An experience like no other in Napa Valley. Definitely a bucket list item to ride a gondola up to a winery and it's a good alternative for those who are unwilling to ride on a hot air balloon. You start by checking in at the bottom of the hill. You then take the gondola up to the winery where you'll start with a white wine. We then proceeded to go on a walking tour where we were able to learn more about the long history of Sterling Vineyards. Along the way we were able to take in arguably the best views in all of the valley while enjoying wine that started from grapes that were grown in the vineyards below. We enjoyed our time in the family friendly section but there is a private and secluded section for a 21+ crowd. read more

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What a lovely experience we had today. Beautiful weather, friendly service, amazing views that included sights of other vineyards. On a Friday, by way of the east bay, we made our way to Sterling Vineyards. Parking is ample. Check in is at the front upon entering along with the gondola and a shared restroom with individual stalls. While checking in for our chosen experience, we received our drink rings and tasting menu. The gondola is to left of check in, where we proceeded to after using the restroom (to the left of the gondola entrance). The gondola experience was quiet, smooth and scenic. At the gondola's end is the entrance to Sterling Vineyards. You are met with breathtaking views and vintage bells that ring every 15 minutes. The current gondola is the third installation since the vineyards opening. The installation occurred following the fires in 2020 that burned majority of the vineyard and its estate. At the first tasting, you receive your glass for majority of the tour. Here is where the ring received at check in goes on the stem of your glass. The gentlemen at this station are incredibly funny and was a treat to engage with. The older gentleman sung to Ashanti's sister for her birthday along with Zach Bryan. I'll be back for the oyster event in August, told him I'd like a song for my birthday - he said he'd be there. Can't wait! Wish I got his name...you know who you are! The tasting tour is self guided. Our experience was a tasting of six with the first three wines provided while walking, the last three were provided on the terrace with our charcuterie. Diego was the absolute best. He shared a lot of himself in the experience which I welcomed, he truly personalized our experience allowing it to be more authentic than business orientated. STERLING PLEASE START TO BOTTLE AND SELL THE BLOOD ORANGE HOUSEMADE JAM...PUHLEEZZZZZZ!!!! Kudos to the new chef, hers or his ingenuity is brilliant. We did not want the jam to end. The blood orange housemade jam is a sweet citrusy, blood orange jam with heat. It is the perfect ying yang pairing for anything and everything. Seriously! I'm SO EXCITED to see what else the amazing, newest chef of Sterling Vineyards has to offer...I'm ready to indulge in your imagination on a plate. Need a volunteer tester...I'm her!!! At the end of the tour (where the first tasting began), is a set of stairs directly in front. The stairs led to the Wine Gift Shop where there were wines, candles, cutting boards, assorted glassware, travel mugs in an assortment, edible goods, candies, tasting rooms, water fountain and restrooms. Here is where I signed up for membership with Sterling. The Sterling Vineyards Membership offers four membership tiers ranging in price of $185 to $400 per release. Releases occur five times a year (Feb, Apr, Jun, Oct, Dec) and members are required to honor three of the five release dates per year to maintain membership. Each release is customizable with the exception of a purchased gift membership. Shipments can be shipped for a flat rate ($25) or picked up. Pick ups offer access to ten complimentary tastings (for up to six people) in a tasting room and/or a walking self guided tasting. Birthday, anniversary, girls trip, boys trip, just because (as we did) any reason is a great reason to come, visit, experience the landscape, staff, service, food and winery of Sterling Vineyards. read more

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You get to go on a gondola and get wine throughout your journey here which is pretty amazing. There are some views and the staff are pretty nice. I was here a little while ago, and forgot to write the review so trying to remember some more, but overall the wine was good. One of the nicer wineries to visit. read more

