Heinz-Gert Woschek Denis Duhme Katrin Friederichs

W I AND
N E
A R C H
I T E C
T U R E
Wine and Architecture
 Heinz-Gert Woschek Denis Duhme Katrin Friederichs

W I AND
N E
A R C H
I T E C
T U R E
Edition ∂
Authors:
Heinz-Gert Woschek (editor), Denis Duhme,
Katrin Friederichs

Editors:
Cosima Frohnmaier, Cornelia Hellstern (project manager)

Editorial services:
Niklas Fanelsa, Carola Jacob-Ritz, Florian Köhler, Sandra
Leitte, Michaela Linder, Annette Müller (Rhineland-Palatinate
Chamber of Architects), Jana Rackwitz, Eva Schönbrunner

Translations:
Kathrin Enke, Ludwigsburg; Christine Madden, Munich

Illustrations:
Nicola Kollmann, Martin Hemmel

Graphic design:
Heinz Hiltbrunner, Munich

Production and layout:

Roswitha Siegler

Reproduction:
ludwig:media, Zell am See

Printing and binding:

Kösel GmbH & Co. KG, Altusried-Krugzell

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© 2012, first edition

ISBN: 978-3-920034-73-7
Contents

History of wine architecture 10

Winemaking and facility design 20

Adega Mayor in Campo Maior, Portugal 26

Bodegas Portia in Gumiel de Izán, Spain 30
Weingut Claus Preisinger in Gols, Austria 34
Tenuta Peter Zemmer in Cortina sulla Strada del Vino, Italy 38
Château Thuerry in Villecroze, France 40
Quinta do Vallado in Peso da Régua, Portugal 44
Domaine Perraudin in Vauvert, France 50
Cantina Colterenzio in Cornaiano, Italy 52
Weingut Leo Hillinger in Jois, Austria 56
Cantina Tramin in Termeno, Italy 60
Weingut Heid in Fellbach, Germany 64
Quinta do Napoles in Santo Adrião, Portugal 68
Winzer Sommerach in Sommerach, Germany 72
Domaine Les Aurelles in Nizas, France 76
Quinta do Portal in Celeirós do Douro, Portugal 80
Rocca di Frassinello in Gavorrano, Italy 86
Weingut Erich Sattler in Tadten, Austria 90
Cantina San Michele-Appiano in Appiano, Italy 94
Weingut Gantenbein in Fläsch, Switzerland 98
Bodegas Ysios in Laguardia, Spain 104
Bodega Brugarol in Palamós, Spain 106
Weingut Heinrich in Gols, Austria 110

Country guide to wine and architecture in Europe 116

Glossary 138
Index of names 140
Index of wine regions 142
Picture credits 142
Author bios 143
6
Foreword

The world of wine is currently undergoing a pro- ments, such as an aesthetic staging of the wines, locations, with a focus on individual solutions for
found transformation. The spread of new oenologi- or materials reminiscent of wine production and particular working areas, such as the fermenting
cal techniques, the globalization of viniculture and certain terroirs, are also paramount. In this way, cellar; tank, barrel and bottle storage; and tasting
of the international wine market, and the division of wine estates and wineries have developed into and sales areas.
this market into luxury and mass-market segments, marketing tools, with their impressively designed The project descriptions are preceded by a short
are just some of the examples of the sea change in spaces often serving as venues for events. Their synopsis of the history of wine architecture and an
this sector. In addition, a number of newly built, sometimes spectacular concepts and unusual solu- introduction to oenology and wine production.
architecturally innovative production facilities are tions, their lavish structural language, and their use In this diverting way, the book hopes to achieve
garnering more and more attention, and not only in of unexpected materials set them apart from the two goals: drawing architects into the fascinating
the world of wine. The mystique of that world is old-fashioned romanticism of their predecessors world of viniculture, and giving vintners and wine-
expanding into entirely new dimensions. and celebrate their liberation from the ballast of estate owners the opportunity to discover the
faux tradition. They interpret the wine experience in exciting and rewarding possibilities of contempo-
The design of new winery projects is, of course, an accessible, inviting, authentic and creative man- rary architecture in the world of wine.
influenced by the production techniques that will be ner, becoming a part of the new “wine philosophy”
applied there. At the same time, the conception embraced by winemakers and wine lovers alike.
and realization of new building projects in the wine Heinz-Gert Woschek
trade is also now determined to a large extent by The examples in this book will give architects and October 2011
global changes in wine consumption and sales pat- their potential clients a wealth of inspiration. The
terns, as well as by the increasing expectations of project profiles do not solely depict architectural
consumers when it comes to the image projected features and workmanship, but also look at the
by wine producers and their marketing firms. oenological side by including information about the
Previously of peripheral importance, architecture estate’s vineyards, winemaking techniques and
has become increasingly significant, even central, marketing, describing its distinctive “wine atmos-
to winemaking. The heightened interest in what has phere” as well as the particular collaboration
come to be called “wine architecture” now extends between architect and client.
far beyond the limits of the profession. The choice of projects, which focuses on European
The need to optimize the production sequence is wine-producing countries and their unique diversity
no longer the sole driving factor in the planning of and history, takes into account the major wine-
the many new buildings, extensions and conver- producing countries, such as Spain and Italy, as
sions of mid-sized wine estates, wine companies well as smaller ones such as Austria. The examples
and cellars. Striking visual and tactile design ele- include wine estates and cellars of all sizes and
7
Introduction

History of wine architecture 10

Winemaking and facility design 20
History of wine architecture structures predominated. In his Ten Books on catacombs as extensive ageing cellars. Underneath
Architecture, written about 27– 22 BC, the Roman the Roman fortifications in the Kästrich quarter of
engineer Vitruvius gave precise recommendations Mainz, the sparkling-wine producer Kupferberg
Ever since humans first discovered how to turn for planning such landed estates. He advised that established 60 wine caves on seven subterranean
grapes into a delicious, intoxicating beverage, there the wine storage room should be located close to levels in old Roman and mediaeval tunnels. Cham-
have been special buildings for wine production. the oil press and kitchen. The windows should face pagne houses built vaulted cellars in the many
Most likely even the peasants living in Asia Minor north to avoid an increase in room temperature chalk tunnels dug 2,000 years ago, connecting
some 8,000 years ago, who grew grapes next to through incoming sunlight. them by means of kilometre-long passages. The
their huts, already had storage areas for wine. Pommery & Greno cellars lie 30 metres under-
Although the ancient Greeks are considered to be Wine villas during the Roman Empire ground and are connected by a system of pas-
the founders of viniculture in the Mediterranean, it In Pompeii, Villa di Diomede (second century BC), sages 18 kilometres long. Veuve Clicquot Pon-
was the Romans who, as well as fostering the with its subterranean wine cellars arranged at right sardin, too, made use of old tunnels from
extensive expansion of vineyards in their empire, angles, indicates just how closely Vitruvius’s recom- Gallo-Roman times and extensively expanded
erected purpose-built, free-standing buildings for mendations were followed. When the villa was them. Taittinger has a particularly impressive cave
viniculture from the first century AD onwards. excavated in the late 18th century, numerous that connects its cellars to the 13th-century subter-
A typical Roman estate, called a villa rustica, usu- amphorae, vessels for the storage of wine, were ranean crypt of the Benedictine Abbey of St Nica-
ally consisted of a porticoed villa built on a slope, discovered. The wine storage area at Villa Adriana, sius in Rheims. Other historic cellars can be found
with a large courtyard around which the ancillary or Hadrian’s Villa (AD 118 –134), at Tivoli, east of in the chalkstone caves along the Loire River near
buildings were arranged. The main building was Rome, was also underground, with a roof covering Saumur. The deepest wine cave in France, Terra
usually approached via an outside staircase leading its southern side and cellar hatches facing north Vinea, belongs to Les Caves de Rocbère in Portel
to a colonnaded forecourt framed by two corner and east. des Corbières near Narbonne. The 80-metre-deep
projections. The estate would usually include at When the fermentation process was complete, fur- cellar was established in a disused gypsum mine
least one heated room and a wine or provisions ther treatment of the must and wine in the press from the Middle Ages and houses about 800 wine
cellar that would, depending on the level of the house included adding flavouring and neutralizing barrels.
water table, be either completely or partially under- acidity, smoking to speed up the maturation pro-
ground. Cellars often featured exposed brickwork cess, and filtering and clarifying to improve taste. Rural vineyards
and a wooden-beamed ceiling. The estates would After that, the filled amphorae were brought into the Around the time of the late Middle Ages, Roman
have pressing and fermentation rooms of up to wine cellar or a large storage room. wine villas in German-speaking regions gave way
400 square metres in size. Because the fields and Nevertheless, the storage rooms and cellars in the to Alemannic and Franconian building complexes,
vineyards cultivated by any given farm could cover estates were not always large enough for extensive in which the main building and the ancillary build-
up to 30 hectares, a sizeable press or pressing wine storage, so the wine vessels, often together ings, some with barrel-vaulted cellars, were
basin for the crushing of the grapes would be in with other foodstuffs, were taken to multi-level grouped around a central courtyard. Their broad
use. In the separate press house, there would be storerooms, in which up to several thousand wine entrance gates are a salient feature of the typical
basins for the must (crushed grapes) and run-off amphorae could be cellared. The remains of such townscape of villages in many German wine-
juice as well as a beam or stone wine press. Since storage depots from the second century have been growing areas. A rectangular gate indicates a farm;
1970, archaeological excavations – such as those found in Trier, for example. These consist of two an arched gateway characterizes a winery, as it
carried out along the Mosel River and in the Palati- parallel buildings, each of which is 70 metres long allows a wagon piled high with barrels to pass
nate region of Germany – have exposed the brick and 20 metres wide. through. The house’s emblem, its year of construc-
walls and stone basins of Roman press rooms in For the storage of wine, the Romans also made tion or the name of its owner would be carved into
the first to fifth centuries AD. In the southern Ger- use of tunnels that had been dug into slopes either the keystone of the arch.
man state of Baden-Württemberg alone, 2,000 in prehistoric times or while they were quarrying for Of the farms involved in both crop farming and
Roman farming estates have been identified. building material. Winegrowers in later centuries, winemaking, only few would feature dedicated
In contrast to the villa rustica, the villa urbana was too, benefited from the constant temperatures in buildings for wine production. Grape crushing
usually a single-storey Roman building. Its wine cel- caves, such as those hewn into the slate rock would usually take place in the barns. In later cen-
lars featured ceiling beams or vaults supported by along the Mosel River or into the limestone quarries turies, wine press houses would be built on the
columns, a structural design element found in in Saint-Émilion, France. In the Tokaji region of slopes close to the vineyards in order to save time
monastic wine cellars several hundred years later. present-day Hungary, wine caves kilometres long on grape processing. When these purpose-built
Initially these buildings were made of wood or were carved into the tuff rock and clay soil. structures nestled into the slope were built close
mixed materials, with a stone base and timber Even 2,000 years after Roman times, winemakers, enough to one another, they would often be linked
frame. From the second century onwards, stone particularly producers of sparkling wine, utilized the by “cellar lanes” or “cellar alleys”. This tradition was
10
primarily a feature of Lower Austrian wine-growing
areas, but it was sometimes practised in Austria’s
Burgenland and in the Czech Republic as well.
There is also a cellar lane in Guntersblum in the
German wine region of Rheinhessen.
While the Mediterranean countries have always
tended to situate their wine storage facilities at or
near ground level, the underground cellar became a
dominant fixture in the wine-producing countries
north of the Alps from the 12th century onwards.
Most of these underground storerooms were house
cellars below private living areas. They served as
storage areas for various goods – and, in times of
emergency and war, offered protection from attack
by way of a trap door or a chute known as the Medieval limestone cellar with riddling racks
Kellerhals, or “cellar neck”. at Champagne Boizel, Epernay, Champagne

