Sterling Vineyards

Sterling Vineyards is the most fun arrival in wine country: instead of parking at the door, you step into an enclosed gondola cabin and glide up a wooded knoll to a whitewashed, Mediterranean-style winery perched about three hundred feet above the valley floor just south of Calistoga. Sterling bills itself as the only winery in the world with an aerial gondola, and it has carried visitors since the 1970s. The current system, built by the same Austrian ropeway company that built the original, replaced the gondola lost when the 2020 Glass Fire swept through the property; the winery reopened in late 2023 with a longer route along the northern hillside, solar power, tinted glass and teak seats, and step-free cabins that take wheelchairs, walkers and strollers. At the top, a self-guided walkway leads past the winemaking areas, and terraces and tasting rooms open onto one of the widest views in the valley, looking south down the vineyards between the Mayacamas and the Vaca Range. The gondola is included with every experience, but there are no ride-only tickets, so you need a tasting booking or to accompany someone who has one. The Sterling Stroll and Tour and Terrace experiences welcome infants and children, which makes Sterling a rare family-friendly tasting; the Hilltop, Club and Founders experiences are 21 and over. Food is not sold beyond small snacks, and picnics are not allowed. It is a big-brand experience rather than a boutique one, and the view is the headline rather than the wine, but for a first trip it is pure wine-country joy.

How the visit works. Book a tasting online, check in at the base station off Dunaweal Lane, and ride up with your own party in a cabin that holds up to eight. The ride itself is short but spectacular, rising above treetops to a high point more than a hundred feet off the ground. The gondola keeps running in rain, since cabins are covered, but stops in strong winds, and on very hot days guests are moved by shuttle; the winery stays open either way. At the top, follow the self-guided path through the winery, then settle in on the terraces for your tasting. Shuttles are available for anyone who would rather not ride.

Which experience. Families should book the Sterling Stroll or the Tour and Terrace, which allow babies and children. Couples and wine lovers who want a seated, view-first tasting should look at the Hilltop experience, and members or collectors at the Founders format. Late-morning slots give the clearest light down the valley; late afternoon is golden but busier. Sterling does not sell wine by the glass or bottle for on-site drinking beyond the tasting, so plan lunch in Calistoga, a few minutes north.

Pairing it. Sterling sits at the northern end of the valley between Castello di Amorosa and Calistoga, so it slots neatly into a north-valley day: the castle in the morning, Sterling after lunch, and a mud bath or mineral soak in Calistoga to finish. Schramsberg's sparkling-wine caves are a few minutes away on Diamond Mountain. Only service dogs are allowed. As always, book a driver or car service if you are tasting at more than one stop, and drink water between pours.