Sterling Vineyards is one of Napa Valley's most iconic vineyards. Its biggest draw is the gondola which takes you from the parking lot to the tasting room. When you get to the gondola, you purchase your preferred tasting and then get on the free gondola. During the three minute ride you'll see tons of sheep; we were told there were 1,200 of them. Our tasting ($55) consisted of five wines. You do a self-guided tour for the tastings and most of them are outdoors. During your walking tour you see the fermentation tanks with nice views of the vineyards and the valley. You'll also learn about the wine-making process and a history of the vineyards. We didn't have a reservation but we were able to walk up for our group of six on a Saturday afternoon with no issues. The tour can be as quick or as slow as you want since you walk at your own pace. It's minutes away from Castello di Amorosa so it's a good group of vineyards to go for a wine tasting tour. read more

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I've heard good things about this vineyard especially their gondola ride to the top. This winery is nestled up on a hill in Calistoga with stunning viewings and an amazing gondola ride. My friend and I had the Sterling Stroll for $55 a person that include 5 wines: their 2025 Sauvignon Blanc, 2019 Cabernet Franc, 2022 Reserve Red Blend, 2019, Cabernet Sauvignon, and their 2024 Malvasia Bianca. There are 4 stations throughout the property to taste each wine and we were able to see the containers and vessels used for making the wine, and video slides and signs giving the taster a more detailed look at the wine process. I enjoyed strolling through their property and sipping wine and learning about Sterling Vineyards. Our fifth stop was the gift shop which we were served the Malvasia Bianca, a crisp refreshing dessert wine. It does get crowded with the Sterling Stroll experience, so check out their seated tastings for a more intimate setting. The gondola ride is breathtaking and an amazing aerial view of Calistoga. Be sure to check out the Ansel Adams photograph gallery in the gift shop and in the hallway going towards the founders tasting room. read more

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This review is LONG overdue. Sterling Vineyards is definitely giving tourist trap energy. The gondola ride? Super cute. The views? Gorgeous. The property? Basically built for Instagram pics. I will say, the welcome bubbles were actually a really nice touch and probably the best way to kick off the tour. But the wine after that... it was mehhhh. Also, our experience started off kinda weird because the girl at the front desk seemed like she absolutely did not want to be there that day. She had a little attitude with our group and came off kinda condescending for no reason. Thankfully the tour is self guided so once you're past that, you can just wander around at your own pace and enjoy the scenery. Overall, pretty place for photos and vibes, but there are way better wineries out there if you actually care about the wine. read more

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My sister and I had such a great time at Sterling Vineyards. The last time I visited was before the fire, and the remodel is absolutely beautiful. The gondola ride up is breathtaking and the views of Napa are unreal. It's crazy how beautiful it is up there. The gondola itself is really spacious and comfortable. The ticket includes a self-guided tour with about four stops where you get to taste a variety of wines, and it all ends on the rooftop with incredible views. All pours were a good size and the wine servers were very knowledgeable and friendly. This is such a great place to visit, especially if you have out-of-town family or friends. The wine was good, but honestly, the ride and the views were the highlight for me. read more

Sterling Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Calistoga, California

Sterling Vineyards was easily my favorite stop of my birthday trip. The gondola ride up the hill was the perfect start! It was a self guided tour so we really got to take our time exploring the property. Service was excellent throughout our visit. The staff was welcoming, knowledgeable, and made the experience feel relaxed rather than rushed. They took time to explain the wines and pairings, which I really appreciated. read more

Sterling Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Calistoga, California

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What a cool experience! I'm by no means a vineyard pro, but Sterling had such an interesting format that I'm sure this is one of the more unique ways to enjoy vineyards. Most of the facility is higher up, so there's a gondola to take visitors up over the property. It's a short and pretty ride with well maintained and clean machinery (there's even a phone mount you can use to take group selfies!). I liked how there's a walk through their facility (like seeing the machinery where the grapes are fermented, etc) to get to each wine tasting. And there were lots of signs with educational information to learn about the process too. The highlight was a gorgeous terrace overlooking the land where cheeses were served along with the wine. The staff team were super nice and weren't pushy at all with trying to sell the wine. Beautiful stop! Even as someone who doesn't drink alcohol, it was still a fun visit :) read more

