My Inspirations as a Sparkling Wine Producer - #2
Joy Sterling in the Vineyards
Owner and CEO Joy Sterling reveals her inspirations - from the creation of unique bottlings of sparkling wine, to her favorite food pairings to the way she leads her team.
Why Joy?
She is the second-generation CEO of Iron Horse Vineyards, a premiere Sonoma sparkling house, whose wines have been served at the White House for six consecutive presidential administrations, beginning with the historic Reagan-Gorbachev Summit Meetings ending the Cold War.
As a person, Joy is the essence of bubbly, with a zest for life that was shaped in her teenage years living in Paris and a belief that she can accomplish anything, which was cultivated by her parents and accentuated when she climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Here is Part 2 of my conversation with Joy.
Vicky
Over the years you've released many special bottlings like Ocean, Gratitude, Resilience and your upcoming special release of Stargazing inspired by the James Webb Space Telescope images. Where did the idea for unique bottlings come from? Was it planned or was it more of a “ready, fire, aim?”
Joy
I think it was more ready, fire, aim. But it has become part of our culture. It stems from two things. Number one, from a winemaking standpoint, one of the things Iron Horse really excels at is the role of dosage [learn about dosage]. The person who brought us into the forefront of dosage was David [David Munksgard, Winemaker]. The importance of dosage developed over time and is one of David’s major contributions to Iron Horse.
I love that you can have eight variations of the same base wine. Each has a different dosage, which makes a different cuvee. And they can be equally good. We are fabulous at dosage, and no Friday is complete without a dosage tasting. If you’re good at something, you want to do it.
Number two, so much of bubbly is just fun. To wake up one morning in July and look at those James Webb telescope photographs and say, “Oh, I am in love with those; we have to do something special.” They were so spectacular and inspiring. Of course, it’s not lost on me that the concept of drinking the stars is attributed to Dom Perignon. It was obvious we had to run with it.
NASA's James Webb Telescope Images of the Stars
Vicky
Agree - bubbles are fun and fun to pair with food. What are some of the best pairings you’ve had with sparkling wine?
Joy
Well, I haven’t had a bad one! What I love is that it can be so simple as a potato chip. Anything salty, anything fried goes with bubbles. I am also a huge advocate of sushi and bubbles. There’s a reason for that. Umami is amino acids. Sparkling wines, because of the aging process, have amino acids. So, you have the combination of the amino acids in the sushi and in the bubbles. Another food that is rich in umami is avocado. Avocado toast and a glass of bubbles – that’s breakfast! Fried chicken is also great with bubbles.
Vicky
You’re making me hungry! Let’s shift gears and talk about leadership. You mentioned that you have a small team, so you are a hands-on leader. What is your approach to leadership?
Joy
I like to manage by wandering around. My home office is on the property, and I can see the winery from my window. But I like to show up. I think that’s important. It’s a short commute and I prefer to walk, although sometimes I confess, I drive. I like to show up when nobody quite knows when that’s going to be.
I have a very strong management team and we get together every Friday at 9:30. Everyone – tasting room, wine club, vineyards, winemaking, office, on-line – everyone reports what are we doing and where are we going. It’s a chance to make sure we are all on the same page. The best Fridays we have a dosage tasting to follow. The management team is also the dosage tasting team.
I am notorious for changing the goal posts. As soon as we hit a goal, I move them. It’s never enough. I feel strongly about that mindset. We are always figuring out how to take things to the next level in every area of our business.
We have a very closeknit family feeling here. We are a very small winery. If the phone is ringing, pick it up and answer the question. We are all in this together and we all pitch in collectively. It's all hands-on-deck, all the time. I like having that extended family feeling.
Check out all my conversations with Joy
