Our Approach

Avanguardia produces about 1000 cases or less each year, using traditional methods for very small individual lots of over 20 varieties. Lots are generally kept separate until blended.

Our style is perhaps more European than Californian as we pick mostly under 24.5 brix (% sugar), and are looking for complexity and subtle nuances rather than explosive fruit and/or tannins. The result is wines that will complement food, as well as serving as an apertif.

White Wine Fermentation

White wines are fermented cool ( < = 55 degrees) in glass or stainless steel with only occasional barrel fermenting. Malolactic fermentation for whites is discouraged to retain our natural acidity and freshness. Experiments with yeast selections are continuous to find the best yeasts for each variety. We have a special cold room for experimental wines and for pre-cooling our fruit prior to processing.

Red Wine Fermentation and Aging

Red wines are fermented in small open-top containers with manual punch-downs several times daily. We press at dryness or a little before, and do not practice extended maceration. The malolactic bacterial fermentation is always sought after for reds, and we inoculate with selected bacterial strains at the same time as yeast inoculation. We age in a mix of new and mostly neutral or re-coopered barrels for 12-18 months before final blending and bottling.