November 18, 2025 (Napa, CA) — Sterling Vineyards has been named the Global Winner for Innovative Wine Tourism Experiences in the prestigious 2026 Best of Wine Tourism Awards presented by the Great Wine Capitals Global Network. This honor recognizes Sterling’s reimagined, immersive hospitality experience, including its iconic aerial gondola, that continues to set new standards for wine tourism worldwide.
Representing the San Francisco/Napa Valley region on the international stage, Sterling earned top honors among nominees from 11 world-class wine regions including Bordeaux, Mendoza, Adelaide, Hawke’s Bay, Valparaiso/Casa Blanca Valley, Bilbao/Rioja, Lausanne, Porto, Verona, and Mainz/Rheinhessen. The winery’s signature aerial gondola—an iconic part of the Napa Valley skyline since 1973—offers panoramic views of the valley floor and Mayacamas Mountains, creating an unforgettable introduction to its hilltop location and setting the tone for a tasting journey that blends innovation, history, and sense of place.
“This award reflects our commitment to creating experiences that not only showcase Napa Valley’s beauty but also connect guests to the spirit and innovation that define Sterling,” said Carl Evans, Senior Vice President of Direct to Consumer for Treasury Americas, a division of Treasury Wine Estates.
“Our team is passionate about crafting moments that stay with guests long after they leave,” added Luke Magnini, Director of Hospitality at Sterling Vineyards. “From the gondola ride to the tasting experience, every detail is designed to celebrate Napa Valley’s heritage while embracing creativity and innovation.”
This global recognition builds on a year of outstanding achievements for Sterling Vineyards, including TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best 2025 and Best of Napa County 2025 Gold for Best Outdoor Wine Tasting.
“Sterling Vineyards perfectly captures what makes Napa Valley a global leader in wine tourism—heritage, creativity, and exceptional hospitality,” said Linsey Gallagher, President & CEO of Visit Napa Valley. “Their gondola experience elevates tradition and inspires travelers from around the world.”
The Great Wine Capitals Best of Wine Tourism Awards celebrates excellence across leading wine destinations worldwide. As the only North American capital in the network, Napa Valley continues to distinguish itself globally for delivering wine experiences that pair world-class craftsmanship with culture, sustainability, and forward-thinking design.
Now celebrating its 2026 global title, Sterling Vineyards joins an elite group of wineries around the world recognized for excellence in wine tourism. The award follows their regional win for Innovative Wine Tourism Experiences, announced in October by the Napa Valley delegation of the Great Wine Capitals represented by Visit Napa Valley, Napa Valley Vintners, and the County of Napa.
For more about the Great Wine Capitals and Napa Valley’s regional award winners, visit visitnapavalley.com.
About Visit Napa Valley
Visit Napa Valley is the official destination marketing and management organization for Napa County. The organization promotes the region as an attractive travel destination and works to continually enhance its public image as a dynamic place to visit, live, and work. The vision and mission of Visit Napa Valley are to elevate Napa Valley as the world’s premier wine country experience and to promote, protect, and enhance the Napa Valley destination. Primary funding for our activities and programs comes from a Tourism Improvement District (TID) special assessment on lodging guests. Napa Valley, conveniently located within an hour’s drive from the San Francisco Bay Area and the Greater Sacramento Area, is comprised of five distinct towns, including, from north to south, Calistoga, St. Helena, Yountville, the City of Napa, and American Canyon. In addition to these five towns, the areas of Rutherford, Oakville, and Angwin, along with the outdoor recreation area of Lake Berryessa, are also part of Napa County and add to its diverse and rich history. The fully staffed Napa Valley Welcome Center in the City of Napa is a high-tech facility, complemented by personalized and complimentary concierge service from highly qualified brand ambassadors offering recommendations across the valley. For additional information about Napa Valley, or to plan your Napa Valley experience, please explore VisitNapaValley.com and follow social feeds @VisitNapaValley
About Napa Valley Vintners
The Napa Valley Vintners nonprofit trade association has been cultivating excellence since 1944 by inspiring its 539 members to consistently produce wines of the highest quality, provide environmental leadership and care for the extraordinary place they call home. Since 1981, the NVV has invested more than $225 million in its community to provide equitable access to healthcare and opportunity for advancement in children’s education. NVV is dedicated to improving diversity and championing inclusivity in its community and in the wine industry. Learn more at www.napavintners.com.
About Great Wine Capitals Network
Founded in 1999, the Great Wine Capitals Global Network is an alliance of 11 internationally renowned wine regions – Adelaide, South Australia; Bilbao-Rioja, Spain; Bordeaux, France; Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand; Lausanne, Switzerland; Mainz-Rheinhessen, Germany; Mendoza, Argentina; Porto, Portugal; San Francisco-Napa Valley, USA; Valparaiso-Casablanca Valley, Chile; and Verona, Italy. The international Best of Wine Tourism awards serve as an industry benchmark for excellence and recognizes leading wineries and wine-tourism related businesses in each Great Wine Capital that have distinguished themselves in areas such as innovation, service, and sustainable practices. For more information visit www.greatwinecapitals.com.
About Sterling Vineyards
Founded in 1964 by British wine enthusiasts Peter Newton and Michael Stone, Sterling Vineyards was an early pioneer of crafting Bordeaux-inspired red wines in California and played a key role in elevating the region’s global reputation. Perched high above Calistoga with sweeping valley views, Sterling is renowned for its iconic Greek inspired white stucco architecture, and for being the only winery in the world accessible by aerial gondola. Today, Sterling Vineyards continues to delight consumers through its commitment to advancing sustainability and elevating the quality and value of its wines with every new vintage. Learn more at sterlingvineyards.com or follow @sterlingvineyards.
