Sterling Vineyards

Wine tasting at Sterling is unlike any other experience in Napa Valley. To begin with, no other winery has the aerial tram. Your experience at the winery begins here, hundreds of feet above the trees, where you’ll enjoy a panoramic view of the valley on your way up to the hilltop tasting rooms.

Once you set foot on Sterling’s beautiful grounds, where the historic white building sits like a sprawling monastery, it will be difficult to tear your eyes from the view. The Sterling community must have anticipated this reaction, designing a wine-tasting experience that enables guests to take their time as they take in the scenery.

Unlike the procedure in most other wineries, which occurs in a single tasting room, Sterling’s self-guided walking tour enables you to meander the grounds in steps while exceptional wines are poured for you across four different locations.

The first wine will likely be a bright, fruity white like a Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay, harvested during the coolest hours, poured for guests soon after they disembark from the tram. Walkways overlooking the vineyards and surrounding hills have plenty of seating for guests who want to sip here slowly before watching the video explaining the building’s architectural history.

From here, you will pass gorgeous outdoor walkways and long indoor halls and foyers where you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the wine-making process. Videos and plaques explain Sterling’s process and philosophy of developing red and white wines with variety and character. This will inspire you to take your next tasting, in close proximity to one of many storage rooms filled with wine barrels.

The next stop on the tour is one of the most stunning – the upper-level terrace with panoramic views for your next pour. Various tables are set up here for the larger crowds that build towards early afternoon. This is a great stop to unload those picnic items and hang out for awhile with your friends or family.

The last stop on the tour is at the main tasting room, where you’ll receive a menu detailing your final pours. You may choose to sit indoors, where there’s a fireplace for colder days, or out on the balcony, surrounded by trees. Before you leave, you can purchase your favorite wines at the last stop – the wine shop.

HelloSanFrancisco tip: The Sterling Vineyards Cellar Club Chardonnay Oak Knoll Vineyard ’07 is particularly nice.
 

- by Renee M. Rutledge, San Francisco Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Renee M. Rutledge

Renee M. Rutledge currently writes articles on local travel and culture for Red Tricycle, Parents' Press, Oakland Magazine, and Alameda Magazine.