Wine cellars in castles and monasteries

Even today, fortresses and castles have storerooms
and wine cellars that were hewn into the rock face,
some of which were later lined with brickwork.
In German wine regions today, wine is often pro-
duced on castle estates, for example at Hornberg
Castle near Neckarzimmern; Schaubeck Castle in
the Bottwar Valley in Württemberg (documented as
a wine producer since 1297); Staufenberg Castle
near Durbach; and Ravensburg Castle near
Sulzfeld in Baden. Vineyards surround Castel
Noarna in Trentino, Italy, as well.
From the early Middle Ages, monasteries, church
institutions and hospitals dedicated themselves to
wine production on their considerable vineyard
holdings. The work buildings were accordingly spa-
cious and able to accommodate, among other
things, the vineyard and harvesting equipment and
wine presses as well as wine barrels and barrel-
making supplies. Sometimes stills and beer-
brewing equipment could also be found there.
Wine cellars, like other storage rooms, were a set
feature of a monastery’s infrastructure. The “ideal
site plan” for the ninth-century Benedictine Abbey
of St Gall in Switzerland shows a wine cellar
40 metres long and 10 metres wide in the middle of
the complex, close to the cloister. In Burgundy, too,
Benedictine monks were pivotal in expanding vini-
culture with their establishment of monasteries in
Dijon and Cluny. The role of wine trailblazer was
played even more intensely by the Order of Cister-
cians after the 11th century. Beginning with their
mother house, Cîteaux Abbey, the Cistercians and
11
 At left: 600-litre barrels in the three-nave, 13th-century
Hospitalkeller at Eberbach Abbey near Eltville in the Rheingau
Opposite page:
Left: Lay brothers’ refectory at Eberbach Abbey, featuring
wine presses from the 17th century
Centre: Great Cellar at Schloss Johannisberg, Geisenheim-
Johannisberg. The 600-litre barrels feature glass bungs. The
vaulted ceiling is covered with the characteristic cellar mould
(Cladosporium cellare).
Right: 1,200-litre barrels and an 18th-century wine press at
Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg

their many affiliated abbeys and farming estates

made a significant contribution to the expansion of
vineyards and winemaking.
In 1136, the Cistercians founded Eberbach Abbey
in the German Rheingau region. The building com-
plex is considered one of the best-preserved
Romanesque and early Gothic abbeys in Europe. It
is also seen as a living reflection of the 800 years of
continuous and successful wine production prac-
tised by the monks on numerous farming estates.
In the 16th century, Eberbach Abbey was the larg-
est wine-producing estate in the world, with
recorded wine harvests yielding up to 250,000 litres
a year. The “great barrel”, built in 1485 with a
70,000-litre capacity, was a spectacular demon-
stration of the abbey’s greatness. Modern-day visi-
tors to Eberbach can marvel at three centuries’
worth of massive historic wine presses, the oldest
of them dating from 1668.
Eberbach Abbey combines an impressive presen-
tation of wines with a magnificent sense of space.
The early Gothic Hospitalkeller dating from around
1220, originally a hospital for the abbey’s residents,
was soon converted into a wine storeroom
because of its very high humidity. A one-of-a-kind
showpiece is the 47-metre-long Cabinetkeller in the
double-naved, early Gothic former refectory, where
the monks established a wine treasury in 1730.
The cultural wine legacy of the Eberbach monas-
tery is now managed by the Hesse State Vineyards.
The largely subterranean wine cellar complex built
by architects Friess + Moster between 2006 and
2008 is one of the most modern in Germany. With
12
a storage capacity of 1.3 million bottles and a total Thallern wine estate in Lower Austria; and the for the storage of precious bottles of wine all over
tank volume of 1.8 million litres, it represents a fit- Schloss Gobelsburg winery (1171). the world.
ting continuation of Eberbach’s historic leadership Most of the French monasteries still in existence From about the 14th century, reigning princes
in wine production in the Rhine region. can be found in Burgundy, such as the Hospices began to prefer more lavish, impressive residential
de Beaune (1443), whose wines have been sold in and administrative buildings to fortress-like enclo-
Ecclesiastical wineries with poetic names annual charity auctions since 1859. The Clos de sures and citadels. Accordingly, extended cellars
In addition to Eberbach, there are currently about Vougeot vineyard, with a château more reminiscent were appended to their castles, some of them
20 wine-producing abbeys, cloisters and monaster- of a fort than of an early monastery winery, was designed for the production and storage of wine.
ies in the German-speaking countries. The leading founded by the Cistercians and now serves as a These cellars were sometimes so large that they
facilities with significant vineyard acreage are wine museum and a lodge for the Confrérie des would not have fitted into one of the earlier, more
Bürgerspital zum Heiligen Geist (ca. 1316) and Chevaliers du Tastevin in Burgundy. In this way, cramped fortress buildings.
Juliusspital (1579) in Würzburg; Spitalkellerei (1225) Clos de Vougeot shares the same fate as many for- Since then, the term “wine castle” has been used
in Constance; and Vereinigte Hospitien (1464) in merly monastic wineries that were dissolved during and interpreted in different ways. It may not neces-
Trier. The wine cellars of Vereinigte Hospitien were secularization. The new owners of these estates – sarily refer to a majestic building with columns, tur-
established as part of a Roman storehouse around members of the nobility, wealthy citizens and the rets, battlements, pavilions, courtyards and land-
AD 300, which makes them the oldest in Germany. state – extended the grounds and rebuilt them scaped grounds; rather, it may simply signify a
Abbazia di Novacella, near Brixen, is currently the according to their needs. country house or mansion whose owner is involved
largest monastic wine estate in Alto Adige, the with winemaking and is content with the simplest
German-speaking region of Italy otherwise known From the castle vineyard to the château architectural accoutrements.
as South Tyrol. The Bavarian prelate monasteries in Schloss Johannisberg in the Rheingau, which goes The concept of “château”, linguistically related to
particular owned numerous vineyards in that region, back to a Benedictine monastery founded around “castle”, is equally ambiguous, especially with
and the yields were transported across the Alps 1100, provides an impressive example of structural regard to wine production in the Bordeaux region.
and bottled in monasteries such as Andechs Abbey changes made after secularization. When the castle This term for a wine-producing estate emerged
near Munich. changed hands in 1816 to become the property of there around the mid-16th century. Most of the
Other monasteries with a long tradition of wine pro- Prince von Metternich, the estate was rebuilt in the approximately 4,000 châteaux in existence today
duction include abbeys in Austria such as Melk in Neoclassical style. The enormous, barrel-vaulted belong to non-aristocratic citizens or farmers. Par-
Lower Austria, which has its wine cellar at Melker- wine cellar, which was completed in 1721, was left ticularly in the wine region of Bordeaux, the name
hof in Vienna; the Benedictine Göttweig Abbey; the untouched. It is 260 metres long and has a vault “château” is associated with a particular cru (signi-
Augustinian Klosterneuburg Monastery (its wine span of 11.5 metres. Another wine-related cultural fying a terroir or location), and is for this reason not
estate, which features a four-level wine cellar built in attraction was created at Schloss Johannisberg an indication of a wine’s renown or excellence.
1114 that is 36 metres below ground, is considered with the establishment of an underground “wine Another term that is often confused is domaine.
the oldest and one of the largest in Austria); the bottle library”, the bibliotheca subterranea. This Particularly in Burgundy, the word is used to denote
Heiligenkreuz Abbey vineyards (1141) and its became the prototype for countless wine treasuries a wine estate with its own vineyards. In Germany,
13
Domäne indicates either a sizeable wine estate – in tecture historian. These include Schloss Johannis- Palladianism, Classicism, Historicism
particular one belonging to the state – or an agri- burg in Aschaffenburg, the Altes Schloss (Old Cas- Various aristocratic dynasties – the Antinori, Fres-
cultural estate or its management. tle) in Stuttgart, the Neues Schloss (New Castle) in cobaldi and Ricasoli families among them – estab-
The building complexes of the châteaux and castle Meersburg, the Fürst Hohenlohe Oehringen wine lished themselves in traditional capitals of the wine
estates are the products of centuries of change, estate in Öhringen and Graf Neipperg in trade, such as Bordeaux, Florence, Venice and
featuring many diverse structures built at various Schwaigern. Verona. Apart from erecting palatial city residences
times. In some cases, they began as residences, to The Staatlicher Hofkeller (Bavarian State Wine Cel- there, they also ran attractive agricultural estates
which were later added facilities for the production lar, formerly the Fürstbischöflicher Hofkeller or still influenced by the style of the Italian and French
and storage of wine. In the estates belonging to the Prince Bishop’s Wine Cellar) is a special attraction Renaissance.
aristocracy, in contrast, wine production was a fea- in the Bishop’s Residence in Würzburg. It was built From the 16th century on, rural architecture began
ture from the start. Schloss Vollrads, one of the old- by Balthasar Neumann and is the most notable increasingly to come under the sway of Classicism,
est German wine estates in the Rheingau, is a typi- Baroque palace in Europe. The cellar of this mighty particularly Palladianism, the style pioneered by
cal example of this long-term evolution. Its core is a building, on which construction began in 1720, Andrea Palladio. With its clean lines and forms
14th-century Gothic tower house, surrounded by a covers 4,500 square metres and boasts walls four adopted from antiquity, the Palladian style came to
moat, to which the surrounding Baroque estate to five metres thick. Its passageways are nearly define the patrician style of rural architecture. Villa
buildings were added in the 17th century. 900 metres long. The average temperature in the Barbaro, built by Palladio in 1558 in Maser, near
cellar is about 12.5 °C. The Hofkeller’s great wine- Treviso, stands as a prototype. The building is com-
Residences with majestic wine cellars making tradition, which spans more than three cen- posed of five parts, with the reception rooms
During the transition from the Renaissance to the turies, is illustrated not only by the imposing scale located in the upper storey of the central block. In
Baroque era, while the castle estates were under- of the cellar, but also by its inventory. This includes the symmetrically arranged wings stretching out
going their architectural transformation, ancillary a number of wooden barrels, many of them unique, from the main portion of the building, the upper
buildings and wine cellars were being expanded to dating mostly from the 18th century. The Hofkeller’s floor contains the private living quarters; the work
be able to house ever larger barrels. The 17th cen- famous “Swedish Barrel” was built in 1684 to areas are relegated to the lower floors. Pavilions
tury saw the emergence of vast facilities, some of house a precious vintage wine that had once been round off the wings at either end, with the lower
which were able accommodate barrels with a hidden by the people of Würzburg from the level housing wine cellars, stalls and other utility
capacity of up to 250,000 litres. These barrels advancing Swedes during the Thirty Years’ War. areas.
included the now no longer extant Riesenfass, or Other notable Hofkeller treasures include the Designed by Palladio in 1564, Villa Emo in Vede-
giant barrel, in the Königstein Fortress in Saxony, Beamtenfässer or “civil servants’ barrels”, which lago, also in the Veneto, was the centre of an agri-
and the Heidelberg Tun, the enormous wine barrel can hold up to 50,000 litres each, and a Baroque cultural estate. The working areas were connected
in the cellar of Heidelberg Castle, which is still on wooden spindle press from 1784. to the centre building by colonnaded wings.
display there today. For centuries, walls two to three metres thick were Buoyed by their growing wealth and driven by a
Other German estates are perhaps less spectacular not at all unusual in wine cellars. They served to need to project a stately image, more and more
in this respect, but no less interesting to the archi- maintain the cool and constant temperature proprietors of wine and agricultural estates
required for wine storage. At the same time, their embraced Classicism in the design of their manors.
structural strength helped to absorb the significant The concentration of this style of architecture is
lateral forces generated by the vault construction. nowhere greater than in the Bordeaux region.
Cellars were aligned on a north-south axis. Their The historic trend begins with Château Haut-Brion.
entrances would be placed, if possible, on the This wine estate was founded in 1525 in Pessac,
north side, with sliding stone shutters to close cellar now a suburb of Bordeaux. A characteristic feature
windows. of a château is that the majority of its built area is
A similar development can be observed in the east- devoted not to living quarters but to wine storage
ern European wine-producing countries. Here, too, buildings, or chais, which house the fermentation
we encounter the feudal architecture of various vats and ageing barrels. The typical structural ele-
epochs as well as the construction of enormous ments of a château include a plinth that raises the
cellars that were first in aristocratic, then in state structure and can incorporate about half of an
hands. On the Crimean peninsula, Nicholas II, the underground chai; a terrace; and sometimes an
last tsar of Russia, had a gigantic underground outside staircase. A château’s most salient fea-
wine cellar built near Yalta starting in 1894, the tures, however, are columns as well as decorative
entrance to which was “guarded” by a fortress-like elements such as turrets and battlements. The
building. predominance of Neoclassical buildings in the
14
Bordeaux region indicates the strong influence that part of which had to be blasted into the rocky
Historicism wielded over wine architecture in the ground, caved in during construction, but the cellar
second half of the 19th century. now stands without joists or supports.
Its purest expression is found in several famous The expanse of the cool, white walls is broken by
Neoclassical buildings, with pride of place going to columns of light. The only decorative element is the
Château Margaux. Dramatically situated at the end Mouton coat of arms on the front. Rothschild had
of a long drive lined with plane trees, the “Versailles the idea of showcasing wine as one would a work
of Médoc” boasts a grand Palladian facade with a of art: through the effective use of light. The idea
broad outdoor staircase leading to a portico with has since been copied all over the world.
four Ionic columns, and an interior design notable The prevailing taste of the times left its traces not
for its elegance and beauty. The château grounds only in Bordeaux. Wine castles and cellars influ- Opposite page: Southern facade of Schloss Johannisberg in
also include buildings devoted to wine production. enced by Historicism can be found along the Loire Geisenheim-Johannisberg, built in the Baroque style. The
As well as accommodation for its more than 50 and in the Champagne region of France, in north- Spätlese rating was created here in 1775.
This page, top: Château Margaux, Bordeaux, built in the
employees, the estate has its own cooperage ern Spain and in Germany. The influence of Art
Neoclassical style in 1816
(barrel-making facilities), as well as a 70-metre-long Nouveau can also be seen. This page, bottom: Château Pichon Longueville in Pauillac,
and 23-metre-wide barrel cellar whose oak ceiling Médoc, built in the Renaissance Revival style in 1851
is supported by 18 stone pillars at the centre of the Rustic and contemporary wine cellars
space. This is where the wines are aged during the Meanwhile, in other wine-producing regions, most
first year; the second-year cellar is in an under- wine estates were constructed using local building
ground chai built in 1982 with reinforced concrete, materials. In Germany, these included quarried slate
the first of its kind in Médoc. The Mazières architec- along the Mosel, central Rhine and Nahe rivers;
tural practice was commissioned with its planning and variegated sandstone and rubble limestone in
and execution. In the 1980s, the architects under- Rheinhessen, the Palatinate and the Rheingau.
took renovation and extension projects for about Favourable economic and political conditions made
20 châteaux in the area, as well as the renovation it possible for a number of wine estate owners to
of underground cellars of iconic wine estates such construct grand mansions in a rustic version of the
as Château d’Yquem and Château Pichon Baroque, Neoclassical or Empire styles – occasion-
Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. ally on properties that had been destroyed or
With its subtle pageantry and clarity of forms, wine seized from their former, aristocratic owners.
architecture in the Bordeaux region during the Belle From 1830, vaulted cellars in Rheinhessen came to
Époque was undeniably shaped by a regional vari- be built in a style typical of the region, with groin
ant of Neoclassicism. Nevertheless, thanks to the vaults resting on simple capitals supported by one
influence of Historicism, other architectural styles or more rows of columns. This style was later to
played a role during this period as well, as is evi- give way to repeating barrel-vaulted ceilings sup-
denced by a number of Neo-Gothic, Neo-Renais- ported by steel girders and rebar. The first of the
sance and Elizabethan-inspired buildings (Château 300-odd work buildings that emerged in the groin
Cantenac Brown, Château Lanessan). Still other vault style until about 1880 were converted cow-
châteaux display a surprising, even jarring mixture sheds, so they came to be known as Kuhkapellen,
of styles. Some, like Château de la Rivière, are rem- or “cow chapels”. These stone structures replaced
iniscent of fairy-tale theatre architecture. Others, earlier timber-framed buildings, as their greater fire
like the exotic-looking cellar building of Château resistance made them better suited to animal hous-
Cos d’Estournel in St Estèphe, borrow from oriental ing. From about 1950, an increasing number of
models. The 1980 redesign of the chais with Far farmers in Rheinhessen switched from dairy to
Eastern furnishings and barrels contrasts with the grape and grain farming, so the stalls were put to
original Chinese pagoda style of the estate. other uses or torn down. In recent decades, the
Baron Philippe de Rothschild was a pioneer of per- approximately 50 stalls still in existence have been
fect cellar presentation. In 1924, he and Paris archi- restored and converted to wine bars and wine-
tect Charles Siclis started work on a new cellar with tasting areas or turned into tourist venues.
a 500-barrel capacity for his Château Mouton On wine estates along the Rhine and Mosel rivers,
Rothschild. The ceiling of the 100-metre-long chai, a regional, relatively plain type of building emerged.
15
 lution, champagne and sparkling wine cellars, is the majestic cellar built in 1920 by Cèsar Martinell
Sherry bodegas and port wine lodges, riding a for the wine cooperative Gandesa in the Spanish
wave of worldwide export success, stepped up province of Tarragona. Here, for once, the lofty term
their business activities. This increase in production “wine cathedral” applies. Most of the buildings from
created a need for new buildings of unprecedented this period are, however, exclusively functional
dimensions. Just to remove the lees from the mil- industrial structures – and regrettably forgettable.
lions of champagne bottles produced (a process The sparkling-wine house Kupferberg in the
called disgorgement), for example, countless rid- Kästrich quarter of Mainz is an illustration of the
dling racks were required – and an immense speed with which expanding wine producers aban-
amount of space was necessary to accommodate doned their relatively modest pre-industrial look in
them. Riddling halls and subterranean cellar pas- favour of a more imposing style. The original Kup-
sageways attained awe-inspiring dimensions. Cel- ferberg building, built by Joseph Laské in 1856,
lars and tunnels at Moët & Chandon reached a vast was a stuccoed structure with a symmetrical
length of 28 kilometres, but even this amazing fig- facade and neo-Gothic motifs. In 1860, a three-
ure was surpassed by the 30 kilometres boasted storey building was added. Two years later, the
by Codorníu. Alexanderkaserne (“Alexander barracks”) was
The underground labyrinthine cellars in the lime- erected next to them, a building made of variegated
Lacking elaborate ornamentation, the style harked stone quarries in and around Rheims, with their sandstone and ashlar masonry that has served the
back to prototypes from the Renaissance, Baroque endless bottle galleries and riddling racks, are company as an office building since 1900. In 1866,
and Classical periods, sometimes incorporating hardly distinguishable from one another except by Christian Adalbert Kupferberg commissioned Con-
elements of timber-frame construction. their size. Because of this, champagne houses in rad Kraus to erect two neo-Renaissance buildings
From the end of the 19th century onwards, while search of publicity, and hoping to stand out from (with some Baroque and Neoclassical motifs), one
wine estates and cellars were undergoing a struc- their competitors, gave their reception and adminis- of which features the magnificent Art Nouveau
tural redesign, step-by-step changes were taking trative buildings exceptional, sometimes idiosyn- Traubensaal (“Grape Hall”) and an impressive col-
place in winemaking. Novelties such as grape cratic designs. lection of champagne glasses. Kupferberg’s brick
crushers with new extraction techniques; fermenta- During the founding years of cellars in the Cham- cellar with sandstone details, dating from 1899,
tion tanks; storage vessels of metal, plastic or steel; pagne, the country-estate and Renaissance- completes the diverse ensemble.
and bottling facilities all led to heated debates inspired styles were in vogue, but also Gothic To avoid this kind of patchwork effect, Otto Henkell,
about ethics and benefits. Increasingly, steel tanks Revival. The most famous example of this is the founder of the Henkell sparkling-wine house, took a
began to replace the traditional wooden fermenta- curious architecture of the Pommery estate in different architectural route. His growing company
tion casks used in red wine production. That devel- Rheims, which was erected in the 1870s. Behind had become dispersed among 50 cellars through-
opment, in turn, had implications for the design of its imposing wrought-iron entrance gate stands an out Mainz, and he wanted to bring it all together in
the press houses. Concurrently, large oak barrels eclectic group of buildings constructed from a vari- a new build. Having bought an inexpensive plot of
came to be superseded by smaller ones, known as ety of materials. The ensemble is said to have been land in Wiesbaden-Biebrich, he invited architects to
barriques. This allowed the transformation of barrel designed by Madame Pommery herself, although, submit designs for the estate. It wasn’t, however,
cellars into spaces marked by a new aesthetic: officially, a number of master builders were also the winner of the competition who ultimately got
floors carefully tiled or dashed with white pebbles, involved. The architecture is an obvious nod to the the contract, but architect Paul Bonatz, who was
stark walls featuring rubble stone or light-coloured style of stately homes in England, whose owners at just 30 years old at the time. In accordance with his
render, contrasting wooden-beamed ceilings, and the time numbered among Pommery’s best clients. client’s wishes, he erected a stately building in the
an almost clinical cleanliness. The ageing cellar built in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, near Neoclassical style. The “Little Henkell Palace”
New technologies transformed construction as Barcelona, for the Spanish Cava producer Codor- boasts a central, five-bay projection crowned by a
well. Iron supports replaced stone pillars; brick and níu, exemplifies the spirit of Catalonian Art Nou- pediment. A steep hip roof of copper and glass
cement were increasingly used in cellars; and, for veau. It was designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch, a rises above the travertine-clad facade. The colon-
ground-level warehouses, cast iron (for wide spans) contemporary of Antoni Gaudí, and constructed naded entrance walkway, with sweeping wings that
and reinforced concrete became the preferred between 1895 and 1915. The Celler Gran (“Large end in pavilions, lends the building a particular
alternatives to wood or brick construction. Cellar”) extends over an area of 2,000 square charm. The sense of grandeur is amplified in the
metres and is divided into three halls covered by a reception area, or Marble Hall, which was deco-
Large-scale wine architecture Catalonian vaulted roof. rated in an elaborate Rococo style in 1928.
A new chapter in the architecture of wine began in Another example of the Catalonian Art Nouveau Moorish architecture served as the inspiration for
the 19th century. In the wake of the Industrial Revo- style, probably influenced by Gaudí and Cadafalch, several of the cathedral-like Sherry bodegas in
16
Andalusia. The first buildings of this kind emerged
in the 19th century. They generally feature high,
wide-span wooden roofs. Real Bodega de La Con-
cha, however, is an exception. This impressive,
shell-like steel structure was designed by Gustave
Eiffel for the cellars of González Byass in Jerez de la
Frontera in 1862. Nearby, the extensive La
Mezquita bodega, designed by Javier Soto López-
Dóriga for the Domecq Sherry house, features ele-
ments of Arabic architecture inspired by the
mosque of the same name at Córdoba.
At the height of the international Sherry boom, Opposite page: Groin vault in a former cowshed from the 19th
Williams & Humbert built a 180,000-square-metre century. Kuhkapellen or “cow chapels” are found primarily in
Rheinhessen.
estate in Jerez de la Frontera, creating one of the
Below: Vinothèque at Château Lafite Rothschild in Pauillac,
largest bodegas in Europe. The ageing cellar meas- Médoc. Established in the early 19th century, the cellar houses
ures 75,000 square metres and can accommodate more than 20,000 bottles. The oldest wine dates from 1797.
60,000 barrels. The cave’s groin-vault-inspired ceil-
ing is exquisite and, in combination with its sup-
porting columns, recalls the shape of wine glasses.
The ambition and commitment with which the large
wine houses pursued their building projects 100
years ago declined in subsequent decades. Large
and small companies alike suffered the impact of
world wars and economic crises on their output
and sales. Then, in the second half of the 20th cen-
tury, building activity was largely restricted to reno-
vation work – conversions and extensions for which
mainly builders, not architects, were called upon.

