Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/267019
w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m M a r - A p r 2 014 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 7 3 ne truism of the wine industry could be: Times change. For more than a century, Califor- nia wine was made to a standard that called for it to be dry, with lower alcohol, distinctive varietal character, and acid levels that were high enough so most wines were aimed at matching with food. During the last 30 years or so, that standard has slowly shifted, and higher alcohol levels, lower acid levels and higher pH readings have become the norm. There are not many purists left in the wine- making game and those who tread back in history to replicate the styles of the past do so at their own peril. Most wine consum- ers have come to like this softer, sweeter style of wine, and trying to sell tart, crisp, food-oriented and age-worthy wines remains the domain of a tiny fraction of the win- eries in California. Iron Horse Vineyards, founded in the late 1970s and located in the cool (some would say cold) Green Valley area of Sonoma County, is one of the few wineries left that has focused on a classic, Euro-styled structure for most of its wines. But the real question is: What wine is Iron Horse's specialty? Some think of Iron Horse as a sparkling-wine house. They would be right, with winemaker David Munksgard having made some subtle changes to the winery's for- mer style, slowly lowering the dos- age in many of the wines to make them crisper. Others suggest that Iron Horse makes some of the state's most acclaimed chardon- nays. They'd also be right, with the best of these wines coming from replanted acreage aimed at upgrad- ing clones. Still others would argue that Iron Horse's pinot noirs are among the most stylish and age-worthy in Cali- fornia – and they, too, would be cor- rect. Much of what the winery has been able to use lately, from many new plantings, are older clones that, while not as trendy as 667 and 777, are more predictable in the vineyard. Along with Munksgard, one of the guardians of Iron Horse's house style is Laurence Sterling, opera- tions manager for the family-owned property. The son of Iron Horse founders Barry and Audrey Sterling, Laurence was born in Los Angeles, lived with his family in Paris, and later attended Georgetown Univer- sity, where he earned a bachelor's degree in foreign service. He later attended Fordham Uni- versity law school and became an attorney specializing in mergers and acquisitions. In 1990, Sterling joined Iron H o r s e a s o p e r a t i o n s m a n a g e r, which entails various activities including handling legal matters, replanting vineyards, overseeing the entire operation – and, he adds with gravitas, "picking up the mail." + Birthplace: Los Angeles, Calif. + Professional Background: Before joining the family winery, Sterling was an attorney for various firms, specializing in mergers and acquisitions. + Education: Bachelor's degree in foreign service, Georgetown University. Law degree, Fordham University. + Current Position: Operations manager, Iron Horse Vineyards, since 1990. + Personal: Sterling jokes that he has taken up hunting in order to control the estate's boar population: "Well, I did go boar hunting twice but I want to make it clear that at no time were any boars killed, harmed, disturbed, or even remotely inconvenienced." LAURENCE STERLING'S RESUME