Sterling Vineyards
Sterling Vineyards
4
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Perched 300 feet above the town of Calistoga, Sterling Vineyards offers panoramic views of Napa Valley. A unique gondola carries visitors up to the hilltop winery, whose iconic architecture was modeled after that of the Greek island of Mykonos, where Sterling founder Peter Newton once lived. The brilliant white stucco stands out dramatically against the rugged Mayacamas and Vaca mountain ranges that flank each side of Napa Valley. Through walkways and balconies, guests take a self-guided tour of Sterling Vineyards’ winemaking facilities. Make your visit to Napa Valley a memorable one with a seated Silver or Platinum Experience featuring exceptional small production reserve wines and food pairings. The extraordinary Mediterranean-style architecture, unique aerial tramway, stunning views, and exceptional tasting experiences make Sterling Vineyards a top destination in Napa Valley.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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- Hello0New Delhi, India260 contributionsSterling VineyardsA beautiful Vineyard. The walk-through tour is on a hill top and is approachable by a ropeway operated by the owners. The view of the valley from the roof top is beautiful. The wine offered for tasting is mainly white wine. The wine tastes good.Visited November 2023Travelled with familyWritten 22 November 2023
- Laurie S1 contributionThe best winery experienceIs there a better way to start off an afternoon of wine tasting than with an aerial gondola up to the top of a hill with phenomenal views??!! I loved walking through the winery as we stopped to learn about and taste 5 wines. We added on the tour & terrace option to sip 2 fabulous reds with a nice cheese board. Great wines, great atmosphere, and fabulous service. Allison was a wealth of knowledge and was so interesting to talk to about all things wine! This was by far our favorite experience and can't wait to go back!Visited March 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 27 March 2024
- MCK3,377 contributionsAtmosphere: elegant with beautiful views. Service: excellent. Food: excellent.My friend and I flew into Charles Schultz airport on a Tuesday. On our way to Yountville, I had made a 2:00 PM reservations at Sterling for the Hilltop Experience (five winery exclusive wines paired with local cheese and charcuterie). Weather was perfect for the Gondola ride up. The tasting room was not open last year as it was being renovated from the fires… so all was new and beautiful! All the people that worked there were extremely nice, offering to take photos in and out of the Gondola. When we arrived at the top we were given a Sauvignon Blanc tasting then seated. The view from the top was amazing. Steven our Sommelier was excellent. Very friendly, very personable, and knowledgeable. We had 4 more tasting there after along with the Charcuterie Boards filled with local cheese and meats which went perfectly with all the wines. A definite stop worth going to between the gondola ride, views, service and tasting. Thank you Steven for making our time there so enjoyable! Atmosphere: elegant with beautiful views. Service: excellent. Food: excellent.Visited April 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 24 April 2024
- gpratventures63 contributionsLovely modern experience!Loved the terrace experience! Gondola ride and views make it all worth it. So glad they were able to rebuild after their fire. Everyone was friendly and would give you as much or as little information as you were in the mood for. Loved the selection!Visited April 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 30 April 2024
- NjHyper63 contributionsGondola up to a wine tastingThis is a unique way to experience a wine tasting. You take a gondola up to the building where you do a tour and tasting. After sampling wine as you tour you are then seated on a beautiful terrace overlooking the mountains. You finish your tasting as well as enjoying a very nice cheese board. Good wine and fun afternoon.Visited May 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 6 May 2024
- KyleandTiffanyMaryland818 contributionsNice Gondola Ride. Nice WineryThe winery sits on top of a 300 foot hill. We enjoyed the aerial gondola ride up to the hilltop winery. Beautiful views from the gondola. There are several tasting experiences. We chose the "Tour and Terrace Experience". With this experience, we had 6 wine tastings. Three tastings on the tour as we strolled through the winery and three seated tastings with a cheeseboard inside the tasting room. Typically, the last three tasting are out on the terrace but it was 96 degrees outside. So they moved the tasting to a room inside. My daughter liked all 6 of the tastings. I particularly enjoyed the sweet white wine the most. While touring the winery you get a behind the scenes look at the art and science of winemaking.Visited September 2024Travelled with familyWritten 10 September 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Mymilesandsmiles
New York City, NY296 contributions
Jan 2020
Sterling Vineyards is a winery near Calistoga, California. The aerial tram ride that kicks off a visit to Sterling Vineyards is one of the more novel ways to begin a wine tasting in Napa Valley. The tram, gliding 300 feet above the vineyards, transports visitors to the grand white stucco winery.