Pioneers of the 20th century

Once again, it was from the Bordeaux region –
more specifically, from Pauillac in the Médoc – that
new ideas for a revolution in wine architecture
came. In 1987, the new cave for Château Lafite
Rothschild signalled a radical departure from the
traditional rectangular floor plan. For owner Éric de
Rothschild, the project was intended to bring con-
siderable technical and economic advantages. The
first priority was to streamline significantly the work
processes in the chai, where barriques have to be
shifted four times a year. Apart from saving time,
the redesign was supposed to obviate the need for
a cooling system as well as preserve valuable vine-
yard acreage, which necessarily meant choosing a
subterranean solution. The result was an under-
ground wine cave with a completely new spatial
arrangement, designed by Catalonian architect
Ricardo Bofill. His new solution was perhaps
inspired by the circular arrangement of the barrels
in some Sherry bodegas. The reinforced-concrete
17
chai allows for the storage of about 2,000 barrels in appearance of the new structure is simple and mini- left as they were. In these interventions, functional-
concentric circles on an octagonal floor plan. At its malist. A large water basin mediates between the ity was the top priority, and results did not always
centre, a well of light surrounded by 16 columns old and the new. blend harmoniously into their surroundings or the
gives the cave the feel of a “wine crypt”. Projects such as this – including the new cellar also regional landscape. The variety of architectural
The sense of renewal that, from the mid-1980s, designed by Dillon and Gastines for Château de styles was nevertheless broad, ranging from classi-
created an increasingly buoyant atmosphere in new Bachen, located south of Bordeaux in the wine cal Modernism, such as the Bauhaus, to the futur-
wine architecture soon took hold even of winemak- region of Tursan and belonging to celebrity chef istic architecture of Zaha Hadid.
ers who had previously been reluctant to try any- Michel Gérard – helped inspire the Centre Pompi- Spanish wine producers were especially rigorous in
thing new. Fortuitous economic circumstances dou in Paris to host an exhibition titled Château pursuing new winery design. In Italy there was a
enabled the implementation of groundbreaking pro- Bordeaux in 1989. The exhibition exhaustively doc- similar development, although the affinity for new
jects. The AXA insurance company, owner of the umented the reciprocal, often symbiotic relationship wine architecture was at first more pronounced in
renowned Château Pichon Longueville in Pauillac, between viniculture and architecture in the region. the country’s northern wine-growing areas than in
financed the construction of a new winery tract with The renewal process, however, was not restricted to those in the south.
chais, a circular press house for 30 fermentation France and its south-western wine regions. Similar The close of the 20th century saw a veritable surge
tanks, and a bottle cellar. The 4,000 square metres developments followed, albeit with a slight delay, in of activity in wine architecture in Austria. Almost 50
of work area were expanded to include administra- the major wine-producing countries of Spain and winemakers in the Burgenland completed new con-
tive spaces and a reception area with tourist facili- Italy. structions, extensions and renovations of their work
ties, making it possible to welcome up to 50,000 In the years directly after the Second World War, buildings in the years between 1999 and 2004.
visitors a year. Architects Patrick Dillon and Jean de wine architecture in most European wine-growing During the same period, the wine region of Styria
Gastines brought this project to fruition in the early countries saw little in the way of revival. This only recorded more than a dozen similar projects, and
1990s. It was met, as is often the case, with enthu- emerged from 1980 onwards. Initially, new con- the situation was similar in Lower Austria. Though
siasm and scepticism in equal measure. Out of def- struction focused on a comprehensive moderniza- the new architecture allowed vintners to update
erence to the neighbouring fairy-tale castle of tion of production facilities and buildings, while and optimize their winemaking facilities and pro-
Pichon Longueville, dating from 1851, the external reception buildings and living quarters were largely cesses, the reasons for its rapid spread were not

18
solely pragmatic. Owners and vintners also wanted their doors to the public are gaining a higher profile. functional, spectacular or revolutionary, purpose-
to create high-quality wines, and to convey this The industry’s embrace of direct marketing has led built architecture can help wine companies and
aspiration through a distinctive, high-profile visual wineries to style themselves increasingly as tourist winemakers to realize virtually all their aspirations.
presentation. Such ambitious goals could, however, attractions, paving the way for new design possibil- In doing so, wine architecture plays an important
only be realized with the help of grants from EU ities within the constraints of agricultural, business role in promoting and sustaining the public’s fasci-
structural funds, made available under the Maas- and industrial architecture. nation with all things connected with wine.
tricht Treaty, which declared Burgenland and other With their diverse, even exceptional, wine architec-
areas eligible for EU support. ture creations, important names such as Frank O.
Gehry, Renzo Piano, Zaha Hadid, Steven Holl and
Outlook and Vision Mario Botta testify to the particular challenge and
As this historical overview makes clear, the evolu- fascination inherent in what is, in fact, purely func-
tion of contemporary wine architecture has been tional architecture. In this way, innovative architects
subject to varying influences in each country and and their clients have contributed definitively to the
region. Economic conditions have certainly played watershed in the development of wine architecture
a major role. Happily, experts predict positive sales and its much-debated reinterpretation. Wherever
trends for the wine industry to continue, particularly contemporary architecture is practised, its unfamil-
in light of the growing demand in the Far East. In iar design language can initially feel unsettling, even
Europe, too, particularly in the eastern part of the offensive, to fans of traditional wine cellar culture.
Opposite page: In addition to a wine cellar built for CVNE in
continent, wine is gaining new ground as a cult Increasingly, however, the old, pseudo-romantic 1879, Gustave Eiffel completed Real Bodega de la Concha
drink. winery atmosphere is giving way to the pursuit of in Jerez de la Frontera as a steel structure in 1862. Part of
This situation is reflected in the growing acceptance aesthetics, lucidity, clarity and functionality. the Gonzáles Byass Sherry house, the cellar contains 214
Sherry casks.
and appreciation of new winery designs. As con- Visual considerations are becoming more and more
At right: New underground chai for the second-year barriques
sumers become more and more interested in the vital to a winery’s image and status. Here, architec- at Château Lafite Rothschild in Pauillac, Médoc, from
fascinating world of winemaking, wineries that open tural idiom knows no bounds. Whether simple and designs by Ricardo Bofill

19
Winemaking and facility design crushing or maceration of grapes, no longer takes
place at the vineyard but primarily inside the winery
itself.

