Wine Making
At AuburnJames, we produce small quantities of artisan California wines. Most of the processing is done by hand under the meticulous care of our winemaker, Jim Frost. There are many elements that determine the quality of a wine, and the utmost of care is taken to ensure that each step of the winemaking process is executed to the highest possible standard. From vineyard care to fruit selection and careful hand sorting, our goal is to deliver a very high quality product while trying to maximize what a particular AVA, vintage, and varietal has to offer.
French Oak is used for 100% of our barrel aged wines, while Jim manages the ratio of new, second fill and neutral barrels that enable our released wines to deliver the AuburnJames signature.
AuburnJames Winery in St. Helena, California houses the entire family-run operation. It is here on the Auburn Estate that each vintage of AuburnJames wine is handcrafted. Typically each harvest is conducted during the early morning hours so that the fruit is still cool from the overnight harvest breeze. When Jim decides it is time, relatively small blocks of fruit from each vineyard are harvested and processed by those (and you know who you are) that can best be described as a fabric woven together from the hearts & hands of many friends and family. Crush is an event at AuburnJames! It is a memory filled snapshot in time that we are able to relive and enjoy 2-1/2 years later at release and again throughout each passing year when opening those bottles that remain in the cellar.