-renowned sommelier, wine educator, journalist, consultant, critic and public speaker: He travels the world following trends in wine and participating as a VIP judge in the world’s top wine competitions, and has been featured in a wide range of national media, including USAToday, MSN, NBC, ABC, CBS, Redbook, The Hollywood Reporter, Maxim, National Geographic Traveler, CNN and Esquire.

Already legendary in the industry for his encyclopedic wine knowledge and rich wine industry relationships around the globe, Sawyer has been a personal sommelier for an array of luminaries and aficionados, from the Getty Family to the Gorbachevs, as well as for Oscar-winning director and chief creative officer of Pixar-Disney Animation Studios, John Lasseter.

Christopher has also become renowned for his unusual and entertaining ability to pair wines with just about any pop cultural experience. His wine pairings for movies are already celebrated, and have been featured in major national media.

Less well known to the public, but famous among wine world insiders, are his wine and music pairings. A popular college radio DJ while at UC Davis, he partnered with DJ Shadow and others to create some of the most buzzed-about music sets for his listeners during those years. Now, he’s become legendary for secret midnight sessions held in the cellar of his 19th Century Sonoma County farmhouse, where star winemakers, celebrity chefs, restaurateurs and lucky friends taste pairings from his extensive international wine collection matched to selections from his incredible stash of rare and cutting edge vinyl.

Sawyer is the recipient of many prestigious awards and industry honors. Most recently he was voted Best Sommelier in Sonoma County by readers in The Bohemian’s Best of the North Bay issue 2014 through 2018.