Maceration
“Wine means the product obtained exclusively from To start the process of maceration, the crusher
total or partial alcoholic fermentation of fresh gently tears the grapes open and crushes them
grapes, crushed or otherwise, or of grape must,” without breaking the seeds, which would add their
according to EU wine regulations. The basic princi- tannins and bitters to the end product. The result-
ple of winemaking has not changed substantially ing thick mixture of fruit pulp, grape seeds, skins
since ancient times, when people crushed grapes and juice is called the must. The less the must is
by stomping on them with their bare feet. In our exposed to oxygen, the smaller the danger of oxi-
high-tech era, however, the aid of physical, chemi- dation (browning). This is prevented by adding sul-
cal and technological processes is enlisted to opti- phur dioxide or carbon dioxide. The length of time
mize and streamline wine production and to make the red wine is permitted to stay in contact with the
the resulting drink an incomparably better product. skins and seeds depends on the characteristics
Aspects such as sustainability and environmental and quality of the harvest. Extended maceration or
considerations are playing an increasingly important extraction can result in a full-bodied wine, but it
role in this process. could also intensify unwanted tannins and pig-
The contrast between the ancient and the modern ments. As a general rule of thumb, maceration
practice of wine production is therefore considera- should be about as long as the fermentation pro-
ble. Must production and pressing used to be cess; depending on the desired style of wine, how-
accomplished in one step, as the grapes were ever, it could also last a bit longer.
trampled in a basin with a drain to let the resulting
juice run off. In ancient Egypt, grapes and skins Pressing
would be pressed a second time in sacks. Filled In the making of white wine, the pressing occurs
into earthenware containers, the juice fermented right after crushing to separate the grape juice from
spontaneously or was boiled. Certain herbs were the solids in the must. To this end, most wineries
added and the wine was often watered down use pneumatic, hydraulic or mechanical presses.
before drinking. Modern presses can be set to regulate the pressing
While these rather primitive methods have long intensity and duration, which, depending on the
been consigned to history, a few processes, such type of wine, takes between one and a maximum
as spontaneous fermentation, are being rediscov- of three hours. Varying according to the variety,
ered by some winemakers. Other vintners eschew ripeness and vintage of the grapes, between 65
all chemical processing of their wines. Still others and 80 litres of juice can be retrieved from 100 kilo-
try combining old and new methods in various grams of grapes. Red wine grapes used to make
ways. In short, the process of wine production is a rosé go straight into the press after crushing, with-
highly heterogeneous one. out maceration and without a heating of the must.
The differences in approach already become appar- Immediate pressing gives the wine its characteristic
ent during grape receiving and processing. The first light red colour, as only a little pigmentation from
step to promoting quality is the grape selection, the grape skins leaches into the wine.
which is particularly important in the processing of The solids remaining after the pressing, called pom-
red grapes. During selection, mouldy and unripe ace, can be used to make pomace wine or pom-
grapes, and particularly the remains of leaves and ace brandy (such as marc or grappa), the quality of
stems, are removed from the fruit either manually at which improves with storage length. One hundred
the sorting table or sorting belt, or with the help of kilograms of pomace can yield about seven to nine
automated sorting facilities. This step in the pro- litres of brandy. Often the must is clarified by vari-
cess occurs together with destemming, a process ous methods (sedimentation, flotation, filtration, fin-
by which the grapes are separated from the rachis. ing) before pressing, in order to remove the insolu-
Today, the selection and destemming, like the ble matter.
20
Fermentation
Fermentation is initiated by yeasts, which break
down the sugars in the juice and convert them into
alcohol and carbon dioxide. Nowadays, this pro-
cess can be finely regulated in the temperature-
controlled environment of metal fermentation tanks.
Traditional fermentation, though, often still takes Opposite page: Wine production at Domaine les Aurelles in
place in wooden barrels with fermenter lids (funnels Nizas, France
Top: After the grapes are received, they are sorted manually on
or pots) to keep air out. Selected strains of cultured a conveyor belt. Foreign material and imperfect grapes are
yeast influence the process of fermentation. To removed. For a high-quality end product, only ripe and healthy
increase the alcohol content, some wines have grapes go on to the crusher.
Centre: Modern horizontal presses operate with hydraulic or
sugar added to them before fermentation begins
pneumatic pressure to press the grapes in an almost entirely
(chaptalization), although there are strict regulations automated process.
governing the maximal amount of sugar allowed. Bottom: Taking a sample from the barrel to assist wine ageing
The manner of fermentation, whether natural or and care.
This page, below: Red grapes often blush into different colours,
controlled, as well as the fermentation method and
according to grape variety.
length, have a direct bearing on the later character
of a white wine. In keeping with customer tastes,
most of the wines produced are dry or semi-sweet.
The sugar left in the wine after fermentation only
weighs a few grams per litre (according to wine
regulations). By adding süssreserve (unfermented
grape must) or potassium or sodium metabisul-
phite, the amount of residual sugar can be
increased. The level of this is higher with wines that
are classified as sweet or mild. Sweet wines (Aus-
lese wines) retain their high content of unfermented
sugar naturally, without additional sweetening. In
many wine-producing countries, a secondary fer-
mentation (malolactic fermentation) is done after
the primary or alcoholic fermentation. In this pro-
cess, lactic acid bacteria convert malic acid into
lactic acid, giving the wines lower levels of acidity.
In contrast to white wines, red-wine fermentation is
carried out during the must stage. It takes place in
traditional, usually rather small, closed or open
vats, or in stirred tanks or pressure tanks. By keep-
ing the must in motion and applying controlled
amounts of heat, flavours and tannins are extracted
from the grapes.
Ideally, the further transport of the must takes place
by means of gravity. As fermentation vats are often
situated at ground level, however, the must is usu-
ally transported with the help of pumps and pipes,
and sometimes by conveyor belts.

Ageing
During the first racking, the young wines are
siphoned off the lees (yeast that has settled to the
bottom) and transferred to wooden barrels, tanks
22
or other vats for ageing. The choice of container Traditionally in European winemaking, barrels of winery’s image and its marketing, many wine-
depends on the type of wine and the qualities wine are stored in a cellar – in other words, under- makers have given their tasting areas pride of
desired for the end product. Crisp, uncomplicated ground. Smaller wineries in particular often make place. Offering an appealing product presentation
white wines are usually aged in tanks for a short use of subcellars and root cellars; in larger wine and supplying their customers with background
period of time. Wooden barrels are suitable for estates, vaulted cellars predominate. Newer build- information, these shops are increasingly becoming
wines that require a long ageing process to develop ings usually include concrete cellars. But no matter wine discovery centres.
their aromas and flavours fully. The traditional, large what cellar type is used, it must be able to offer an A winery’s working areas include the machine halls
wooden barrels have a different impact on the wine optimal climate for wine – in other words, be dry, for the equipment needed in the vineyards; offices;
than do the smaller, 225-litre oak casks called cool (with average temperatures of 10–12 °C and and, in larger facilities, the laboratory where the
barriques. The effect a barrel has on the wine, and free of frost in the winters) and odour-free – and wine is chemically analysed.
the intensity of this effect, is determined by the hence fulfil certain structural engineering criteria. The decision of whether and how working areas are
degree of contact the wine has with the wood of The humidity in barrel cellars has to be higher than to be united in one structure or divided among sev-
the barrel and by the wood’s aromatic properties, in tank storage areas, but lower than in bottle eral buildings is dependent on a number of factors.
which come from its kind, age and method of cellars. Under no circumstances should the humid- Unquestionably, however, a well-thought-out
toasting. ity in barrel cellars be so high that it leads to mould arrangement of buildings and spaces, like a judi-
Depending on the type of wine being made, further and mildew. cious use of mechanization in work processes, can
steps can be taken during barrel ageing. These Tank and barrel storage areas usually make the achieve significant savings in work and time.
include sulphurization, enrichment, deacidification, strongest impression on visitors, which means that Many important aspects have to be considered and
fining and possible blending. Clarification is done to their fittings and interior design should be viewed accommodated in the building, renovation and
prepare the wine for stabilization with additives (and with an eye to more than just practicality. extension of wine production facilities. These
in the case of white wines, filtration) before bottling. Together with the multifunctional production space, include topographical factors (such as the location
Red wine in particular continues to age in the bottle the wine storage area – whether at ground level or of the business on a sloping terrain): the environ-
for some time – from one year to several years – in a cellar – defines the architecture of a winery. ment of the site; the size, flexibility and functionality
before it is brought on the market. Wine storage areas at ground level (often physically of the facility; the owner’s aesthetic, financial and
connected to the production space) are optimal technological targets; and, last but not least, the
Architectural solutions from the viewpoint of transport logistics. In line with creative imagination and stylistic language of the
In a wine-producing facility, the rooms in the work the development of the winery’s output and sales architect.
areas are arranged to accommodate the various figures, they can simply be extended or converted
phases of wine production. The fermenting cellar is as needed.
actually a multi-purpose room, since the grape The storage of wooden barrels requires the most
receiving, sorting, destemming, crushing, macera- amount of space, particularly when it comes to the
tion, fermentation, pressing, and conveyance of the increasingly popular barriques. This is the most
pomace takes place here. Moreover, since the work-intensive method of storage, but the most
space is used for these activities for only a few effective and impressive with regard to image and
weeks a year, it can be utilized for other purposes presentation. To reduce the amount of space
as well, such as bottling, labelling, and storage of needed, the barriques can be stacked one on top
other equipment such as pumps, centrifuges and of the other. Wooden barrels require regular mainte-
filters. nance, so sufficient space has to be allowed
The tank storage area accommodates containers between the rows. And they must be kept separate
of many different sizes and materials (steel, stain- from the tanks, as barrels need a relative humidity
less steel, plastic) as well as pressure vessels for of 85 per cent to prevent a large reduction in their
various production processes (must preparation, contents.
fermentation, juice storage, etc.). Given the sophis- The bottle warehouse – the storage area for full
ticated technological equipment required for up-to- bottles – has to have enough volume to accommo-
date production of quality wine, a customized, date bottles from up to two harvests. It is usually on
attractive design of production facilities makes the same level as other work facilities such as
sense not only in terms of streamlining the opera- packaging and shipping, as well as the customer
tional sequence but also because it permits the reception and tasting areas.
winery to project a positive, customer-oriented In recognition of the fact that the in-house shop
image. and wine bar has become an important part of a Opposite page: Señorío de Otazu in Echauri, Navarra

23
Projects

Adega Mayor in Campo Maior, Portugal 26

Bodegas Portia in Gumiel de Izán, Spain 30
Weingut Claus Preisinger in Gols, Austria 34
Tenuta Peter Zemmer in Cortina sulla Strada del Vino, Italy 38
Château Thuerry in Villecroze, France 40
Quinta do Vallado in Peso da Régua, Portugal 44
Domaine Perraudin in Vauvert, France 50
Cantina Colterenzio in Cornaiano, Italy 52
Weingut Leo Hillinger in Jois, Austria 56
Cantina Tramin in Termeno, Italy 60
Weingut Heid in Fellbach, Germany 64
Quinta do Napoles in Santo Adrião, Portugal 68
Winzer Sommerach in Sommerach, Germany 72
Domaine Les Aurelles in Nizas, France 76
Quinta do Portal in Celeirós do Douro, Portugal 80
Rocca di Frassinello in Gavorrano, Italy 86
Weingut Erich Sattler in Tadten, Austria 90
Cantina San Michele-Appiano in Appiano, Italy 94
Weingut Gantenbein in Fläsch, Switzerland 98
Bodegas Ysios in Laguardia, Spain 104
Bodega Brugarol in Palamós, Spain 106
Weingut Heinrich in Gols, Austria 110
Adega Mayor in Campo Maior,
Portugal
Architect: Álvaro Siza Vieira, Rua do Aeixo, 53, 2º
4150-043 Porto
Team: Avelino Silva (project head), Rita Amaral
Site area: 5,543 m2
Gross floor area: 4,262 m2
Start of design phase: 2003
Completion: 2006
Region: Alto Alentejo
Contact: Herdade das Argamassas, 7370-171 Campo Maior
www.adegamayor.pt
Oenologist: Rita Carvalho
Price range: € 4.50 – € 30

