Michael Sterling was born into the dairy industry. So what drove him to wine? Was it his adventures in the vineyards of Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux and the Rhone? Could it be his love of the vine or an unknown obsession for crisis management?

He studied Journalism and won an Emmy Award for television producing. It all seemed to come together in 2000 when Mike returned to the vine and began studying Enology at UC Davis. Two years later, Mike created Homefire and began making Zins. In 2005, Hales Vineyard Old Vine scored "Double Gold" at the California Zinfandel Championships. The 2007 "Hales" was one of 30 wines out of 3,000 to win "4-Star Gold" at Orange Co. Probably no connection but we recently learned that Mike has ancestors who were wine growers in the 1600's in Alsace.

The vines in this hidden vineyard were 60-years old when harvested. It’s a rich, brambly Zinfandel like an exploding strawberry along with blackberry, black pepper, cherry and plum. It’s a wine that wishes you to take another sip. Big, creamy with no artificial enhancements. Wilfred Wong calls the wine produced from these old vines a classic Dry Creek Zin.

Wine of the Month Club · 320 W Chestnut Ave, Monrovia. CA 91016 

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