The winery focuses on popular varietals, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot and rosé, with the bulk of its grapes sourced from the Napa Valley.
The staff on my recent visit was cheery, though overly scripted. The lady pouring Chardonnay repeated the same sentence verbatim about the wine pairing well with chicken, fish or salad. As the line grew for a taste of Merlot, the same lines were recited over and over as guests stepped up for a pour. At the Cabernet Sauvignon stop server was too busy chatting up with another 2 guys bonding on how they had worked at Disney a few years ago…
The gondola ride and the amazing views of the valley are worth a visit. The self-guided tour is lame at best and the wines were unmentionable. Again, it’s almost worth it for just the views on the gondola ride up and back.
The winery focuses on popular varietals, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot and rosé, with the bulk of its grapes sourced from the Napa Valley.
The staff on my recent visit was cheery, though overly scripted. The lady pouring Chardonnay repeated the same sentence verbatim about the wine pairing well with chicken, fish or salad. As the line grew for a taste of Merlot, the same lines were recited over and over as guests stepped up for a pour. At the Cabernet Sauvignon stop server was too busy chatting up with another 2 guys bonding on how they had worked at Disney a few years ago…
The gondola ride and the amazing views of the valley are worth a visit. The self-guided tour is lame at best and the wines were unmentionable. Again, it’s almost worth it for just the views on the gondola ride up and back.
Written 28 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback and I am very sorry to hear that our team did not live up to your expectations for your experience. While we always celebrate our successes, it is good to know when we fall short. Your comments are valued and I look forward to working with our team to better serve our guests. Best, Cameron James - Senior Hospitality Manager
Written 30 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Harry R
Overland Park, KS687 contributions
Jul 2020
So we're not rating the wine, but the tour here... The gondola ride is nice, but the tasting and the tour are very nice. The young lady we were with explained everything we asked about in great detail; really knew her stuff. Everything looked clean, safe, etc. If you're looking for a slightly unique experience, with good wine and picturesque setting, you can't go wrong here.
Written 23 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Harry: Thank you for your feedback on your recent experience. Certainly happy to hear you had such a great interaction with our team, and that you felt safe in these "different" times we are experiencing while on site. Thank you again for visiting! ~Cameron James, Director of Hospitality
Written 26 August 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
offthemainroadtravels
208 contributions
Jun 2022
There are moments in your life when you look upon and say there wasn’t a more peaceful moment than this and the moment of drinking wine upon a mountain top over looking the valley below was it for us. This my friend was one of those moments were it was just the two of us, no one else around, and the sounds of valley below us. An experience we had at Sterling Vineyards drinking a Cabernet and a Riesling bringing us closer together. The Anniversary Blend was available when we were there and this 5 barrel complex red wine was simply amazing. The notes of cherry, grape, and black currants ran strong in this wine along with the oak from the barrels just hit it out of the park for me. For my wife the Riesling had this sweetness of peach and oak flavors making it one of our favorites. The other blend was their Zinfandel with this cherry and plum flavors happily dancing together. One of our favorite blends was the Malvasia Bianca, a white wine with notes of nectarines, apricots, and a little ginger in it. This is a wine we have gotten many bottles of and is an easy drinking wine on the palate. The vineyard is family friendly with plenty of snacks and beverage options for kids. $$-$$$
Written 20 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephanie C
1 contribution
Sept 2020
In March/April I made a reservation for the Labor Day weekend for six people and was charged at the time of booking. In late August, a week and a half before our scheduled reservation, I called to reduce our reservation to four people. I was told it would take 2 days to process the refund for the two people who were no longer joining us. Needless to say, three weeks and 5 phone calls later, I still don't have my refund. Quick to take your money, but incredibly slow to return it. DO NOT go here if there is any possibility your party will decrease in size after you make your original reservation. I'm now looking at disputing the charge with my credit card company. Incredibly frustrating.