It all started with a coffee cup that the Portuguese Nabeiro champions the interests of the region and
architect Álvaro Siza designed for Portugal’s largest and its people, most of whom are directly or indi-
coffee entrepreneur, Rui Nabeiro. When Nabeiro rectly connected with his business.
was considering building his own winery years later, In memory of the past and of his grandparents,
it was again Siza he approached. Mutual under- whom he saw working in the local vineyards as a
standing and respect bound the two grands boy, Nabeiro fulfilled a personal dream in 1997
seigneurs together. when he acquired his first vineyard in Godinha,
The fruits of this friendship are impressive. At once about 10 kilometres from the current location of his
purist and gleaming, Adega Mayor rises up from its winery. Bit by bit, he bought additional vineyards.
throne on a hill in the wine-growing area of Alentejo, From the very start, Paulo Loureano, one of the
not far from the Spanish border. Without a doubt, most respected oenologists in Portugal, contrib-
the vineyard is architecturally among the most uted his expertise. Under his management, they
beautiful in Portugal. It embodies in every detail the developed their first red wine, Monte Mayor, in
Nabeiro family philosophy: “Passion is what drives 2002, and followed it one year later with their first
us. It has always been that way. When we do reserva, Comendador, both aged at neighbouring
something, many diverse emotions, desires and facilities. The quality of these wines was astonish-
places play a vital role.” ing, leading to the conviction that top-notch wines
After more than two years of construction, the first could be produced in this northernmost part of the
harvest went to the press in the new, minimalist Alentejo region. Thanks to the climatic effects of the
structure in 2006. The official inauguration followed nearby foothills of the Serra de São Mamede, the
in June 2007. air cools noticeably at night. This is beneficial for
The foundation of the project was laid by Rui maintaining the acid content in white wines, which
Nabeiro many years ago with coffee, when he gives them a longer life and makes them an ideal
launched Delta Café in the early 1960s. With more accompaniment for food.
than 3,000 employees, it is today the market leader The search for an appropriate site for a wine estate
in Portugal. But for all his success, Nabeiro never was relatively simple. A small rise in the middle of
forgot his origins. Campo Maior, originally a very the vineyards, just a stone’s throw away from his
poor agricultural town more than 200 kilometres company, appeared suitable. The search for an
away from Lisbon, is still the seat of his corporate architect also met with quick success, as Siza
headquarters. Showing great social commitment, immediately came on board. At the first meeting in
26
Floor plans 1 Entrance 5 Bottling plant 9 Barrique cellar 13 Void
Scale 1:1000 2 Reception 6 Fermenting (white) 10 Vestibule 14 Grape
3 Shop 7 Storeroom 11 Laboratory receiving
4 Bottle warehouse 8 Fermenting (red) 12 Administration 15 Technology
2003, he already started sketching the first draft of
what was to become the Adega Mayor winery on a
serviette. Siza suggested a functional, outwardly
12
purist structure that could map the consecutive
a 13 a steps of wine production. During the entire planning
phase of the facility, he was guided by the require-
11
ments put forth by Loureano; Nabeiro made no fur-
10 ther stipulations.
14
When visitors first pass the Delta Café headquar-
ters on their approach, they see Adega Mayor
rising up amid the green of the vineyards. The
building nestles against the slope of the hill. The
entire outer facade is white, featuring the same
whitewash traditionally used on the houses in
Alentejo. The paint reflects the sunlight and pro-
tects the interior from too much heat.
The wine estate has its own access road, which
ends at the car park at the front of the building.
Upon entering, visitors immediately feel the pleas-
4
9 8
ant coolness of the lofty, white reception area. The
combination of the beige marble tiles on the floor
3
and walls, light-coloured timber, and a cream-
7
coloured leather seating arrangement – also
2
5 6
designed by Siza – conveys an instant feeling of
1 ease. In addition to the reception desk, this area
contains a staircase leading up to the laboratory as
well as the administrative and tasting areas. Two
doors at the back of the reception area lead to an
15
auditorium and a shop that sells not only the wine
produced by the estate, but also olive oil, choco-
27
Section
Scale 1:1000

aa

lates and gift items. A large glass door opens into a visual treat that requires more than a quick glance red wine is made from Touriga Nacional, the white
hallway that leads directly to the production area. to be fully taken in. The rich green of the lawn from Antão-Vaz grapes. The red and white Reserva
Simple exposed concrete and a grey floor of (which also helps insulate the cellar) contrasts with do Comendador wines age in oak barrels for 18
poured epoxy resin dominate the tunnel-like corri- an azure blue pool (also a cooling device) and the and six months, respectively. The Pai Chão, with a
dor, production and storage areas. Here, Siza, in white marble walls. Here, too, Siza’s characteristic label decorated with a likeness of founder Rui
consultation with Loureano and Nabeiro, was suc- style is unmistakable. From above, the roof styling Nabeiro, crowns their wine selection. All of the
cessful in meeting the requirements of grape pro- recalls a face with eyes, nose and mouth – a per- labels are also printed in Braille.
cessing. A large, two-storey hall is situated at the sonal touch of Siza’s, who often includes these sur- Today, Adega Mayor encompasses a vineyard area
end of the corridor. Grape receiving takes place by prise elements in his work. of 67 hectares; eventually it is to reach 100 hec-
way of an access road behind the building, on Today, the philosophy of this new wine estate is tares in size. The demand for Adega Mayor’s wines
which tractors bring in their valuable cargo. The red embodied and guarded by the founder’s grand- is growing steadily; the total yearly capacity of
wine grapes arrive in 20-kilogram containers and, daughter, company director Rita Nabeiro. In close 450,000 bottles is already sold out. A new ware-
after sorting, are destemmed and crushed. Then, partnership with oenologist Rita Carvalho, she has house – naturally, in collaboration with Siza – is
following the flow of gravity, they travel through a produced wines solely from traditional Portuguese already in planning. Rui Nabeiro has realized his
downpipe into individual large maceration tanks. grape varieties since 2007. Rui Nabeiro’s vision was dream.
The white wine grapes are similarly processed, to produce wine for everyone, from wine novices to
except that they are pressed into juice immediately. wine experts. With its current range, which encom-
The rectangular barrel cellar, which is located paral- passes five different labels of wine, the company
lel to the corridor that leads to the production area, has succeeded. All its wines are blends made from
is stark and divided into clearly designated sec- regional grape varieties such as Trincadeira or
tions. The wine ages in numerous, seemingly end- Aragonez. Thanks to the area’s special soil as well
less rows of oak barrels. A window at the centre as Adega Mayor’s stringent reduction in crop yield,
allows daylight in and gives the cool, concrete stor- the normally less significant Alicante Bouschet vari-
age room a delightful sense of peace. ety produces particularly good wines here, playing
The same materials, themes and colour schemes an important role in the red wine blends. The label
found in the ground-floor reception area dominate on the introductory-level wine, the Caiado, which is
the interior of the upper storey. A window affords sold in red and white versions, is reminiscent of the
another look from above at the impressive wine cel- limestone wash on the houses in Campo Maior.
lar. Upon arrival at the upper floor and its tasting The Monte Mayor collection offers the only rosé
area, visitors can experience the indescribably produced by Adega Mayor. Nabeiro’s granddaugh-
beautiful panoramic view over the Alentejo plain ter’s favourite is the Solista. As the name suggests,
from the extensive roof terrace of Adega Mayor: a these wines derives from a single grape variety. The
29
Bodegas Portia in Gumiel de Izán,
Spain
Architects: Foster + Partners, Riverside, 22 Hester Road,
London SW11 4AN, www. fosterandpartners.com
Team: Norman Foster, David Nelson, Gerard Evenden,
Pedro Haberbosch, Nadine Pieper Bosch, Ana Agag Longo,
Juan Gabriel La Malfa, Luca Latini, Chris Lepine, Emanuele
Mattutini, Josep Mercader, Jaime Valle
Gross floor area: 12,500 m2
Start of design phase: 2004
Completion: 2010
Region: Ribera del Duero
Contact: Carretera N1, km 170, 09370 Gumiel de Izán
www.bodegasportia.com
Oenologist: Raúl Quemada
Price range: € 5.50 – € 20.50 Section
aa Scale 1:1000

A year’s production of Trienna, a varietal pressed together to create optimum working conditions. By to five times that number, or approximately 6,000.
from Tinta Fina del País grapes, is limited to a maxi- embedding the building in the surrounding terrain, The bottle cellar, designed by Norman Foster, is
mum of 3,000 bottles. Its malolactic fermentation the amount of energy required for cooling could be particularly distinctive. Thousands of bottles age
takes place in French oak barrels, where the wine reduced. At the same time, the building integrates there in absolute darkness, inserted into vertical
ages for 18 months. Intense shades of red, a bou- itself visually into its environment in the best possi- oak panels shaped like a honeycomb.
quet of dense, complex aromas in the nose, dark ble way. Throughout the cellar the light effects are fascinat-
red berries on the palate with a long finish – this is To distinguish the three steps in production – ing. Futuristic red light lends the dark, cool spaces
the beauty of Bodegas Portia’s flagship wine. fermentation, barrel ageing and bottle ageing – a warm yet intriguing atmosphere. The walls of the
Trienna: a unity of three, as the label designed by Foster chose the form of a three-pointed star with bodega are made of reinforced concrete, which-
Lord Norman Foster conveys. Foster took his inspi- the reception and administration areas in the mid- keeps out the strong summer heat. The roof ex-
ration from the shape of Bodegas Portia itself, one dle. The barriques and bottles are stored in two of tends out over the walls to offer extra shade. On
of his own architectural creations. Near Gumiel de the wings, which are partially underground to main- the outside, the concrete walls are covered with
Izán, about 150 kilometres north of Madrid and in tain an ideal temperature – a crucial factor in the plates made of Corten steel, which blends in per-
the Ribera del Duero wine region, Bodegas Portia is quality of the wine. Currently the barrel cellar con- fectly with the colour of the surrounding vineyards.
surrounded by its vineyards. “The genesis of our tains only 1,200 barriques, or 225-litre barrels of Grape receiving during the harvest takes place from
wines lies in the vineyard. For us, the vineyard is a American and French oak. It can accommodate up above using two gently inclined access roads that
priority. We can only produce our wine thanks to it.”
That is the credo of the Faustino group, which was
founded in 1861 by Eleuterio Martínez Arzok with
the purchase of his first vineyard in Oyón Álava in
La Rioja, which he named after his son. Since then,
the company has been directed by four generations
of the family and now encompasses seven bode-
gas in Spain’s finest wine-growing regions.
Bodegas Portia was Foster’s first wine project, “so
we had no preconceptions about how it should
work. It was an opportunity to start from first princi-
ples – to examine the different stages of wine pro-
duction and try to create the ideal conditions for
them to unfold. The wine was the starting point, as
well as the beautiful setting in Ribera del Duero.”
His idea was to bring the area’s topography and
the necessary requirements of wine production
30
31
 6

a a
4 3 1

2
Floor plan
Scale 1:2000

1 Reception 8
2 Restaurant
3 Grape receiving
4 Fermenting cellar
5 Administration
6 Bottle storage
7 Seminar room
8 Barrique cellar

lead up on to the roof of the winery. That way, grav- every day of the week. Large windows in the range. After a minimum of four months in American
ity is used to feed the grapes to the crusher, thereby entrance area offer an initial glimpse into the three oak, this appealing wine combines good acidity
guaranteeing gentle treatment of the fruit. wings of the lower cellar level, each supporting dif- with pleasant tannin notes and a long finish on the
As well as the production of high-quality wines, it ferent winemaking processes. The house restaurant palate.
was a priority for the Faustino Group to have their behind the reception area serves regional speciali- The most remarkable thing about Bodegas Portia is
new building become a tourist attraction in the ties, and its terrace affords a view of the surround- its combination of perfect functionalism and
region. This, it was hoped, would help to accom- ing vineyards. A pool on the terrace promises at impressive architectural style. The winery offers a
modate the increasing wine tourism trend and at least visual refreshment on hot days. captivating contrast between architecture and envi-
the same time bring in new customers. Bodegas Portia’s 160 hectares of vineyards in the ronment, between the surrounding gentle land-
Visitors driving up to the building first circle it before middle of the Ribera del Duero wine region, which scape and the cool sobriety of the building and its
reaching the car park in the back. That way, the extends across an area measuring 115 by 25 kilo- cellars.
building’s exterior has a chance to intrigue visitors metres, grow only the Tempranillo grape, known
and make them curious about the interior. The car regionally as Tinta Fina del País. The soils are
park is shielded from the entrance by a wall, so diverse, the winter climate harsh for Spain; the
that the cars do not disturb the view of those look- summers, however, are still hot.
ing out from the inside. The area in front of the The total production capacity of the 12,500-square-
entrance is extensive, designed with an attractive metre winery amounts to one million bottles,
material combination of concrete, glass and wood. divided among four different wines. In addition to
The stark exposed concrete contrasts sharply with the Trienna, the most recently created wine and the
the sheathing of vertical oak planks. The lattice flagship of its product range, Bodegas Portia pro-
fence on either side, made from the staves of old duces three other red wines. The Portia Prima ages
wooden barrels, draws a connection with the wine for 15 months in French oak, and thereafter eight
and recalls the long winemaking tradition of the more months in the bottle. The Portia Crianza gets
Duero Valley. its intense berry aromas from its 12-month matura-
Inside, visitors enter a generous reception area, tion in American oak, followed by six months in the
where they can join a tour through the wine cellars bottle. Ebeia represents the base of the product
32
Weingut Claus Preisinger
in Gols, Austria
Architects: propeller z, Mariahilferstr. 101/3/55, 1060 Vienna
www.propellerz.at
Site area: 17,961 m2
Gross floor area: 1,779 m2
Start of design phase: 2008
Completion: 2009
Region: Burgenland
Contact: Goldbergstr. 60, 7122 Gols
www.clauspreisinger.at
Oenologist: Claus Preisinger
Price range: € 6.50 – € 50

