Temperature variation is crucial to Sauvignon Blanc, and the warm, sunny days and cool nights of the Central Coast provide the essential conditions for maximum flavor development in this varietal. A majority of the fruit came from the South Hart Vineyard, our estate vineyard in San Benito County. Located “down-valley” along the riverbed, this valley-floor vineyard experiences very cool night-time temperatures, which encourage complex orange, lychee and passion fruit flavors with mild minerality and herbal character. The wine’s ripe, juicy pineapple notes herald from the slightly warmer Paso Robles region and are balanced by Monterey’s honeydew, citrus and grassy aromas.
Food pairing
A lovely, refreshing wine to serve as an aperitif or paired with seafood dishes, such as cioppino or spicy Thai seafood soup.
Producer
Sterling Vineyards was born in the 1960s, a time when creativity and entrepreneurial spirit abounded, especially in California. In 1964, Peter Newton, once a paper broker in England, purchased 70 acres of land in Calistoga and became a Napa Valley winemaker. He planted grapes others did not, bottled varietals others did not, and built a dramatic winery with an aerial tramway. His innovations put Sterling Vineyards into the public eye and helped establish the Napa Valley as a premier travel destination. When Newton began planting his estate, Cabernet Sauvignon was the preferred variety. He planted the esteemed Cabernet, but his decision to also plant Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot was a bold move. His Merlot vines were the first significant planting of that variety in the Napa Valley. Newton saw potential in the soft, velvety Merlot fruit, and in 1969 he took a chance by releasing California’s first vintage-dated Merlot. This decision flew in the face of traditional standards, which held that Merlot was merely a blending grape, and forever changed the perception of red wine. People started to enter a restaurant and ask for a glass of Merlot!
