I mentioned a couple of weeks ago I was involved with a group from ABC that had the great opportunity to visit some of Napa’s finest. One of the many wineries we had the chance to tour was one of Calistoga’s oldest, dating back to 1964, Sterling Vineyards. This is one of the most visited wineries in Napa, and they certainly have the facility to accommodate the many thousands of wine tourists who enjoy Sterling’s unique property. The first “oh wow” is the chair lift ride up the side of the hillside, that you take to get to the winery. This ride up the hill gives you an amazing 360 degree look at the beautiful vineyards of northern Napa Valley. Once we all caught the lift to the top, we were given a very detailed tour through Sterlings modern winemaking facility.

The winery was a beehive of energy and excitement, because this is harvest and when Mother Nature says it’s time…it’s time! I was in California in 2010 at this time of year, and the wineries we visited then were as quiet as Sterling was chaotic. The harvest three years ago was 4-6 weeks late and wineries were looking for things to do just to keep their workers busy. Needless to say, the wineries were very clean! In 2013 everything for this year's vintage was going just as the vineyard managers and winemakers could hope for; the grapes so far in 2013 are ripe and plentiful.

After our tour we were lead to a private dining room where we were joined by Harry Hansen, Sterling's head winemaker, and Alison Crary, his associate winemaker; we were all served a fresh, delicious California lunch. This has always been a highlight of mine on a winery visit--the opportunity to listen to those who know the wines better than anyone else. Both Harry and Alison were wonderfully charming and incredibly knowledgeable of what was going on and not just at Sterling--they were very insightful on all things Napa. With our lunch we tasted six of Sterling's new releases, some that we tasted were their Vintner's Collection Riesling, Napa Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines were all very good and show Sterling's dedication to making not only large quantities of wine, but high quality also.

Our wine group visited a number of other Napa Valley wineries, and we had a chance to take a tour through one of the largest sake factories this side of Japan. Members of our group and I will be giving you our thoughts on future posts. If you have had the chance to visit Napa or have a Sake story, then drop us a line.

Until then, cheers.

Ken Amendola, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits Wine Supervisor

Follow him on Twitter @abcwinekena