34
 Sectional view, wine production
When Claus Preisinger looks westward from the Inspired by his vintner friends Franz Weninger and Site plan Scale 1:5000
terrace of his wine estate in Gols, in Austria’s Bur- Gernot Heinrich, Preisinger turned to the propeller z
genland region, he can take pleasure in the striking architectural practice, which had completed new
view across his vineyards to Lake Neusiedl, the cellars or cellar extensions for both winemakers
second-largest endorheic lake in Europe, on the (see pp. 110ff.). After his initial consultations with
border with Hungary. “I wanted to create something propeller z, Preisinger set aside his original plan to
grand, to make a statement,” he declares. The put the project out to tender. Both sides reached
young, committed winemaker has certainly suc- an immediate understanding. Preisinger gave the
ceeded. When he took over the family business in practice no architectural specifications, stipulating
his early 20s, it was situated in the centre of Gols only that “it should be something special and blend
and only three hectares in size. Preisinger, who in well with the natural landscape”. As for the pro-
travelled the world after his completing his studies duction areas, Preisinger’s requirement for excellent
in oenology and viticulture to become a master quality lay at the heart of every consideration. To
vintner, extended the business to more than 20 this end, he defined a series of elements that he
hectares within a few years. considered necessary for the production of top-
This expansion soon meant very little room for daily class wines, elements that needed to be taken into
operations, and the cellaring of the wine was out- account in the plans. The building had to be large
sourced to a third-party logistics provider. Because enough to accommodate everything under one
of these adverse working conditions, it was no roof, from winemaking to bottling, bottle storage
longer a question of “if” but where the facility would and vehicle parking. Also, gravity was to play a vital
be relocated. Preisinger didn’t want to leave the role in the entire production process. Preisinger
town of Gols, as his vineyards were situated in its wished to forgo as far as possible the use of
immediate area and the short distances were an pumps in order to guarantee a gentle treatment of
important factor in maintaining wine quality. His the wine. For financial reasons, it made sense to
proposed solution was to locate the new produc- achieve temperature regulation chiefly by using the
tion facility directly in the bordering vineyards – a structure and materials of the building itself. All the
task that proved difficult to accomplish. “It was pri- various annual production steps in the cellar were
marily the acquisition of individual, adjoining lots to be made possible on the existing floor space,
which, because of the minutely allotted structure of thereby allowing for a flexible use of the area.
the vineyard areas, became very drawn-out and The actual planning period took about a year, but
involved,” Preisinger explains. “Not everyone looked as difficulties with official permits were a recurring
kindly upon my project and was willing to sell.” In impediment, the building project was delayed for
the end, however, he succeeded. six months.
35
The initial design envisaged a much larger building. and prevent its full size from becoming apparent. be used in different ways, depending on what is
After the first cost projections, though, the original The concrete foundation lacks insulation and is in needed at different times of the year. It can, for
plans had to be retracted because of financial con- direct contact with the earth, enabling temperature example, accommodate grape receiving and pro-
siderations. The erection of the building took place and humidity to regulate themselves naturally. Built cessing during the harvest, be a warehouse for
from November 2008 to August 2009, so that the of wood, the lofty main hall is two storeys high. The empty bottles prior to the bottling process, and
harvest of the new vintage could already be pro- roof is made of fully prefabricated wooden modules house the press after the harvest. Dozens of
cessed in the new building without any delays in interspersed with window elements that let in a barriques are stored in the cellar, which maintains a
production. generous amount of light. The hall was planned year-round constant temperature of approximately
The architects were able to implement all of Prei- with an eye to functional considerations, featuring a 15 °C. Although an additional cooling system is
singer’s wishes and stipulations in their plans and in bridge that creates a second work level. The levels installed, it needs to be used only during the hot
the finished building. To make use of the tempera- are connected by a freight lift located to the side. summer months, thanks to the cellar’s superior
ture-regulating effect of the earth, one-third of the The filling of the barrels takes place from the upper insulating qualities.
building was dug into the slope of the vineyard. To level solely with the aid of gravity. The building’s distinctive slanting roof measures
enhance this cooling effect, half of the ground floor, The production area leads into a multifunctional 7.40 metres at its highest point, the entrance area.
too, was set beneath ground level. This also helped space in the back, which is accessible even to Here the upper level cantilevers out over the recep-
integrate the entire building into its surroundings large vehicles via a large side door. This space can tion area below. The south-west-facing facade is
made mostly of glass, creating a sense of transpar-
ency. This allows Preisinger to look through the
glass walls of his office at one side of the entrance
and watch the arriving visitors as well as see past
them into the large production hall. A striking table
made of bare concrete welcomes visitors and
invites them to pause and enjoy the view.
Above the entrance hovers the upper level with its
tasting area, enclosed on two sides only by glass,
which offers a look into the great hall on one side
and a spectacular view of the lake on the other. The
glass wall facing the lake can be opened out com-
pletely, allowing access to the terrace. For Prei-
singer, who is otherwise constantly busy, this is a
place for introspection; for the interested vineyard
visitor, it is simply impressive. The interior is mini-
malist: white walls and white tables, a large painting
on the wall. The ceiling is of exposed concrete,
bare of any adornment. This clearly expresses
Preisinger’s philosophy: “Less is more. Everything
has to fit together and create a harmonious whole –
from the wine to the vintner, from the architect to
the bottle decor.” The label design underlines this
statement, featuring simple white paper, the name
of the wine on the bottom right, and Preisinger’s
signature in the middle in an elegant grey.
The wines that Preisinger offers for tasting are also
impressive. In his vineyards, which currently encom-
pass 19 hectares, he grows mostly Zweigelt and
Blaufränkisch grapes, which make up about 80 per
cent of his vines and from which he produces rich
red varietals and blends with a strong ageing poten-
tial. The rest is Pinot Noir, St. Laurent and Merlot –
and some white wine from Chardonnay grapes. He
36
 Floor plans
Scale 1:500

1 Tasting area
2 Catwalk
3 Reception
4 Office
1 2 5 Changing room
6 Production area
7 Multifunctional area
8 Technology
9 Storage area
10 Barrique cellar
11 Bottle cellar

6 7
4

9 10 11

also buys an additional 15 hectares’ worth of grapes

from contracted neighbouring vintners.
Preisinger runs the entire facility with only a small
team. Apart from the workers in the vineyards, there
are just three people who handle the sales and the
wine production in the cellar. His father still lends a
hand and gives him support with the work in the
vineyards.
Preisinger has made his dream a reality. Looking
back, would he do things differently today? “No,”
he answers, “at least not fundamentally. If possible,
I would try to connect a kitchen to my tasting area,
and set up a guest room to give customers the
opportunity to stay overnight.” But at age 31, Prei-
singer still has enough time for that.
37
Tenuta Peter Zemmer in Cortina
sulla Strada del Vino, Italy
Architects: bergmeisterwolf architekten, Via Bruno 3,
39042 Bressanone, www.bergmeisterwolf.it
Gross floor area: 249,60 m2
Start of design phase: 2008
Completion: 2008
Region: Alto Adige
Contact: Strada del Vino. 24, 39040 Cortina sulla Strada del
Vino, www.peterzemmer.com
Oenologist: Peter Zemmer
Price range: € 6 – € 15

The village of Cortina, or Kurtinig, lies about 36 kilo- The result is as simple as it is brilliant: over the
metres south of the Colterenzio winery in Corna- years, the glass tiles in the cement tank, some of
iano/Girlan (see pp. 52ff.). With its 600 residents, it which were cracked, had been tinged by the red
is one of the smallest communities in Alto Adige wine stored there. Their colour spectrum ranges
(South Tyrol). It is also the location of Peter Zem- from Bordeaux red and purple to dark blue. Wine
mer’s wine estate, which was established in 1928 diamonds glitter in the seams. The wines are pre-
and has been in the family for three generations. sented on black shelves. With the iridescent tiles
Under the management and direction of Zemmer, bestowing a sense of elegance to the space, the
the wine estate makes wines using grapes from its rooms are dark but not dreary.
own vineyards, and has become one of the most A cleverly designed connecting path to the adja-
internationally successful in the Alto Adige region. cent barrel cellar leads across galvanized grating.
Zemmer’s philosophy is grounded in the idea that After entering the room by way of the courtyard
true rootedness in the soil – the notion of origin, of entrance, the visitor proceeds three steps down to
belonging – is the hallmark of authenticity, and that the bottle cellar and approaches the shelves where
wines should reflect and typify the character of the the rarities are displayed. Industrial grating is used
terroir, which in this region is marked by various for the floor here as well. Only after closer inspec-
microclimates and diverse soils. His approach has tion does it become clear that the side shelving
been crowned with success; in 2002, it won him continues on beneath it, which creates the illusion
the distinction of being South Tyrol’s “Vintner of the of the grate hovering over the bottle inventory.
Year”. Around to the left, the metal bridge pathway slopes
In the course of remodelling the winery, Zemmer slightly as it passes the concrete back wall of the
got the idea of renovating the wine cellar as well. tank, which is painted black like the rest of the cel-
He wanted a dignified space in which to receive lar. Only a one-metre-wide strip is tiled and still has
visitors and present his wines. On recommenda- the iron hatches, which once let the wine flow out,
tion, he turned to bergmeisterwolf architects, who as a decorative feature. The original tiles of the light
had already handled the renovation of the Colteren- green hue popular in the 1950s and 1960s draw a
zio winery. They suggested cutting open a large connection to the past.
concrete tank, which was lined with glass tiles, and At the end of the path is an entrance/exit door that
converting it into the presentation area for Peter leads to the barrel cellar, which is, apart from the
Zemmer’s wines. Not only the special wines from sand-coloured floor, also in black. Zemmer
his wine estate but also rarities from other wine- entrusted the cellar furnishings, including the light-
makers were to be presented there. ing, to the architects.
38
 Floor plan
Scale 1:300

1 Cellar entrance
2 Barrel cellar
3 Display area 4
4 Barrique cellar
5 Concrete tanks
5 2
1

Visitors to this small, mysterious microcosm in the

shape of a mini-labyrinth can also sample Zem-
mer’s wines there. Indigenous grape varieties form
the basis of the varietal wines the estate produces.
The signature products are the reserve-label wines
made from Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer and
Lagrein grapes from selected areas and vintages,
the elegant sparkling wine Cuvée Z and, of course,
the Cortinie collection (based on the ancient name
“Cortinie” for Cortina): brilliant red and white blends,
vinified from the best areas in the locality.
The blend made from Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio,
Sauvignon and Gewürztraminer grapes is blond in
colour, its aromas reminiscent of tropical fruits and
spices. It has rich fruit on the palate with a salty
minerality and refreshing acidity. A particularly com-
plex wine with development potential.
The relationship between the client and the archi-
tects was consistently congenial. The original con-
cepts were of course developed jointly; neverthe-
less, Zemmer laid the final decisions and execution
of the project fully in the hands of the architects,
and was very happy with the results.
The goal was to attract more public attention and
create more space. The architectural aesthetic was
meant to instil a lasting sense of well-being in visi-
tors and employees alike. In this way, the project
garnered a great deal of attention and accolades,
even in a region like Alto Adige, which is used to
innovative architecture.
Château Thuerry in Villecroze,
France
Architects: Leibar & Seigneurin, 9 Rue Emile Zola,
33000 Bordeaux, www.leibarseigneurin.com
Team: Nathalie Arriau
Gross floor area: 2,200 m2
Start of design phase: 1999
Completion: 2001
Region: Provence – Cote d’Azur
Contact: 83690 Villecroze
thuerry@chateauthuerry.com
Oenologists: Serge Gombert, Florat Lallemand
Price range: € 9.90 – € 55

What began as a small vineyard in the wine region Only 4,000 – 5,000 vines per hectare of vineyard
of Chablis became an estate of 380 hectares, of grow on the sparse, stony soil of clay and lime-
which 45 hectares lie near Tourtour-Villecroze, in stone. According to Croquet, the keys to excep-
the most beautiful part of Provence between Nice tional quality lie in consistent yield reduction, a fac-
and Aix-en-Provence. For Jean-Louis Croquet, the tor considered even during winter pruning; use of
work with the wine was, at first, simply a way to organic fertilizers to preserve micro-organisms in
balance out the daily stresses of running a com- the soil; green harvesting to encourage the growth
pany. “It was a good introduction, having Chardon- of the best fruit; manual grape harvesting; and
nay as the sole grape variety, with no marketing careful processing in the cellar. About 30 – 35 hec-
Floor plan stress,” he said. tolitres of red wine are produced per hectare. To
Scale 1:2000 But clearly the experience was enough to give him retain their aromas, the wines are only minimally fil-
the bug. Soon he decided to spend the rest of his tered before bottling. Croquet is convinced that the
life as a vintner and devote himself to the task of best wines come from a blend, or cuvée, of differ-
producing superb wines. He enlisted the help of ent grape varieties. “Depending on the vintage,
oenologist Stefan Paillard in seeking out suitable there’s always one grape variety in a cuvée that has
properties. The first trip took him and Paillard to had a superlative year,” he explains. Like in the
Bordeaux, followed by a visit to the south of exemplary wine region Châteauneuf du Pape,
France. In all, they inspected 10 wine estates that almost every wine produced in the south of France
were up for sale. With the winery in Provence, combines the most diverse grape varieties of the
though, it was simply love at first sight. As soon as region. Varietals are hardly available. Along with the
he arrived, Croquet felt that he had found the place classic southern French grape varieties Syrah,
for him. Grenache and Cinsault, Château Thuerry also culti-
It started with the first harvest in 1998, after Cro- vates the two famous Bordeaux varieties Merlot
quet took his leave of Chablis and sold his vineyard and Cabernet Sauvignon. As for white grapes, the
there. From the beginning, he focused on quality. estate grows Sémillon, Ugni Blanc and Rolle. The
For him, the three elements – terroir, grape variety latter is a grape variety grown primarily in Langue-
and vintner – had to interact successfully and com- doc, which can produce strong acidity and fresh-
plement each other. ness in very warm and dry areas.
40
 a b
Floor plan
Scale 1:800 3

