White Sturgeon, Sterling / Tsar Nicoulai

Acipenser transmontanus

Sacramento Valley, California·United States·Premium

The great Californian all-rounder, now under the Tsar Nicoulai umbrella following its December 2024 acquisition of Sterling Caviar. Medium grey grains, satisfying pop, balanced salinity, a hint of hazelnut, and a clean finish. The workhorse of fine dining — plays well with everything and offends nothing. Now the largest white sturgeon operation in the US.

Salinity
3Butteriness
3Nuttiness
3Umami
3Complexity
3
Pop
medium
Finish
Clean
Texture
silky
Grain
medium
Colour
dark grey
Blini service
Recommended

White Sturgeon's balanced medium-intensity profile makes it the ideal vehicle for the full traditional service. Blini, crème fraîche, chive — this is the caviar to serve to a table of ten.

Pairings

Champagne
NV Brut Champagne, Crémant de Bourgogne
Wine
Chablis Premier Cru, White Burgundy
Spirits
Premium vodka, Dry sake

Production

Source
farmed
Producer
Tsar Nicoulai Caviar (acquired Sterling Caviar, Dec 2024; Elverta & Wilton, California)
Processing
malossol
Grade
classic

Legal & sourcing

Farmed white sturgeon; fully legal in the US. Sterling Caviar entered receivership April 2024 and was acquired by Tsar Nicoulai in December 2024, creating the largest caviar producer in the US. Both brands continue to operate.

CITES Appendix II — international trade requires documentation. Wild harvest is banned; all commercial product is farmed.

At a menu

The flagship American caviar — buttery, sustainable, widely available domestically.

Similar varieties
Taste it tonight
Where to buy

Setting the table? The Caviar Service

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Common questions

What does White Sturgeon, Sterling / Tsar Nicoulai taste like?

The great Californian all-rounder, now under the Tsar Nicoulai umbrella following its December 2024 acquisition of Sterling Caviar. Medium grey grains, satisfying pop, balanced salinity, a hint of hazelnut, and a clean finish. The workhorse of fine dining — plays well with everything and offends nothing. Now the largest white sturgeon operation in the US. On Roemance's 1–5 scale it rates salinity 3, butteriness 3, nuttiness 3, umami 3, and complexity 3, with a clean finish and a silky texture.

What should I drink with White Sturgeon, Sterling / Tsar Nicoulai?

NV Brut Champagne, Crémant de Bourgogne, Chablis Premier Cru, White Burgundy, Premium vodka, Dry sake. Serve it with blini, crème fraîche, toast points.

Is White Sturgeon, Sterling / Tsar Nicoulai legal to buy in the United States?

Yes. Farmed white sturgeon; fully legal in the US. Sterling Caviar entered receivership April 2024 and was acquired by Tsar Nicoulai in December 2024, creating the largest caviar producer in the US. Both brands continue to operate. The species is listed on CITES Appendix II, so international trade requires documentation and all commercial product is farmed.

Where does White Sturgeon, Sterling / Tsar Nicoulai come from?

White Sturgeon, Sterling / Tsar Nicoulai is farmed in Sacramento Valley, California (United States), from Acipenser transmontanus, cured malossol and graded classic.

Does White Sturgeon, Sterling / Tsar Nicoulai work on blini?

Yes — White Sturgeon's balanced medium-intensity profile makes it the ideal vehicle for the full traditional service. Blini, crème fraîche, chive — this is the caviar to serve to a table of ten.