Iron Horse Vineyards

Iron Horse Vineyards was founded in 1976 by Barry and Audrey Sterling. The Sterling family had moved to Paris in 1967, and according to the winery the founders’ vision was dedicated to producing estate-bottled wine. The Sterlings first saw the property in the pouring rain in February 1976 and bought it within two weeks. They named the vineyards and winery after a 19th-century railroad stop that once crossed the land. Winemaker Rodney Strong had rediscovered the site in 1970 and planted the original Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards; Wine Spectator reports that in 1976 there were vines owned by Rodney Strong on the property but no winery. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the first estate Chardonnay vintage was 1978, an estate Pinot Noir was produced in 1979, and the first sparkling wine vintage was 1980. Wine Spectator reports that the winery opened in 1979, on Barry Sterling’s 50th birthday. In 1983 Audrey Sterling was the applicant for federal recognition of Green Valley as an American Viticultural Area, and the San Francisco Chronicle describes the Sterlings as the leading force in establishing it. Iron Horse remains a family-owned estate winery: co-founders Barry Sterling (1929-2020) and Audrey Sterling are the parents of CEO Joy Sterling.

• Founded in 1976 by Barry and Audrey Sterling
• Property first seen in February 1976 and bought within two weeks
• Named after a 19th-century railroad stop that once crossed the land
• First estate Chardonnay vintage 1978; first sparkling wine vintage 1980 (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Audrey Sterling was the 1983 applicant for Green Valley AVA recognition

As of September 2026, Iron Horse is in its second generation of family leadership. Joy Sterling joined the family business in 1985 and has been CEO since the start of 2006. Her brother Laurence Sterling, who joined the winery in 1990, is Director of Operations and oversaw the replanting of 82 acres of the estate. Winemaker David Munksgard joined Iron Horse in 1996, and the 50th anniversary year of 2026 is his 30th harvest. Rigoberto Moreno started at Iron Horse in May 1987 and has been Cellar Master since 1998. Three generations of the family live on the property.

• Joy Sterling: CEO since the start of 2006
• Laurence Sterling: Director of Operations, with the winery since 1990
• David Munksgard: Winemaker, joined in 1996; 2026 is his 30th harvest
• Rigoberto Moreno: Cellar Master since 1998
• Three generations of the family live on the property

Iron Horse sits in the Green Valley of the Russian River Valley AVA, 13 miles from the Pacific, on a 300-acre property west of Sebastopol. The winery describes Green Valley as the coolest, foggiest part of the Russian River areas. Approximately 160 acres are under vine, planted exclusively to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and the predominant soil is Gold Ridge, a sandy loam. The estate is divided into 39 blocks, each farmed individually, harvested separately, and vinified as a single vineyard, and each block is planted with site-specific rootstock and clone selections. From 2005 to 2012 the estate replanted 82 acres originally planted in the early 1970s, creating a new generation of small-block, single-clone Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Iron Horse produces estate-bottled still and sparkling wines. Green Valley Creek, which bisects the vineyard, was the site of an eight-year restoration of native habitat to support the return of endangered coho salmon, in partnership with Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District and California Department of Fish and Wildlife. In December 2024 Iron Horse began working with CENIC and AT&T to bring fiber to the farm for a precision agriculture testbed, which includes 104 LoRaWAN sensors in 22 modules and four fire cameras on the property.

• About 160 acres under vine on a 300-acre property, planted exclusively to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
• Predominant soil: Gold Ridge, a sandy loam
• 39 blocks, each farmed, harvested, and vinified separately
• 82 acres replanted from 2005 to 2012
• Coho salmon habitat restoration on Green Valley Creek and a precision agriculture testbed begun in December 2024

Iron Horse makes méthode champenoise sparkling wines from its own vineyards. Wine Spectator reported in July 2020 that the winery produces close to 30,000 cases annually, with more than half dedicated to sparkling wine. The Wedding Cuvée, a Blanc de Noirs, is the sparkling wine the winery is best known for and its best seller; it is aged a minimum of three years, while the LD (Late Disgorged) is held for seven to eight years and Joy! for 12 to 15 years. The winery calls the Classic Vintage Brut its flagship sparkling wine and the Russian River Cuvée the richest in its lineup. Wine Spectator reports that Iron Horse was served at the Geneva Summit meetings between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, and the Press Democrat reports that Iron Horse has been served at the White House through seven consecutive administrations, starting with President Ronald Reagan. The winery also makes six Chardonnays and eight single-vineyard Pinot Noirs. Its Chardonnay is whole-fruit-pressed, and its Pinot Noir is cold-soaked for a week to ten days before moving to French oak barrels, where fermentation is completed. The winery describes its style as having one foot in France and the other in Green Valley, with wines made for age-ability. For the 50th anniversary, Iron Horse created a limited trilogy of wines: the 2022 Year of the Horse, a Blanc de Blancs Brut Zero; the 2019 Spirit of ’76, a blend of 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay of which only 500 cases were produced; and the 2018 Golden Cuvée in magnum. Ocean Reserve, a limited-production vintage Blanc de Blancs, benefits the Marine Mammal Center, and Spirit of ’76 contributes $5 from every bottle sold to Disabled American Veterans.

• Méthode champenoise sparkling wines from estate vineyards
• Wedding Cuvée (Blanc de Noirs) is the best seller and is aged a minimum of three years
• Six Chardonnays and eight single-vineyard Pinot Noirs
• Served at the White House through seven consecutive administrations, starting with President Ronald Reagan
• 50th anniversary trilogy: 2022 Year of the Horse, 2019 Spirit of ’76, and 2018 Golden Cuvée in magnum

Primary sources (producer’s own site): https://ironhorsevineyards.com/, https://ironhorsevineyards.com/about/, https://ironhorsevineyards.com/vineyards/, https://ironhorsevineyards.com/winemaking/, https://ironhorsevineyards.com/wine/, https://ironhorsevineyards.com/sustainability/, https://ironhorsevineyards.com/visit-iron-horse/, https://ironhorsevineyards.com/iron-horse-50-anniversary/, https://ironhorsevineyards.com/collection/sparkling-wine/, https://ironhorsevineyards.com/collection/chardonnay/, https://ironhorsevineyards.com/collection/pinot-noir/, https://ironhorsevineyards.com/people/the-founders/, https://ironhorsevineyards.com/people/joy-anne-sterling/, https://ironhorsevineyards.com/people/laurence-sterling/, https://ironhorsevineyards.com/people/david-munksgard/, https://ironhorsevineyards.com/people/rigoberto-moreno/, https://ironhorsevineyards.com/precision-agriculture-vineyard-ai-connectivity-iron-horse/, https://ironhorsevineyards.com/peek-behind-spirit-of-76-sparkling-wine/. Secondary sources: The Press Democrat (June 9, 2026), Wine Spectator (July 27, 2020), San Francisco Chronicle (Barry Sterling obituary, 2020): https://www.pressdemocrat.com/2026/06/09/this-sonoma-county-winery-has-served-seven-presidents-now-its-turning-50/, https://www.winespectator.com/articles/sonoma-sparkling-wine-pioneer-barry-sterling-founder-of-iron-horse-dies-at-90, https://www.sfchronicle.com/wine/article/California-sparkling-wine-innovator-Barry-15437525.php. Last verified 2026-09-23. Where the producer’s site and a secondary source disagree, the producer’s site governs.