Wonderful and welcoming staff from Check in through Gondola, tastings, and back out. At first I was concerned that we weren't going to enjoy the tasting experience because of the crowds but once we got to our seated tasting experience we had loads of fun. The tastings were yummy, the cheese selections were perfect, and the weather and view from atop could not have been better. read more

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Did a wine tasting here with a charcuterie board. Honestly this place was amazing. The gondola ride up to the main area was a cool way to get a good view of the vineyard. The staff was super knowledgeable and very friendly. Ended up walking around after to see different parts that you would see on the walking tour as well. The wine we tried was very good and ended up going home with a couple bottles. Will be back for sure. read more

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Wow! What an awesome experience we had! The property is amazing, the staff was wonderful and the wines were delicious. Can't wait to come back! read more

Excellent and fun experience Tour the winery with wine tasting at your own leisure So guide needed When you reach to a tasting station, you were given your pour with the explanation of the wine you are tasting . They have good wines that you cannot find at the lock store Great place and easy tour read more

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I came with my wife for her birthday and I have to say. It was an informative and enjoyable wine tasting session. You start off taking a gondola ride to the top of the property where the tasting rooms are and you get a nice view of Napa and the property. From there they tell you which way to go based on the color of your card. Someone escorted us to our table with a glass of wine to start the journey. After receiving the rundown, I didn't know that as a New York native, where you grew up could potentially impact what kind of wine that you like. I usually lean towards rieslings which apparently are much more common in colder areas. We did the Hilltop experience. Our Sommelier not only broke that down for us but also let us try a couple of different wines that aligned with our taste buds. The charcuterie board was great as well, especially the cheeses. There was one local one that we tried that I can't remember the name but I'll be sure to ask for f extra the next time I go. All in all, I would return and try the founders experience. read more

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My parents have been members here for a few years, and they finally took me when I had a day off from work :) The gondola and the views really make the experience, especially when you visit on a day with nice weather (but I guess that applies to most places). There's a dedicated member parking lot and a decent-sized lot for non-members. We checked in at the ticket booth before boarding the short gondola ride, which can reasonably fit 6 people (max 400lbs I think). We booked the self-guided tour tasting, but there are more stationary options too lol. We walked throughout their winery (I wouldn't recommend heels) and stopped at various spots for tastings to learn about their winemaking process and history. The staff was delightful, and we especially enjoyed the sweeter wine at the end in the gift shop (I am clearly a sommelier). The rooftop is perfect for photos and although there was plenty of people, it didn't feel too crowded as groups naturally moved onto the next tasting stop. My favorite was the long hallway of their wine labels from nearly every year since their founding in 1964. So cool to read up on their history behind each design and how that wove into their timeline to their success today. I look forward to coming back to try a different tasting experience! read more

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Quality/Quantity - More guests visiting us, so Napa here we come (again). Rarely do I do back to back reviews, but I think this positive visit deserves more attention. Today we did the Tour & Terrace Experience for $85 per person. $25 for minors and designated drivers. We only spent 1 minute on the Terrace due to the weather. No need to even take pictures... The cheese plate was good also and you can ask for cracker refills. They gave us two cheese plates for our group of 7. Overall, the experience was very positive. Atmosphere - Beautiful job with the remodel and the new tram. You almost have everything new. Plenty of parking on this rainy day, again. But we did make reservations this time. Mandatory gondola rides now. In the past (am I out dating myself?), you were allowed to drive up to the tasting room. The ride is approximately 5 minutes. Open 7 days a week from 10:30am to 4:30pm. The last tasting is at 5:30pm. And I believe the last gondola rides back down at 6:30pm. Service - Everyone was friendly and welcoming except for the person working the checking counter in the parking lot. She was short with us the last visit also, but actually warmed up today as we talked with her. She was short with our guests who ended up paying for today's tasting. But because our guest was so nice, he just walked it off. The rest of the team, from the 3-4 pouring stations and the tasting room were all exceptionally jolly, positive, and welcoming! Never felt rushed. On our way out, they gave us new and clean wine glasses. And two charcuterie boards! Thank you. Price - Our guest paid/treated; thank you. But it was $85 per person for the tasting and $25 for non drinkers and minors. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 1964. 1969 - First vintage. 1971 - Construction begins on the tasting room, production, etc. 1978 - Expands vineyard, acquisitions. 1985 - Expands vineyard, acquisitions. 2016 - Major remodel. 2020 - Napa Valley glass fire... 2023 - Reopening; more modern and even more beautiful. read more