Written 16 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephanie:
I apologize for this situation. It is my hope that we've fully resolved this for you. I also hope that we can further demonstrate to you that this was an unfortunate lapse on our end, and certainly that we are able to deliver a much higher level of customer service.
If I can assist in any other way, please reach out, cameron.james@tweglobal.com
~Cameron James, Director of Hospitality
Written 16 September 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jessica Y
1 contribution
Oct 2020
I booked a reservation and paid in full in advance. They cancelled due to the wildfires and said a refund would be issued and a month later I still have no refund. The customer service here is TERRIBLE. No one calls back when you leave a message or responds to the general email box. No on answers the phone when you call. It is very disappointing because we heard good things, but apparently it isn't true because they do not care about the customers at all.
Written 12 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sdgt625
San Diego, CA1,643 contributions
Jun 2020 • Friends
Location - a little bit north of the Napa / Rutherford wineries , but not far...
The wines - I had the standard tasting . I don’t usually like merlots , but the Sterling Merlot on the tasting menu was quite delicious. The rest of the wines were so so ...
The overall experience- disappointing and impersonal . The cable car ride was nice and scenic , but the experience went downhill fast after we got off the cable car . We were moved from one station to another like a factory assembly line . The final station was a big but very crowded outdoor patio which felt unsafe from covid standpoint . Almost every table was filled and the tables were quite close to each other . Our server was rather inattentive and impersonal...
Unless you are a beginner wine drinker looking for a Disneyland winery experience, stay away from Sterling !
The wines - I had the standard tasting . I don’t usually like merlots , but the Sterling Merlot on the tasting menu was quite delicious. The rest of the wines were so so ...
The overall experience- disappointing and impersonal . The cable car ride was nice and scenic , but the experience went downhill fast after we got off the cable car . We were moved from one station to another like a factory assembly line . The final station was a big but very crowded outdoor patio which felt unsafe from covid standpoint . Almost every table was filled and the tables were quite close to each other . Our server was rather inattentive and impersonal...
Unless you are a beginner wine drinker looking for a Disneyland winery experience, stay away from Sterling !
Written 5 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I am so sorry to hear your experience did not meet your expectations. I feel it is so important to know when our experiences let our guests down, so your thoughts are noted and it will help us to improve. We are very sorry to hear your experience felt rushed and/or impersonal as that is certainly not our intent with this experience.
- We have made many changes in the weeks since we've reopened and we continue to refine the experience so that we can live up to our guests expectations.
- As for our COVID precautions, I must state that the safety of our guests and our staff is our first concern here. We are operating with a very limited capacity and carefully monitoring the number of guests in our winery spaces to ensure social distancing can be maintained. Our seating areas are carefully spaced to not only provide adequate distance, but also keep our guests (and staff) in shaded areas where our misters and fans can help keep the area comfortable. We also have a comprehensive cleaning protocol to ensure we are doing everything we can to keep our areas cleaned and sanitized.
I believe we have much to offer at Sterling and would certainly welcome the opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to great service. I would welcome the opportunity to host you for our Reserve tasting in our Main Tasting Room if possible. I can be reached at, cameron.james@tweglobal.com if I can assist you further.
~Cameron James, Director of Hospitality
Written 6 July 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Borntotravel365
Royal Oak, MI281 contributions
Mar 2020 • Couples
Located in the heart of the Napa Valley, Sterling Winery is a large facility with a wide variety of wines. Large indoor & patio seating for tasting, I sampled the whites and my girlfriend the reds, & we enjoyed them all. Our server was knowledgeable & friendly, explaining each variety thoroughly. I enjoyed the chardonnay the best, my partner the merlot and the cabernet sauvignon. Highly recommend!
Written 16 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback on your visit! One of the real benefits to our Winery is that our large portfolio of our winery exclusive wines allows us to curate and individualize a tasting such as yours! Our team looks forward to getting back to this when we safely can! Thank you again for your visit and when we can reopen, we look forward to welcoming you again!
Cheers!
~Cameron James, Senior Hospitality Manager
Written 13 April 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hello0
New Delhi, India260 contributions
Nov 2023 • Family
A beautiful Vineyard. The walk-through tour is on a hill top and is approachable by a ropeway operated by the owners. The view of the valley from the roof top is beautiful. The wine offered for tasting is mainly white wine. The wine tastes good.
