We went to Mother's Day Brunch at Gloria Ferrer this year. Sounds pretty glamorous, right? Wrong!
Gloria Ferrer over sold the event, and rather than choosing a larger location, they decided to just cram us all together. Our seats were folding chairs that literally touched all the other chairs around the table. There was no table service, so you had to squeeze in and out of the crowd with plates. The food at the buffet was served in those large tinfoil pans from the grocer. And to top it off, they were pouring the smallest pours of champagne I've ever been served- literally 1/4 of a glass. And they deigned to come by 3 times, so we didn't even get a full glass during the entire event! Incredibly lame!
We have been Cuvee Club members at Gloria for over 10 years. We have been to many events. But we have not attended one in several years of late. And boy-- I have to scream-- the glory days of Gloria Ferrer are long gone!
We went
on the tour on our visit before this and the "guide" knew less about the
winery, production, and their wines than I do. They didn't take you to
see the barrels, production room or anywhere really. I can't believe
they are charging for that!
We left our expensive brunch to have wine on the terrace, which was a good decision. So my advice is stick to wine on the terrace. And bring your own picnic for a great time. Avoid organized events, including the "tour."
We should have gone to Trader Vic's, which is what we normally do for those "special brunches." The Trader Vic's in Emeryville, CA is the where the Mai Tai was first concocted. And I can't recommend them highly enough. Great food and atmosphere!