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The staff is very friendly and attentive. Definitely would recommend. The gondola ride was a plus. read more

Such a great visit! I hadn't been here in a few years and this was the best visit I had! My group loved the gondola ride to the tasting station at the top. Great views all around. And we used this as our "lunch stop" and pre ordered the cheese and meat trays to go with the various tastings. The woman that took us through the wines was amazing and went out of her way to accommodate the person in our group who doesn't care for red wine. And the check out process to ship wines home was simple and quick! At first I was skeptical about needing all these reservations as it took work to set it all up. But in the end, I really think it's the way to go as you have the full attention of the staff during your time, which in the past was more of a frenzied mess. As we rode the gondola back down the hill, we all remarked what a special experience Sterling is!! read more

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Very good go to white wine and dessert wine for tourists and for members to bring in friend and family for tour. Red wine it self, not so much since we are so much red wine.. Experience with gondola is always great tasting for very affordable price for $55 (starting) Kids friendly. As of May 2026 they changed their long time routine you cannot keep the glass. You have to return it. Overall nice view and affordable for good white wine. read more

Sterling Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Calistoga, California

Highlights by far was our gondola ride to hill top wine tasting experience. The view was spectacular!!! Jesus was very patient with our group of 6 that were already happy from our precious winery visit. He made sure to explain each wine, the history of the winery and offer tastings to additional wine. read more

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First time visiting due to recommendations in tik tok. The pros - Most amazing gondola ride of the stunning vineyards. Beautiful for capturing the scenery Wine was decent especially the cabs Cons Interior old nothing to write about Some of the wines were just ok The price is a bit high for the tasting Recommend doing it once for the gondola ride read more

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Absolutely love the Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 and got 12 bottles . The whole experience of tasting was worth the while as we tasted 5 different wines read more

We LOVED our experience here from start to finish! It was difficult to find a vineyard to accommodated/had availability for a large group but booking a reservations was super easy here. Our group of 13 opted for the self guided Sterling Stroll and there were so many time slots available. Just note that you have to pay in advance when booking but as soon as you get there, you just check in and you're good to go. Our friends were also running a bit late so the worker in front helped up move our reservation back 15 minutes to wait for everyone :) First of all, the drive into the venue was so beautiful and picturesque. We had to ride the gondola up and it was amazing! We even saw a family of deer on our way back down. For the Sterling Stroll, we were given 5 glasses of wine (two whites, 3 red). I really enjoyed the white wines, especially the last one. At each of the tasting areas, the workers explained the history of each wine and it was so interesting to learn about them and how they differed from the previous glass. There are SO many great picture spots and we even got the keep the crystal wine glass at the end. I will say, I wish there were more seating areas but other than that, it was a great experience overall. Thank you Sterling Vineyards! read more

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Araceli was very informative and helpful. John at Tasting was amazing and was very informative for the beginning part of our stroll. read more

Sterling Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Calistoga, California

Our party of 4 visited on a Sunday afternoon. We did not have a reservation. I was able to call about 90 minutes before and they were able to get us in. The Gondola ride is super fun and cute. Service was very good. Everyone was very welcoming and inclusive. This time of year the tasting is mostly red wine. Not my favorite but the experience was good and we ended our tasting with a refreshing sparkling wine. Great experience especially if you want to learn more about wines in the region. read more

