by Richard Paul Hinkle
It was a wonderful local mystery in the early seventies when someone began building what looked to be a whitewashed Aegean Sea aerie-monastery – complete with arches and bell towers – atop a wooden knoll just south of the old Calistoga Airport, where sailplanes would tap the updrafts along the Palisades (a sharp rock escarpment running north-south along the eastern edge of the Napa Valley). Turned out to be the principals of the famed British paper company of the same name – with a powerful eye toward aesthetics – entrusting the youthful Ric Forman with the opportunity to make legendary Merlots. He did, and the game was on.
Merlot is still gold at Sterling, but there is so much more going on today. Yes, you can still take the tram up over the gardens and lake to the winery’s lofty tasting room, and yes the view is still panoramic, especially looking south to the vine-carpeted valley floor and toward the town of St. Helena. The self-guided tour is still a good way to learn the basics of winegrowing and winemaking. And tasting on the observation deck remains a pleasant way to spend a sunny afternoon (unless it’s really, really hot, and then the air-conditioned indoor tasting room is pretty nice, too).
Okay, back to Merlot for just a second. “Despite Miles’ disdain for it in the film Sideways, Merlot still ranks as the most popular red wine in the country,” notes executive winemaker Mike Westrick. “It’s well ahead of even Cabernet Sauvignon sales in both volume and in value. Merlot is more than ten percent of all table wines sold in this country.” Didn’t know that. Pretty impressive.
Adds winemaker Chris Millard, “When you look at by-the-glass sales in restaurants, Merlot is outselling Pinot Noir ten-to-one! Merlot is also the most widely planted variety in Bordeaux, and it plays a role in virtually every great red wine region in the world. Of course, we at Sterling are extremely proud of our role in making the first vintage-dated Merlot in this country, so we will continue to champion these wines.”
One of the more intriguing wines Westrick and Millard produce at Sterling is the Wildlake Ranch Merlot. The 2005 vintage ($50) is all cigar box and violets, with plenty of dusty-yet-fluid black currant fruit and tobacco spiciness, which makes it just the thing for one of those British beef-and-pastry dishes (Beef Wellington?). “Wildlake Ranch is a wild and pristine parcel – more than 3000 acres – just east of the winery,” says Westrick. “Home to more than 360 species of plants and some of the valley’s rarest animals, Wildlake is owned by the Land Trust of Napa Valley. This wine is a joint effort of the winery and the Land Trust to preserve this unique place; twenty percent of the sales of this wine go directly to the Land Trust so that future generations will forever experience the vast beauty of this landscape.”
Sterling also has a “Cellar Club” series of small lot batches of unusual varietals or specific vineyard locations that show off something special and are available only at the winery or through the wine club. Start with the Pinot Gris 2006 Napa Valley ($26), pale gold in color, with oily grapefruit and sweet hay fruit that is just right for your favorite seafood dish. Then there’s the Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc 2006 ($25) that is hearty enough to go with grilled pork, with its melon fruit and true oak vanillin substance, with hints of straw and lanolin to round things out, all of which only add to the wine’s inherent complexity.
The Cellar Club Viognier 2006 Napa Valley ($26) is typically floral, with crisp grapefruit and vanillin that makes it ideal for the picnic (warm days will come again, I promise). Finish up with the Cellar Club Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 ($45), lusty and tangy with bright red currant and red cherry fruit, with brittle menthol spiciness in the background. You like Salisbury steak, with plenty of tomato sauce? This is your wine.
Sterling Vineyards is located at 1111 Dunaweal Lane (between Highway 29 and Silverado Trail, just south of town), Calistoga CA 94515. Phone 1-800-726-6136 or (707) 942-3344 or go on the web at www.sterlingvineyards.com. There is a $20 tasting/tram fee, but you can obtain a $5-off coupon if you visit their website prior to your visit. The winery is open daily 10:30-4:30. A “Reserve Tasting and Tour” is offered daily at 11 a.m. for $45.
[Richard Paul Hinkle is the author of eight wine books, and is presently at work on numbers nine and ten. He also does a good deal of business writing for North Bay Biz magazine. Check him on the web at www.richardpaulhinkle.com]
