Iron Horse is one of those rare estates whose wine has a place in history. Founded in 1976 in the cool, foggy hills of Green Valley, it has become a byword for American sparkling wine made with seriousness and a sense of occasion.

Two weeks in the rain

Barry and Audrey Sterling first saw the three-hundred-acre property in pouring rain in February 1976 and bought it within two weeks. They went on to champion Green Valley as a distinct corner of the Russian River Valley and were central to its recognition as its own appellation.

A wine with a seat at the table

Since 1985, Iron Horse sparkling has been served at the White House, beginning with the Reagan and Gorbachev summit in Geneva. It has continued through seven consecutive presidential administrations, a record almost no other American wine can claim.

Fog, fruit, and method

Green Valley is one of the coolest, foggiest pockets of the Russian River Valley, which makes it ideal for the high-acid chardonnay and pinot noir that traditional-method sparkling wine demands. Iron Horse grows its own fruit and makes its sparkling in the classic Champagne method, alongside still pinot noir and chardonnay.

A family at the helm

Joy Sterling, the founders’ daughter, leads the winery as chief executive. Raised partly in Paris, Yale-educated, and a former ABC News bureau chief, she carries on the family stewardship her parents began. Barry Sterling, who founded the estate with Audrey, died in 2020 at the age of ninety.

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