We were hesitant starting our morning with a glass of wine but that was the only appointment I could get, so we decided to roll with it. Guess it's 5 PM sundowner somewhere, eh?
I was super excited to visit Sterling Vineyards in Napa County. It was the last day of our vacay and Anya was thrilled that she would be taking an aerial tram to the vineyard. This winery was the most touristy we had been to so far.
We took a cute little aerial ride to the winery. Covid protocols were in place - only one family in each of the tram carts, and sanitizing before and after each ride. Lines were marked, 6-ft positions were marked, masks were required on the property, including in the tram carts.
The views from the top were beautiful. I was elated to see a huge lotus pond and a fountain by it, so pretty! Imagine when it is Spring and lotus is blooming?
Now, the wine tasting. Look at Anya as she observes the wine being poured :)
We tasted five wines - Some were OK, nothing to write home about but in all fairness, easy to drink and more reasonably priced than the other wines we had tasted in the last 4-5 days. This makes total sense given how commercially-viable this company is - It produces 150,000 cases a year!
Some others were actually pretty good. Would I buy those wines to gift or to drink?
Yes, absolutely.
The Sparkling Rose was super smooth and we tasted strawberries, rose and a little bit of apple - but it was sweet, almost like dessert wine that was married to Prosecco.
The Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 was decent, beautiful red color, full-bodied, notes of oak, and black fruits. Good structure, some tannins.
The Malvasia Bianca is a pretty rare name, and it was the first time I heard of it. Apparently, it is pervasive and fruit-forward with flavors of apple, pineapple, mango and pear.
The 2017 Sterling Vineyard Oak Knoll Pinot Gris was pretty good. Definitely peachy, it is supple and smooth with a citrus finish. Perfect for a warm weather day.
Finally, the Merlot 2015 had flavors of blackberry and cherry. I felt a coating on my tongue with this wine because it had a dry-spice feel. You could definitely feel the tannins.
Our last adventure was horse riding at Rolling F Ranch. We met Nancy who took us on our ride. It was a nice 80 minute ride that included a little lesson in the beginning. What a lovely finale to our holiday...as we drove across vineyards and around the ranch.
