When Barry and Audrey Sterling bought an abandoned prune farm in Green Valley in 1976, they were told it was too cold to grow grapes. They proved the doubters spectacularly wrong. Iron Horse is now one of America's most celebrated sparkling wine estates and one of the few American wineries dedicated to estate-grown sparkling wines. The estate's Thomas Road Vineyard, planted on Goldridge sandy loam soils above the fog line, produces the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that forms the backbone of their traditional-method sparklers.
Classic Vintage Brut, Green Valley of Russian River Valley: the flagship sparkling, estate-grown, crisp and toasty, in the lineup poured at the White House since the Reagan-Gorbachev summit.
Blanc de Blancs, Green Valley: a 100% Chardonnay sparkling of finesse and citrus precision.
Brut Rosé, Green Valley: mostly Chardonnay with a touch of Pinot Noir; delicate and red-fruited.
Thomas Road Pinot Noir, Green Valley: the flagship still Pinot, vibrant and silky.
Estate Chardonnay, Green Valley: beautifully structured and nuanced from the cool estate vineyard.
The first Iron Horse Chardonnay came in 1978 and the first sparkling in 1980. About 160 acres of the estate are under vine, planted exclusively to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for both still and sparkling wines.
Barry and Audrey Sterling founded Iron Horse in 1976 at the end of a winding one-lane road on 300 acres of fog-kissed Green Valley hillside. Three generations of the Sterling family now live on the property. The outdoor "tasting room", a rustic redwood barn, looks out across Sonoma County to Mt. St. Helena. Estate production centers on traditional method sparkling wines (Brut, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, Wedding Cuvée, Classic Vintage Brut), plus six Chardonnays and eight single-vineyard Pinot Noirs. Tastings are by reservation ($35 per person, complimentary for wine club members); picnic tables can be reserved ($50, two-bottle minimum, one complimentary for wine club members); weekend magnum tastings from late August to early November ($95 per person, $65 for club members) are the estate's crown experience.