1 Bottling area
1 2
2 Fermenting 4
cellar
3 Barrique cellar
4 Bottle cellar
a b

41
 aa bb

Sections
Scale 1: 800

Rosés are characteristic of Château Thuerry, as

they are for the rest of Provence. They amount to
almost one half of the château’s product range.
Red wines, Croquet confides, will constitute a
larger portion of his production in the coming years,
increasing from 45 per cent to a target of 60 per
cent. The white wines are only a small part of his
range, but their share is also set to increase. Châ-
teau Thuerry’s market is primarily the Scandinavian
countries, the United States, and, more recently,
China.
In front of the old Thuerry manor house and the
work buildings, a white, flat building lies embedded
in the vineyards. A grey band encircles the sculpted
white building, in the middle of which is the
entrance. Only upon approach does one see that
the white surface is made of white limestone
masonry, which gives structure to the walls.
Soon after acquiring the wine estate, Croquet real-
ized that the existing cellar was a limiting factor not
only for the creation of top-quality wines, but also
for further expansion. So he decided to build a new
cellar to reflect the current state of the art. Two
considerations were central to the planning pro-
cess: firstly, that the grapes should be processed
gently, which meant using gravity in all phases of
42
the production process; and secondly, that the fer- down into the interior, and the high temperatures can also be accessed individually by way of the oak
mentation process should be tightly monitored and felt just a moment ago yield immediately to a pleas- gates. The entire layout of the facility, as well as its
controlled. Every individual phase of production ant coolness. sequence of production areas, indicate absolute
was minutely analysed to see where work pro- The first stop is a cellar room with enormous steel professionalism. At the moment, 150,000 bottles
cesses might be optimized, and then the technical tanks. Croquet’s idea of using a circular system for are filled here annually, with an increase of 50,000
specifications were laid down accordingly. Only arranging the tanks is ingenious in its simplicity. bottles possible.
then did the search for an architect begin. After the harvest, the grapes pass through an At the end of a visit to Château Thuerry, a cool
Croquet only had one stipulation: that an architect opening in the cellar roof to enter a downpipe that glass of rosé offers refreshment. This fresh, fruity
should be chosen who had not previously com- can be turned 360 degrees and connected to any beverage, made in equal measures of Merlot and
pleted any projects that had anything to do with of the tanks in the circle. That allows the filling of Caladoc, a French hybrid of Grenache and Malbec,
wine. “I wanted it to be a joint process of discovery the tanks via only one access point. is an ideal summer wine. The idea for this cuvée
and development,” he explains. After initial discus- Two thick walls border the steep stairs leading came from Croquet’s friend, the award-winning,
sions and designs, it was architect Xavier Leibar, down to the lower floor. Here, too, nothing but Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse, who asked
who comes from Biarritz and works in Bordeaux, exposed concrete was used. The cellars look clini- him to create a good rosé that “goes with many
who sufficiently impressed the client. cal and pure. At the bottom of the stairs, large oak things”. The name of the wine – L’exception,
The building of the new cellar took exactly six doors provide a strong contrast to the bare con- “exceptional” – also describes its creator, Jean-
months, from April to November 2000. During this crete. Long rows of small casks, mostly made of Louis Croquet.
period, 2,200 square metres of area were added French oak, are stored in the narrow barrique cellar.
and partially embedded into the slope in front of The three wide oak doors next to each other in the
the historical buildings. The layer of earth over the middle of the cellar create a connection to the out-
cellar is two to three metres thick, allowing for an side and allow for complete vehicle accessibility.
optimal temperature regulation. The entrance to Above them, a large pane of glass inserted into the
the cellar looks like a pyramid jutting out of the exposed concrete allows daylight into the interior,
ground, its stark exposed concrete creating tension opening up the space to create a pleasant sense of
between it and the surrounding green landscape. transparency. The bottling area and the bottle stor-
A plain oak door opens up to a staircase leading age area flank the room on either side. These areas
43
Quinta do Vallado
in Peso da Régua, Portugal
Architects: Guedes + de Campos, Rua S. Francisco 5, 3°,
4050-548 Porto, www.guedesdecampos.com
Team: Mariana Sendas, Cristina Maximino, Inês Mesquita, Luís
Campos, Adalgisa Lopes, Francisco Lencastre, Joana Miguel,
Tiago Souto e Castro, Ana Fernandes, João Pontes
Site area: 2,049 m2
Gross floor area: 4,142 m2
Start of design phase: 2007
Completion: 2010
Region: Douro
Contact: Vilarinho dos Freires, 5050-364 Peso da Régua,
www.wonderfulland.com/vallado
Oenologist: Francisco Olazabal
Price range: € 7.50 – € 80

One of the first port houses in the Douro Valley,

Quinta do Vallado was founded in 1716. It had long
been the property of Dona Antónia Adelaide Fer-
reira. In honour of this very social-minded, highly
respected lady, the Quinta’s best wine carries her
name to this day. In exceptional years, the best
grapes from more than 100-year-old vines are
meticulously selected and pressed. They yield
about 1,500 to 3,000 bottles, depending on the
vintage, with the name Adelaide emblazoned on
the label. The first 150 bottles of a vintage are sold
to well-known personalities in Portugal, with the
earnings from the sale price of €80 euros a bottle
going to charitable causes.
In 1987, the port wine brand name Vallado was
sold and the estate’s production converted to non-
fortified wine. Today very little port wine comes from
the estate. Almost 80 per cent of the 130-hectare
vineyard area is planted with red wine grapes.
These are without exception traditional Portuguese
grape varieties such as Touriga Nacional, Touriga
Franca and Tinta Roriz, which produce wines that
are among the country’s best. Although these
wines originally had a high level of tannins and were
therefore hard to sell even on the Portuguese mar-
ket, they have now been brought in line with inter-
national styles featuring softer tannins. After the
Quinta do Vallado Douro Reserva received its first
prizes in 2003, the wine estate became one of the
most highly regarded in Europe and can now look
back on a number of international awards. This rec-
ognition, of course, also increased demand for the
wines, so in 2006, the proprietors were already
44
Floor plans 3 Barrel cellar 7 Red wine thinking about extending the estate. João Ribeiro,
Scale 1:1000 4 Technology fermentation
who together with Francisco Ferreira is responsible
5 Barrel-cleaning 8 Laboratory
1 Press area room 9 Multifunctional for Quinta do Vallado’s management and finances,
2 White wine 6 Grape receiving/ space contacted the Porto-based architect Francisco
fermentation press area Vieira de Campos. The recommendation had come
from Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de
Moura, who had designed Ribeiro’s private home;
at the time, Vieira de Campos was working on that
project with Souto de Moura’s project team.
Functional considerations of wine production were
6 7 at the heart of the extension of the existing wine
142
estate, so that the quality of its wines could be
141

even further improved. Another important goal in

adding the new build was to better tie the wine
8 estate in with the company-owned hotel, thereby
9
9
allowing the estate to accommodate and profit
from the growth of wine tourism in the Douro Valley.
For Vieira de Campos, there were two key aspects:
making use of traditional regional building materials,
and emphasizing the building’s relationship to the
surrounding landscape. He felt that the new struc-
ture should not compete with the estate’s existing
historical buildings, but rather present a natural
contrast to them. The orange gleam of the quinta
can be seen from far away. In contrast, the slate-
covered exterior of the new building is very mod-
estly designed. The extension imitates the natural
form of the slope and is partially dug into the hill.
That way, gravity can be harnessed to allow the
most careful processing of the grapes.
The first meeting with Vieira de Campos took place
in December 2006 at Quinta do Vallado. Apart from
a minor alteration, the first sketch dating from this
meeting was to become the basis of the plans and
everything that followed. According to Vieira de
Campos, the project was supposed to “ideally
blend into the natural landscape and not look too
1
2 bulky and heavy”.
It was not clear at the time whether portions of the
building would be able to be set so deeply into the
slope; however, these reservations were dispelled
during the implementation phase. The time scale of
the project presented a further challenge. Normal
3 business operations, the autumn harvest in particu-
lar, had to be guaranteed; the construction work
had to run parallel to that.
4 Together with Francisco Ferreira, who manages the
vineyards and wine production in Quinta do Val-
5
lado, Vieira de Campos – who had never before
carried out a project involving wine – worked out a
45
spatial layout in accordance with the technical Visitors coming from Peso da Régua first see the
requirements. historical orange building of the quinta far above
The first presentation of a model in September the road on the opposite slope. The name Quinta
2007 was already enough to convince the relevant do Vallado is emblazoned in large letters on the
authorities as well as the owners. Construction then roof. Then a futuristic-looking, lengthy building
officially began after the wine harvest in 2008. “The stretches out next to it. The flat, silver-grey exterior
challenge lies in bringing architecture, building and appears understated yet elegant. Only upon closer
landscape together into a unified whole,” says inspection can one see that the outer facade is
Vieira de Campos. He is convinced that “it’s the made of thousands of elongated slate panels. One
people working together on a project like this that would never think that more than 3,000 square
make the difference”. From the beginning, there- metres of floor space for the production and stor-
fore, he brought all those involved in the project age of wine are concealed beneath.
together, from the labourers to the engineers. Mid- Visitors taking the winery tour follow the journey of
day meals were taken jointly, offering opportunities the grapes after the harvest and so can more easily
to discuss any current challenges. Vieira de Cam- comprehend the production process. During the
pos was constantly on the building site, as he ascent up the stairs to the entrance of the ferment-
found it important to be in direct contact with the ing cellar, the successful synthesis of the traditional
workmen. and the new is already visible. The slate walls on
“It was the achievement of the entire team, in which either side of the stairs date from different periods,
everybody did his bit, that led to the goal,” says and so create a clear sense of dynamic tension in
Vieira de Campos. The completed project certainly the design. Within, on either side, there are so-
vouches for that. called lagares: flat granite troughs in which grapes
46
were trod upon by labourers as late as the 1970s. pending on the quality of the product, the tanks can
These, however, are facsimiles of the originals to hold five to six tons of grape must for the top-notch
show visitors the historic process of port wine pro- wines, and nine to 11 tons for the massmarket
duction. wines. In order to get the cap – the solid matter that
The pressure and the softness of the human foot rises to the top during fermentation – to sink back
combined to extract a maximum of fruit, colour and down, which achieves a more intense extraction of
tannins from the grapes. Moreover, the seeds pigments from the grape skins, two techniques are
remained unharmed and were thus not able to employed. For the top-quality wines, the process
release any unwanted bitters into the wine. This takes place with the help of sieves that move slowly
ancient system was replaced with modern crushers up and down; the rest are subject to a so-called
and maceration tanks less than 30 years ago. It remontage process. This involves pumping the new
soon became clear, however, that the new technol- wine out from under the cap and back over the
ogy did not produce the same concentrated, bal- cap. The old fermentation tanks of cement, which
anced, richly fruity wines as before. About 10 years are still in the main building, have been converted
ago, a few top cellars therefore returned to the age- into storage tanks for white wine.
old technique of pressing by foot in the stone A long, plain staircase made of exposed concrete
troughs. leads down into the impressive barrique cellar,
After passing the lagares, the tour takes visitors to where 600 casks are stored at cool temperatures.
the actual fermenting cellar, the centre of red-wine The space extends out in front of the entering visi-
production. Gravity ensures that the grapes re- tors like a historic vaulted cellar. Long rows of the
ceived on the roof of the cellar reach the enormous 225-litre French oak barrels are stored here for 16
steel fermentation tanks through a downpipe. De- to 20 months, depending on their contents. Three
47
48
partition walls, which open out into large arcs,
focus the eye and allow the depth of the room to
be properly appreciated. This impression is
strengthened by the indirect lighting beneath the
casks, which bathes the space in an ethereal light.
At the end of another staircase, visitors arrive at the
tasting room, which is also dominated by exposed
concrete. The only decorative features are wooden
tables and benches as well as a large bottle rack
doubling as a wall. An opening in the ceiling lets
daylight filter in; spotlights installed in the floor
along the racks provide illumination in the evening.
Opposite the stairs, a sweeping glass facade offers
an impressive view of the Douro Valley. Visitors who
wish to try the Quinta do Vallado wines without tak-
ing a tour can access the tasting room here. By
keeping the design minimal, Vieira de Campos was
able to keep the focus fully on the wines. There is
nothing to divert attention from the taste of the
Touriga Nacional Douro Red 2007: very concen-
trated, with well-integrated oak notes and a rich
nose of red fruit. Pressed entirely from Touriga
Nacional grapes and aged for 16 months in oak
barrels, this is an exciting red wine with unbelieva-
bly soft tannins, gently sweet and spicy notes and a
long finish.
“Do what you feel is right and always be yourself,”
is Vieira de Campos’s credo. He is already at work
on his next project, the extension of the adjacent
hotel, a commission he received from the owners. It
seems that Vieira de Campos is not the only one
with the credo; the wines at Quinta do Vallado are
proof of that.
Domaine Perraudin
in Vauvert, France
Architects: Perraudin Architectes, 16, Rue Jacques Imbert
Colomès, 69001 Lyon, www.perraudinarchitectes.com
Team: Elisabeth Polzella
Site area: 3,000 m2
Gross floor area: 900 m2
Start of design phase: 1997
Completion: 1999
Region: Rhône Valley
Contact: Chemin des Salines, 30600 Vauvert
www.domaineperraudin.com
Oenologist: Gilles Perraudin
Price range: € 10 – € 16