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This place is beautiful and the best part is the gondola rides where you can see great views of the winery. The building itself looks Grecian, so having not been to Greece (yet) I got to pretend I was there, lol. It's also very spacious and there's an area where you can rest on one of the outdoor chairs and enjoy the views. I loved that they had a non-drinking ticket, meaning as long as there's one ticket for someone who will be drinking, the other person can join you (for less) and enjoy the gondola ride too. This was perfect for my husband who doesn't drink and not a lot of wineries have this, I believe. read more

Are you looking for an experience, Delicious wine, great views, and gained knowledge, this is the winery for you! From the gandola to the wall of wine vintages as you walk to the 4th stop. All wines were delicious but of course I had my favorites. I loved walking the grounds and being immersed. Each tender was very friendly and welcoming. The gift shop was pretty edgy. Definitely recommend. Pro tip: Stay hydrated read more

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It turns out that visiting Napa with children is somewhat unusual. There are many articles online about "wineries that allow children" which was very helpful and it was one of those that led me to Sterling Vineyards. The option that allows children is the Sterling Stroll, a self-guided tour that includes 5 pours for $55/adult and $25/child. The $25 child's admission includes a children's pack, with a plain black drawstring backpack (they really should brand this!), a pair of kids sunglasses, a bag of chips, and a little Martinelli's apple cider. All include a ride up (and back down) to the hilltop winery in the aerial gondola, which is one of the highlights of the trip. Each party gets it's own gondola, which is a pleasant ten minute ride. On the way up, you get to take in lovely views of the property and the valley. Once you get to the top, you are given an empty wine glass and begin your self-guided tour around the facility with designated stops for pours. You receive specific pours at each spot and it started with reds and moved to whites, with a delicious dessert wine for the final pour. The tour has you meandering throughout the building at your own pace. There are some placards and TV screens, but nowhere as educational, as say, a placard at a national park though I doubt anyone cares. The stroll ends at an outdoor seating area with great views. I don't think that the Sterling Stroll customers are actually allowed to sit at the patio and instead can only walk around the perimeter. That is my only suggestion - that there are more seating areas for the Stroll. You're basically on your feet the whole time and that causes you to drink quite quickly because there is nowhere to stop, sip, or even put your glass down. At the end, you are permitted to take home your stemmed Riedel, Sterling branded wine glasses as a keepsake which we opted not to do because we were flying home. When you're ready, you take the aerial gondola back down. We liked trying the wines at Sterling and it was truly appreciated that the winery had an option that accommodated children. read more

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Come for the gondola, go light on the wine. I was glad to include this in my Napa trip itinerary but I did not want to finish single glass of the walk and taste tour we did. The patio has gorgeous views and the cheese plate was good but I wouldn't come back for the wine. read more

We came here to celebrate and the lady that checked us in at the very bottom was about the only person who knew what to do... do not recommend spending your money here honestly. The gondola ride was very nice, but that and the lady at the bottom were about it. 1. Once we got to the top, no one was there to escort us off the gondola 2. We were told where to go, but once we got a little up the stairs, a guy at the bar had us come back down and show our tickets 3. The door at the top was opened for us but we weren't told to wait or go anywhere... and then they left 4. We decided to gravitate up the stairs towards someone at a countertop and they eventually poured us a glass of wine without saying anything so we had to ask... are we standing here for the tasting or is this to hold us over? 5. Got to our table and received the same update on what to expect from 2 different people... idk why 6. We got here at 2p and it's 3:20p with only 3 wines poured ... so prepare for hours I guess 7. Eye rolls when we asked for more crackers ... Just... pick somewhere else I think. They seem too busy with 3 groups of people read more