Written 22 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
James M
Danville, CA35 contributions
Dec 2019
The wine tasting experience here is poor. The wines offered were not of great quality and no choice is given. The wine stations were set up to move as many people through as quickly possible. A lot of children and maybe a family friendly experience but not a good wine tasting experience.
Written 1 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
James:
Thank you for your feedback. I am sorry to hear that your experience was not what you had hoped for when you visited. The idea of our self-guided tour is that you can take the time you need to take in the views and information posted along the various stops. I know this weekend was very busy here and I imagine that added to the feeling of having to move quickly, but that certainly is not our intention with the tour. The views from the winery, and the historical building itself, deserve a bit of time to take in.
I would like to invite you back to the winery to enjoy one of our seated premium experiences and it is my hope that this experience with our Reserve and Single Vineyard wines can show you the quality and diversity of our production, as well as give you an opportunity to spend time with our team to get to know the wines better. You can reach me cameron.james@tweglobal.com and I can arrange this for you. Once again, I appreciate your feedback and look forward to the opportunity to welcome you back to the winery again. ~Cameron James, Senior Hospitality Manager
Written 2 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
RachelRoamsAround
Tacoma, WA236 contributions
Mar 2020
To be honest, what attracted me to visit this winery was the gondola ride to the top of the hill. The day was a little cloudy but still lovely views, especially from the top. I liked how the wine tour was designed. You get off ht e gondola and the first wine stop is right there and a nice surprise was that we got to keep the glass they gave us. They you walk through the winery to the second stop, then then third, etc. The final stop and tasting was at the top of the winery with lovely views of the valley.
Written 21 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your comments and glad you were able to visit! We certainly look forward to welcoming guests back and showing off those great views and some beautiful wines as soon as we can! ~Cameron James, Senior Hospitality Manager.
Written 13 April 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Looking forward to visiting in May with my family of four (all over 21). I was there (26?) years ago with my sister. Are there restrictions on bringing our own cheese and crackers (not a big picnic and we’ll clean up after ourselves) on the self guided stroll tour?
Written 1 December 2023
Cameron James
Calistoga, California
Due to the experience offered at Sterling, only registered, trained service dogs are permitted on property.
Written 19 December 2019
Hi. I Will be in Napa Valley Next week. Whick vinneard do you recomended? Landscap and wine. Thank u
Written 17 November 2019
Cameron James
Calistoga, California
Our Signature (Self-Guided) Tour and Silver Experiences have options for Cheese and Charcuterie boards, and we offer a food pairing experience in our Platinum offering.
Written 19 December 2019
I don't know, honestly, I'm never in a hurry when tasting wine and visiting wineries. I don't believe it would be worth the money you pay for the Gondola to rush through it for just an hour.
Written 28 August 2019
How much time is needed to just do tram and basic tasting? Plan to be there 10am on a Saturday in October. Thanks!!
Written 22 July 2019
As little as 45 mins if you don’t take your time. But the views are the best part so anywhere from 45-2 hours!
Written 23 July 2019
Hi, we have a Cellar Pass Passport which includes a tasting at this vineyard. Which tasting is included with the Cellar Pass?
Written 5 February 2019
I don’t remember there being different levels of tastings. We got the basic one with cellar pass. Awesome experience!!!!
Written 11 August 2019
Tanya C
Yarrow Point, Washington
Is the self guided winery tour only open in the weekend? I'm thinking to bring my family (with young kids) to Sterling during the spring break. Is that possible to visit Sterling during the week (e.g. Tuesday or Wednesday)? I'm more interested in sightseeing (vs. wine tasting).
Written 30 December 2018
Viewing of the winery is open 7 days a week, however Monday thru Friday during our winter season (December - February) we only offer one experience which features (2) tastings on the tour followed by (3) tastings seated in our main tasting room. You can opt out for the seated portion if you would like.
Written 4 January 2019
What’s a better visit...Sterling Vineyards or Chateau Montelena?
Written 25 September 2018
I would visit Chateau Montelena. See the movie Bottle Shock if you want to know about the vineyard. The wine is much better here and the grounds are pretty. Sterling is more if you just want to see the view. (in my opinion)
Written 26 September 2018
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