Our Story
Long-time friends and colleagues, Michael Stone and Peter Newton, had a lot of passions in common. At the top of their list were: wine, business, vacationing in the Greek Islands, and Northern California. Natives of Britain, they loved the warm sun, natural beauty, and relaxed, welcoming vibe of Greece and Northern California, so much so that they decided to open their own winery. The place they had in mind would offer high-quality yet affordable wines and a friendly space, with a neighborhood feeling, where they could hang out with their local friends and welcome new ones from around the globe. In 1964, Sterling Vineyards was born.
As one of only 27 bonded wineries in Napa Valley at the time, Sterling Vineyards’ Bordeaux-inspired wines helped transform the region into the premier winemaking appellation it is today. In 1969, the winery bottled the first vintage-dated Napa Valley Merlot and made its first vintages of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc.
The winery itself, modeled after Mykonos’s famous white stucco houses, was the first in Napa to put the guest experience at the core of its architectural plan. And their aerial gondola turned every arrival into an awe-inspiring event. It’s still the only winery gondola in the world.
1964 STERLING VINEYARDS FOUNDED
Impressed with the quality of Californian wines and inspired by the beauty of the Napa Valley, Peter Newton decides to broaden the business interests of his company, Sterling International, with the purchase of a 50-acre parcel of established vineyard bordering Calistoga.
1965-1967 NAPA VALLEY TERROIR
Sterling Vineyards acquires additional upper-valley property, including Bear Flats and Bothe Ranch, adjacent to St. Helena. Both are planted with new vines.
1969 FIRST VINTAGE
Sterling Vineyards bottles the first vintage-dated Merlot in California. Prior to this, Merlot had been widely considered only for use as a blending varietal. This is also the winery’s first vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc.
1971 CONSTRUCTION BEGINS
Martin Waterfield, an officer of Newton’s company, designs a starkly beautiful Mediterranean-style white stucco winery complex, inspired by the structures on the Greek island of Mykonos, where Peter Newton once lived.
1972 FIRST HARVEST
The new winery is ready for harvest and formally opens to the public for a gala benefit for the San Francisco Symphony.
1978 VINEYARD EXPANSION
Sterling Vineyards acquires its Rutherford Vineyards and the highly regarded Diamond Mountain Ranch Vineyard.
1986 CARNEROS
Sterling Vineyards acquires Rene di Rosa’s prestigious 250-acre Carneros property, Winery Lake.
1988-1990 WINE SPECTATOR TOP 100
Sterling Vineyards earns back-to-back-to back honors in the Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of the Year (Sterling Three Palms Vineyard Napa Valley, 1989 Sterling Reserve Napa Valley, and 1990 Sterling Reserve Napa Valley).
2002 NAPA VALLEY WINE AUCTION
Sterling Vineyards hosts the annual Napa Valley Barrel Auction.
2016 WINERY INVESTMENT
Sterling Vineyards undergoes a multi-million dollar improvement project, including complete renovations for the winemaking facilities at the top of the hill, the visitor center, and the tour.
2020 TEMPORARY CLOSURE
Sterling Vineyards closes to the public in September 2020 due to damage sustained during the Napa Valley Glass Fire.
2023 WINERY REOPENING
Sterling Vineyards reopened with enhanced hospitality spaces and brand new, state-of-the-art gondola. Each cabin is optimized for 360-degree views of Napa Valley and is fully ADA-accessible.
History of Innovation
A large part of Michael and Peter ’s business success had always been innovation. Their Sterling Winery venture was no exception. They were among the first to use European winemaking techniques in Napa Valley. In the vineyards, they chose to boldly branch out from the popular Cabernet Sauvignon to grow Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Merlot in their terroir.
Perched on top of a 300-foot knoll, the winery fulfills the pair ’s goal of creating “a place of beauty and joy to visit.” The unusual, Ionian-inspired design, sweeping valley views, and aerial gondola ride set it apart from the rest, and continue to do so today.
Throughout our 60 years, we’ve followed the path of innovation blazed by Michael and Peter, fine-tuning our winemaking methods, branching out beyond our estate to add fruit grown in a variety of quality vineyards to our winemakers’ tool kit, advancing sustainability, and elevating the quality and value of our wines and visitor experience with every new vintage.
Our Sustainability Achievements & Projects