Star #1: Love the location Star #2: Love the wines. Star #3: Love the views. Now if you are reading on, tasters beware because an array of moving parts go into this location to make it what it is. Lots of walking and stairs, so bring comfy shoes and/or put grandma on wheels. The service is great, with willing pourers ready to go and tell you a story about every pour ... The last time I went to this location, unfortunately, the power went out. This is a monster problem because once power was gone, the gondolas didn't work, and there is no way to hoof it down the hill, which created a 25-30 minute wait for shuttles. The shuttle line resembled that of Autotopia at Disneyland. NONE of the bathrooms were operational, which was a problem because they were serving liquid to hundreds of people who, outside of bushes and trees, had absolutely no choice but to play the "hold it" game to go Number 1, or 2 for that matter. And finally, the power made the lights go out of course, so supplementary/backup power kicked in for emergency lighting, and it was very difficult to see and fairly dangerous where you were going in the hallways. Finally, it was hot that day, so the AC stopped. Yikes. ... Clearly, this location needs a better contingency plan for restrooms, lighting, room temp, moving air/fans and transportation down the hill in these situations, which are not that uncommon. Once it became obvious that the power was going to be an ongoing problem, we got booted out of the facility and didn't get our final taste. I assume some sort of refund is in the cards for me. This is a great place and a Can't-Miss tasting in the Napa Valley, but you don't want to be that guy when power goes out on a hot day with hundreds of people. My advice: skip the samples, RUN, and be the first person in line for the shuttle to get down the hill. read more

Excellent experience from start to finish, including for those families who have kids and are looking for a well-rounded adventure for all family members. Five stars! (Oh, and the wines were excellent too). read more

We had a wonderful experience at Sterling. It was a perfectly warm and sunny winter afternoon as we took the gondola the self guided tour. The staff were kind and friendly and the views were beautiful from the hilltop. read more

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Such a gorgeous vineyard with unbeatable views of the Napa valley. The gondola ride will take you to the top of the hill where tours begin. The self-guided walking tour is very affordable and great because you can pace yourself with the five tastings and explore the different stops around the winery. In total, my group of four finished in one hour, including multiple photo ops and lookout points. Each staff member at the tastings were so friendly and passionate about the Sterling wines they were pouring. We got to learn about their different processes and all the flavor notes each wine had to offer. Making reservations online is very easy as there are plenty of time slots. I would definitely recommend taking guests here during your next Napa trip! read more

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Such an amazing experience today at Sterling Vineyards. Beautiful vineyard, affordable, great tasting options, top notch customer service. I read they were the only winery in the world accessible by aerial gondola. Highly recommend checking them out! read more

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This was a great experience! I really enjoyed it! Self walking tour, beautiful scenery and great wine. Gondola was really a nice touch to the winery on the hill. Everyone was really nice and staff were super knowledgeable and friendly. Definitely one of the tops places I've visited. Favorite wine was the 2022 Malvasia Bianca! Very tropical and sweet taste that I couldn't resist! Took a bottle back home. Would definitely recommend! read more

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Honestly, the best part of Sterling Vineyards is the gondola ride up-it's unique and gives you some great views. Once you're at the top, the terrace is beautiful and definitely the main attraction. People mostly come for the photo ops and the scenery. As for the wine... eh. It was fine, but nothing stood out. Definitely not the best we had in Napa, and for the price, 1 expected a little more. Pro tip: you can ask for refills during the tasting walk-through-most people don't realize that. There's also a bunch of info and history playing on projectors throughout the self-guided tour, but honestly, most people just breeze by it without reading or watching much. It kind of feels like it's there to stretch the experience, but it didn't add a ton. read more

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Wonderful tasting experience, very kid friendly. Would recommend coming on a weekday, when it's less crowded. read more

Sterling Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Calistoga, California

Beautiful facility and property. Very delicious wines and knowledgeable staff. Will be back. read more

Sterling Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Calistoga, California

An awesome experience no complaints I opted for their $55 tasting because it offered 5 different tastings where as the other packages offered less tasting but came with small bites and a tour guide .. the bite options included cheese and i don't eat that so I opted for 5 tastings w. A self guided tour Staff were really nice and informative I don't feel I lacked on the experience not getting a tour guide The scenery was nice there is a lot of sun exposure read more

Sterling Vineyards - Sterling Stroll-$55 self guided - Wineries Near Me - Calistoga, California