Sterling Vineyards Vintner’s Collection Merlot
Sterling Vineyards Vintner's Collection Merlot is a 750mL California Merlot drawn from Central Coast vineyards — a soft, plush red in the everyday tier of a Napa Valley house with a famous Merlot pedigree. Berry-rich and silky, it is Merlot made for the weeknight table. Order it online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
- Size: 750mL
- Grape: Merlot
- Origin: Central Coast, California — principally Monterey County vineyards (line tech data)
- House: Sterling Vineyards — Napa Valley winery founded 1964 by Peter Newton
- Style: Soft, fruit-forward California Merlot
A Napa House, a Central Coast Wine
Sterling Vineyards sits in Calistoga, at the top of Napa Valley, and its Merlot credentials are historic: founder Peter Newton planted Merlot there in the 1960s and Sterling bottled California's first vintage-dated Merlot in 1969. The Vintner's Collection is the house's accessible range, and for this Merlot Sterling looks south rather than home — to Central Coast vineyards, principally in Monterey County, where long sunny days are moderated by ocean breezes and the fruit ripens soft and generous. That distinction matters: this is a Central Coast wine from a Napa house, blended to the soft, berry-jam style the Vintner's Collection is known for. Browse the house on the Sterling Vineyards vendor page.
Tasting Notes
The producer's note for the wine: vivid berry-jam aromatics and red cherry with milk chocolate and baking spice; a round, full palate of blackberry bramble, toasted oak and cocoa; silky tannins and a lengthy finish. The live listing's cherry-berry and plum character matches the same house profile.
How to Enjoy
Merlot this soft is built for roast chicken, burgers, tomato-sauced pasta and midweek pizza — pour it at cool room temperature and let the cocoa and berry jam open. More California Merlot and red blends are in our wine collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sterling Vintner's Collection Merlot a Napa wine?
No — and it is a common mix-up. Sterling Vineyards is a Napa Valley winery, but the Vintner's Collection Merlot is made from Central Coast fruit, principally Monterey County. The house's Napa appellation wines are separate bottlings.
What is Sterling Vineyards known for?
Founded in Calistoga in 1964 by Peter Newton, Sterling bottled California's first vintage-dated Merlot in 1969 and remains one of Napa's landmark estates; the Vintner's Collection is its everyday-drinking range.
What does this Merlot taste like?
Per the producer: berry jam, red cherry, milk chocolate and baking spice, with blackberry bramble, toasted oak and cocoa on a silky, lengthy finish.
Soft Central Coast Merlot from a Napa pioneer — order Sterling Vintner's Collection Merlot online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.