Iron Horse Vineyards wine served during Trumps' elaborate dinner for Prince Charles

Sonoma County wines were showcased Tuesday night during an elaborate meal hosted by President Donald Trump and the first lady for Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall in London.

The meal at Winfield House, the home of the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom, featured three wines from Iron Horse Vineyards in Sebastopol: the winery’s 2016 chardonnay for the first course; a 2016 pinot noir for the main course of grilled filet of beef, Pommes Anna and watercress puree; and its 2005 brut sparkler for the dessert course, according to a photo of the menu on social media posts.

Iron Horse wines have now been served three times at Winfield House, said Joy Sterling, chief executive officer and partner at the winery founded by her parents.

The other times were for a state visit by President Barack Obama in 2011 and at celebration for her father, Barry Sterling, for his 80th birthday almost a decade ago, she said.

“It’s exciting and it’s an honor. We are representing the country and our great state of California,” Sterling said.

Sterling and her family are big backers of the Democratic Party. Over the weekend, she was ?reelected as chairwoman of the California Democratic Party’s rural caucus at its convention in San Francisco.

“Wine transcends politics,” Sterling said in an interview Tuesday. She noted that Iron Horse wines have been served for almost 35 years in six consecutive presidential administrations. “That’s something we are very proud of.”

Iron Horse wines were a staple at three of the Obama administration’s state dinners, according to Iron Horse’s website. It was offered at the State Dinner for India in November 2009, the State Dinner for David Cameron in March 2012 and the State Dinner for the Prime Minister of Japan in April 2015.

The winery produces about 25,000 cases annually from grapes grown on its estate in the Russian River Valley.

Press Democrat Online Producer Elissa Chudwin contributed to this story. You can reach Staff Writer Bill Swindell at 707-521-5223 or bill.swindell@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @BillSwindell.