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Joy Sterling from Iron Horse Vineyards is our guest today on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. Joy has been on California Wine Country before, on this episode of Sept. 27, 2017. Clark Wolf is sticking around from the previous segment to talk about the Northern California Public Media Awards that are coming back on May 10. This year’s honorees are Joy Sterling and her whole family, who are getting the recognition they deserve for all the delicious wines they make and also for all of their other work outside of winemaking.
Joy describes Iron Horse as a magical place, with stunning views across rolling hills of vines, with Mt. St. Helena in the distance. “The grapes know they are growing in a gorgeous place.” Dan Berger says its magic is a result of its location. The old road has not changed in 100 years. As you cross the bridge, it feels like you are 100 miles from anywhere. While a lot of wineries try to “turn it up so much” as Clark says, Iron Horse is natural. There is wildness thriving around them, including deer, who ate Joy’s roses. The turkey vultures that live all around northern California are thriving. Green Valley Creek bisects the property. The Coho Salmon use the river for spawning. Their farming is so careful that the water is clean.
Iron Horse has been legendary for making some of the finest Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and sparkling wines in the world, not just in Sonoma County. These wines are “really pristine” such as the 2023 Audrey Chardonnay, named after Joy’s mom. Ever since the beginning, they keep the malolactic fermentation to a minimum and they use steam-bent barrels, so there is no smoke on the wood and therefore none in the wine either. Joy describes this wine as gracious and elegant, just like her mom. Dan Berger describes it as having perfect acidity and all the components are subtle, not ostentatious. The aren’t “blow your socks off” wines, more like “glide your socks off,” says Joy.
POP goes the cork!
“Who doesn’t like a big pop? It just says “party,” says Joy. This is their 2021 Spring Rosé. It has a beautiful petal pink color and it really tastes like spring.” Dan Berger, who has an extensive personal cellar, says that these wines will improve with age in the bottle. They already have three years on the yeast. It is a limited production wine, only available at their tasting room.
The second wine they pour is the one they are best known for, Iron Horse Wedding Cuvée. Joy explains that their sparkling wines have become drier and drier, due to two factors, the increased quality of their craftsmanship and their vineyard practices. Dan Berger also gives credit to Iron Horse’s customers, who demand their quality. “We have the best customers!” says Joy. Iron Horse wines have been served at the White House for the last six consecutive administrations, as well as State Department events and to foreign dignitaries and royalty including the Queen of England.
The Intimate History of Iron Horse
Joy’s mother is a San Franciscan and her father was from Los Angeles and they lived in LA when Joy was a child. Then the family moved to France in 1967 and that is where they encountered wine. They would go on trips together to discover wine and their parents felt right at home. When they missed on a vineyard acquisition there, it may have been a blessing because by the mid-1970s they found a property in California. They have 3 generations living on the property in an 1876 house. Next year they will celebrate several big anniversaries. The USA turns 250, Iron Horse turns 50, winemaker David Munksgard celebrates 30 years making wine there.
They had a second label for a while called Tin Pony which they don’t make anymore. It was for wine made from grapes that did not make it into the Iron Horse blend. Joy said they preferred to focus on their top quality product. Dan thinks that with the market the way it is, Tin Pony could make a comeback, but Joy says she is busy enough.
Another cuvée they make is called Ocean Reserve. It is dedicated to ocean conservation. The proximity to the ocean is what gives their vineyard its character. They are 13 miles from the ocean and it is “the engine of our microclimate.”