South Australia's picturesque Barossa Valley wine area is home to the vineyard Vanguardist Wines.
As with many great stories, VANGUARDIST was born of humble beginnings. Ideals, harmonised over a table littered with empty bottles. Laughs that rolled late into the evening, not realising the impetus forming; a relentless ‘fire in the belly’ that sent Michael bouncing across the equator, chasing international harvests for most of his adult life.
While its first release surfaced in the Hunter Valley, VANGUARDIST launched in South Australia in 2014, with two painstakingly-crafted, single vineyard expressions. Two wines made from what Michael deemed to be the best varieties, grown in the best soils in the best sub regions the state had to offer. Herein lies the ‘V’ obsession: an unwavering temperament that now finds VANGUARDIST wines in Australia’s most relevant independent bottle stores, bars, and in the secret arsenals of many a fine-tuned Sommelier.
Years on, the VANGUARDIST focus has both broadened and deepened, illuminating new sites of intrigue with the same degree of captivation, while LA PETITE VANGUARD reflects the unbound and experimental (but ever-so quaffable) side of Michael's character.
As of 2021, the VANGUARDIST family seems to have finally settled. Michael and Claire, now live and thrive in the Barossa Valley, where the wines are hand-made, bottled and labelled. Michael's dear friends and partners, Ali and Edouard, with whom this journey began, now distribute the wines in France and other pockets of Europe, taking the VANGUARDIST story abroad.
History
Michael Rende immigrated to Australia from Italy, like many of the great vigneron pioneers in this country. With the help of his family he spent his evenings and weekends clearing the land of scrub and bush, prior to planting the very sandy Blewitt Springs block in the late 60s. All of this whilst running a successful concreting business on the southern side of Adelaide. His son Robert, who played an integral role from the early days, now runs the vineyard and lives on the estate.
Vanguardist has been working with the old vine goblet Grenache since 2015. It is the jewel in our crown in terms our wines and of the vineyards we work with. It is with great pleasure that we are working hands on with Robert, and will be implementing Biodynamic farming on the property from 2021.