Built in 1980 by the Magoon family, Guenoc Winery is one of California's real
"state-of-the-art" producing facilities. With an area of 62,058 square feet and
a fermentation capacity of approximately 553,000 gallons, the winery is carefully
constructed and designed to accommodate virtually every foreseeable requirement
for producing premium wines. The cooperage is a mix of the finest French oak (Nevers
and Limousin) and American oak barrels. Over 4,000 oak barrels are housed on permanent
and portable racks, built to provide excellent air circulation and easy access.
Twenty-five percent of those barrels are purchased new each year. The winery building
is loosely styled after the architecture of the Langtry Barn, which is located
across from the Gebhard Hunting Lodge, about a mile from the Langtry House. Today,
Guenoc has an annual production of about 100,000 cases of premium varietals chardonnay,
sauvignon blanc, cabemet sauvignon, petite sirah, zinfandel, Langtry Meritage
White and Langtry Meritage Red as well as Vintage Port. Occasionally, blending
varietals petit verdot, malbec, cabernet franc, and sémillon are bottled for special
seminars or for special release.
Guenoc
Philosophy
Guenoc Winery has the capacity to produce up to 100,000 cases
per year, but has always aimed for excellence in quality of production rather
than volume. The philosophy of vintner Orville Magoon is to produce fine wine
in an elegant style which reflects the unique character of the Guenoc soil and
climate. The lack of humidity in the Guenoc microclimate tends to make pests and
bacteria minimal. Sparing pest control and lack of pollution at Guenoc create
optimum conditions for the production of superior wines on a unique vineyard estate
which has been making viticultural history for over one hundred years. According
to Orville Magoon, "It is the vertical integration of the vineyards with our state-of-the-art
winery that produces premium wines on America's great wine estate at Guenoc."
Guenoc
Winery, Size and Production
Guenoc
Philosophy