Sustainable Winery Practices: Our Fish Habitat

A small, shaded forest stream with overhanging branches and sunlight reflecting on the water.

We’ve just broken ground on a very special sustainability project at our winery along Green Valley Creek that bisects our estate and serves as a prized passageway for Coho salmon. You cross it as you head over the bridge to the winery. This time of year, it’s little more than a trickle and may dry…

Read More

Summer Wine Gift Ideas: Sparkling Wines, Wine Club Gifts & More

Four smiling adults sit around a table with blue plates, flowers, and drinks at an outdoor gathering.

Summer is the season of gathering — under golden skies, around picnic tables, poolside, at weddings, birthdays, weekend getaways, and all the little just because moments that feel extra special this time of year. It’s a time of brightness and celebration, and few gifts capture that spirit more beautifully than a bottle (or three) of…

Read More

Photo Day at Iron Horse: Celebrating Family

Two women laughing and chatting at an outdoor bar with drinks, while others stand and socialize in the background.

There’s nothing we love more at Iron Horse than seeing families come together — and this year’s Photo Day on Father’s Day was extra special. With our professional photographer Loren Hansen on hand, we captured wonderful moments of dads, kids, and multi-generational families enjoying bubbles, sunshine, and vineyard views — especially the young parents celebrating…

Read More

The Magic (and Science) of Grapevine Flowering

Young grape clusters growing on a vine, surrounded by green leaves in sunlight.

There’s something quietly magical happening in the vineyards right now: grapevine flowering or “bloom”. This is one of the most beautiful and significant phases in the vineyard’s lifecycle. It’s also one of the most hopeful. For grape growers and winemakers, bloom offers the first glimpse into the promise of the vintage to come. The blossoms…

Read More

From Yale to the Vines: A Lesson in Storytelling and Hope

Open book with a black-and-white portrait, Yale reunion books, and an ID card on a wooden table.

Fifty years ago — unbelievably — I crossed the stage at my college graduation, part of the second class of women admitted as freshmen to Yale. I was filled with hope, excitement, and, truthfully, no real idea of where life would lead. Looking back now, I can tell you: The most meaningful journeys are rarely…

Read More

How to Make a Great Mimosa

A bottle of wine and oranges on a table.

The Mimosa Debate: Why You Deserve the Real Thing At Iron Horse, we believe every sip should be worth celebrating. And when it comes to mimosas, we’re here to lovingly weigh in on how to make a great mimosa. The mimosa debate goes back a while but let’s be honest,  you deserve the real thing:…

Read More

Our Celebratory Wine: 40 Years of Iron Horse Wedding Cuvée

Iron Horse sparkling wine bottle labeled “Wedding Cuvée” surrounded by pale pink and white flowers.

I’m very excited to announce the release of our 2020 Wedding Cuvee, honoring a 40-year legacy. Our first release was vintage 1980. For four decades, our quintessential celebratory wine has been synonymous with romance and the art of sparkling wine. This iconic cuvée has graced countless weddings, anniversaries, and milestones, earning its place as a…

Read More

Our Ocean Conservation and Commitment to Sustainability

A wine bottle with a colorful label lies on wet sand at the waters edge.

In celebration of World Water Day on March 22 and Earth Day on April 22, Iron Horse Vineyards is proud to announce Heal the Bay as this year’s beneficiary of our annual contributions to ocean conservation. Heal the Bay is a Southern California environmental organization dedicated to safeguarding our coastal waters and watersheds — and…

Read More

Regenerative Agriculture: Sustainable Farming and Eco-Friendly Wine

Wild turkeys walk between rows of grapevines in a green vineyard on a sunny day.

Regenerative Agriculture in California As consumer awareness of eco-friendly, sustainable farming grows, regenerative agriculture is emerging as the next level in climate-smart food and wine production. Unlike traditional sustainability efforts that focus on minimizing harm, regenerative farming goes further—it aims to restore soil health, enhance biodiversity, and actively combat climate change. California is at the…

Read More

February in the Vineyards: After the Storms

Rows of grapevines on a sunny hillside vineyard with rolling green hills in the background.

February weather in the vineyards runs the gamut—from atmospheric rivers to frost-glazed mornings, back to storms, and then, finally, to a moment of quiet beauty—which is where we find ourselves now, thankfully. This is typically our wettest month, but this year has been extraordinary. How it will shape the vintage—the literal taste of the wine—remains…

Read More

8 Delicious Lunar New Year Snacks

A bowl of noodles with chopsticks, a wine glass, a wine bottle, and white flowers on a table.

During Lunar New Year, it’s tradition to welcome friends and family with snacks that symbolize prosperity, longevity, and good fortune. To help you celebrate, we’ve curated the perfect Double Happiness Lunar New Year snack pack, filled with fortune-filled treats that pair beautifully with our limited-edition Year of the Snake Sparkling Wine. It’s an ideal way…

Read More