What started out 20 years ago as a holiday home giving the grapes a refreshing acidity during ripen- teaches architecture at the University of Montpellier,
to enable a family to flee the big city quickly devel- ing. The constant wind allows the grapes to dry was driven by the challenge of adopting an archi-
oped into a small wine estate. When Gilles Perrau- soon after rainfall, thus preventing mould, mildew tectural style that would blend harmoniously into
din, a multi-award-winning Lyon architect and wine and other vine afflictions. the surrounding landscape and, at the same time,
enthusiast, first acquired the small country house From the beginning, Perraudin focused on quality. address the technical requirements as well as eco-
not far from the town of Vauvert on the edge of the “Très petits, mais très grands” – a small area pro- nomic concerns of winemaking. He decided to use
Camargue in the 1990s, he didn’t think much ducing a great wine, that was his goal. He consist- natural stone for the walls, and found these in the
about the surrounding soils. But he soon noticed ently reduced yields; harvested minimal amounts, form of coarse yellow shell limestone in the region
that, right by his new holiday home, the ground by hand – just eight hectolitres per hectare; and of Pont du Gard, a Roman aqueduct between
harboured huge potential for wine production. Like took care to let the wine develop in the cask and Nîmes and Orange. Inspired by Roman ashlar
in the Rhône Valley, the soil consists of five to seven rest a long time on the lees. In 1995, a first blend building techniques, Perraudin used large, mono-
metres of overlapping strata of clay and sand inter- was aged and bottled at a neighbouring vintner’s. lithic stone building blocks with identical dimen-
spersed with pebbles, over which lie thick layers of Just a year later, Perraudin got his first international sions (210 by 105 by 52.5 centimetres) and weigh-
sand. It is a soil with a very high mineral content as award. The desire to age the wine himself and ing 2.5 tons. The individual building blocks were
well as good drainage and water retention, thanks wield more influence on its quality led him to estab- simply laid down without mortar. The pressure of
to the effect of the clay. lish his own wine estate in 1999. Perraudin, who the stones against each other and the ensuing
At first Perraudin was only interested in cultivating
white grape varieties, thinking that he had a terroir
before him that was most suited to producing white
wine. He purchased surrounding vineyards from
vintners, who had let their grapes be vinified by a
so-called cave cooperative, and replanted them
with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Marsanne
and Chenin Blanc, the latter a grape variety that
originally comes from the Loire. In choosing the
Viognier variety, which he also planted, he went for
a clone especially developed in Condrieu in the
northern Rhône that was known to have a particu-
larly low yield and was a good match for the
mineral-rich soil in Vauvert.
The Mediterranean Sea, just 20 kilometres away,
creates good climatic conditions for the grapes to
thrive. The air cools considerably at night, thereby
50
friction ensure the necessary stability. The thickness
of the stone walls alone creates a cool temperature
that remains more or less constant all through the
year – a necessity for storing wine.
In building his wine estate, Perraudin created a pro-
totype for the following projects: Domaine Les
Aurelles (Nizas, 2001; see pp. 76ff.) La Bastide
d’Engras (Gard, 2008) and the Musée du Vin in
Corsica (Patrimonio, 2010). Two further buildings
are currently under construction or in planning:
Château Marsyas in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon as
well as a wine estate in Romania.
After taking a creative break as a vintner from 2003
to 2009, Perraudin returned to winemaking in
2010. On the six hectares of vineyards he has
today, 2.5 hectares of which are planted with five-
year-old Syrah and Grenache grapes, he has
already produced 3,000 bottles.
The white wine Perraudin produced in 2010, a
blend of 40 per cent Viognier with Petit Marsanne,
Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc, has a powerful
mineral elegance with a long, impressive finish. Its
charm is to the palate what Vauvert is to the eye.
Cantina Colterenzio in Cornaiano,
Italy
Architects: bergmeisterwolf architekten, Via Bruno 3,
39042 Bressanone, www.bergmeisterwolf.it
Team: Roland Decarli, Edoardo De Cicco,
Jürgen Prosch
Site area: 11,140 m2
Gross floor area: 2,940 m2
Start of design phase: 2007
Completion: 2011
Region: Alto Adige
Contact: Strada del Vino 8, 39057 Cornaiano
www.colterenzio.it
Oenologist: Martin Lemayr Site plan
Price range: € 7– € 40 Scale 1: 2000
Axonometric projection,
facade construction

On the plateau of Colterenzio, or Girlan, in the gen- architects Gerd Bergmeister and Michaela Wolf of
tle Oltradige landscape formed by ice-age glaciers, bergmeisterwolf architekten, the management
lies the Colterenzio winemaking cooperative. decided to combine the old with the new, following
Founded in 1960 by 28 vintners in Alto Adige basic principles of environmental friendliness and
(South Tyrol), it is one of the more recently estab- sustainability. The goal was to unify the winery, with
lished wineries in the region. Today it has 300 its many buildings from the 1960s and 1980s, and
members tending 300 hectares of vineyards. Here, give it a whole a new image. Existing entrances and
at the juncture of multicultural wine traditions, white connecting spaces were added to or covered with
and red wine grapes are cultivated in equal meas- an oak or mesh metal facade. The new look is rem-
ures on superb plots at altitudes between 250 and iniscent of the oak barrels and steel tanks used in
550 metres. winemaking.
Thanks to its high technical standards, its capable The purely functional building to the west of the
management and its production of outstanding complex, in which the stainless steel tanks, bottling
wines, the winery has enjoyed an excellent reputa- facility, bottle storehouse and office are located,
tion for decades. was fitted with a shell of oak panelling with a
Luis Raifer, the grand seigneur of vintners in the 50-centimetre gap between it and the building
region, had a large part to play in the renaissance walls, a stylistic reference to wine barrels. The shell
of Alto Adige wines in general and the fortunes of extends beyond the existing build and varies in
the cooperative in particular. During his stewardship width from 70 to 300 millimetres, and in seam
of the winery, he brought it back to its roots, focus- spacing from five to 60 millimetres. Bevelled door
ing on the uniqueness and typicity of native wines, and window reveals of galvanized and painted
thus establishing them in the consciousness of sheet steel emphasize the openings in the facade
local vintners and wine drinkers alike as a cultural while maintaining its original form and structure.
treasure. Raifer was president of the cooperative The shell continues on to encompass the side yard,
from 1979 to early 2010; since February 2010, his the so-called “flower trough”. This area was
son Wolfgang, head oenologist since 2005, has designed by landscape architect Roland Dellagia-
directed the fortunes of the wine estate, which coma. Myriad plants, from winter jasmine to wood-
markets its products under the names Colterenzio bine, wind their way up a steel trellis. During the
as well as Schreckbichl (its name in Tyrolean Ger- growing season, they transform themselves into a
man). His successor as cellarmaster is oenologist green patio, providing a dash of colour. On the fac-
Martin Lemayr. ing side, the new mesh metal facade encases the
Recently, this respected cooperative was seeking a older structure like a bracket, leaving a gap of 60 to
new, contemporary image. In discussions with 100 millimetres. Technical facilities have been
52
53
 installed in the newly created connecting space.
The shell becomes a ribbon, jumping forward and
back and ending over the delivery bay in a broadly
cantilevered, protective roof. This offers constant
shelter to all operations taking place below. The
underside of the roof is covered with sheets of
mesh metal. Photovoltaic elements, alternated with
glazed skylights, form the upper roof covering.
These various materials project interesting light
effects on to the ground, allowing the building itself
to become a significant light source at night.
Stainless-steel discs, polished like a mirror, are set
at intervals into the entire facade area. Designed by
the Munich artist Philipp Messner, they provide an
arresting contrast to the building envelope.
The photovoltaic cells on the roof of the receiving
area produce 175,000 kWh of power a year to sup-
Floor plan 6 Tasting area
Scale 1:1000 7 Shop ply 30 per cent of the entire winery’s requirements.
8 Storeroom Solar panels and a heat recovery system from solar
1 Stainless steel tanks 9 Concrete tanks energy provide 70 per cent of the hot water
for white wine for red wine
needed. The electricity generated by photovoltaic
2 Bottle cellar 10 Laboratory
3 Bottling plant 11 Machine room technology can, for example, be used to regulate
4 Office 12 Grape receiving the temperature in the tanks and storage areas. At
5 Side yard 13 Staff room the same time, the hot water produced by solar
energy and heat recovery systems is needed to
sterilize the rinsers and fillers in the bottling line and
to clean the cellar’s tanks.
The staff room lies in the southern part of the build-
5
2
ing, next to the receiving area. This is the heart of
the estate. The reinforced concrete ceiling was left
6
exposed, while the floor was painted black. The
7 8
walls are painted in broad, vertical blocks of pastel
2 colours. Simple oak benches line the walls, situated
9 9 behind sturdy tables with crossed steel legs. A
10 cooker and sink are integrated into a free-standing
4 11 11 1
stainless steel island. Warm and peaceful, this room
with its floor-to-ceiling windows directs attention to
2 the courtyard beyond. After work or during their
12
3 breaks, employees can cook here or just get
1 together.
The theme of sustainability, central to the entire
concept, carries through to the integrated vine-
yards. The average age of the vines is 30 years.
The grapes form the basis of four wine collections.
13 Classic is the name of the upmarket standard
range. Praedium (Latin for “estate”) is a collection of
1 wines grown on single vineyard sites near historic
wineries and wine farms. The premium range, fea-
turing wines from Colterenzio’s best vineyards, is
called Cornell. Luis Raifer’s favourite wine, Char-
54
donnay Formigar, is one of them – a strong but ele-
gant, Burgundy-style wine with well-integrated
woody notes. Moscato Rosa Rosatum is also note-
worthy – like Amarone, it is made from 50 per cent
dried grapes. Its name hints at its intense aroma.
The private estate Lafóa produces a Sauvignon
Blanc and a Cabernet Sauvignon. They represent
Colterenzio’s highest-quality wines and are pro-
duced entirely from grapes grown in vineyards on a
mountain slope between Cornaiano and Colteren-
zio. The Sauvignon Blanc Lafóa, half of it aged in
oak, has a gooseberry nose and, when young, is
still somewhat frisky. Its racy acidity mellows after
just a few years of bottle ageing to harmonize with
the fruit and woody notes – a complex wine with
ageing potential, which, despite its individuality, is
reminiscent of high-quality white Bordeaux wines.
The two top ranges, Cornell and Lafóa, represent
about 10 per cent of the winery’s production. The
other 90 per cent receives just as much attention,
however, as a constant high quality is the declared
aim of the cooperative.
The international wine media have honoured Colte-
renzio’s work with diverse awards and excellent
reviews, for example for the Lagrein Riserva
Mantsch 2007 and the Sauvignon Blanc Lafóa
2009.
Also newly redesigned by bergmeisterwolf archi-
tects, the tasting room in the old building over the
wine shop features a stunning view of the vine-
yards. The people who tend the vines form the
cornerstone of the winery. Social responsibility was
a vital part of the plan from the beginning, and it
has paid off in the winery’s good staff retention and
long-term supplier relationships. These factors,
ultimately, are factors contributing to the continued
high quality of the grapes.
Weingut Leo Hillinger
in Jois, Austria
Architects: gerner°gerner plus, Mariahilfer Str. 101/3/49,
1060 Vienna, www.gernergernerplus.com
Team: Klaus Rösel, Matthias Raiger,
San Hwan Lu, Eduard Begusch
Site area: 4,700 m2
Gross floor area: 2,000 m2
Start of design phase: 2001
Completion: 2004
Region: Burgenland
Contact: Hill 1, 7093 Jois
www.leo-hillinger.com
Oenologist: Edgar Brutler
Price range: € 6 – € 35

56
 Site plan
Scale 1:5000
Sections • Floor plan
Scale 1:1000

1 Display area
2 Catwalk
3 Void wine cellar
aa 4 Conference room
5 Production area
6 Gallery for events
7 Deliveries

bb

On the outskirts of Jois, a vineyard town on Aus- After that, the project was put on ice for six months eastern edge of the Leitha Mountains, and featuring
tria’s Lake Neusiedl, a futuristic building captures while they waited for the results of the local elec- a Mediterranean microclimate as well as strong
the attention of passing motorists. Nobody would tions. Planning permission was finally granted, with westerly winds, inspired the two architects to
guess it was a wine estate. The name Hillinger the proviso that the project had to blend into its design an L-shaped structure, two-thirds of which
blazes out from a large sign. The small “Leo”, natural surroundings as much as possible. is sunk into the ground, that blends respectfully into
placed vertically in front of it, is only noticeable Building started in early May 2003. The extremely the protected lakeshore area. All that is visible
upon closer inspection. As if both were created hot summer without a single drop of rain made the above ground is eight north-facing skylight domes
together, the building and the writing are a perfect completion of the cellar possible in less than four rising out of the fields. From far away, they look like
fit: sober, modern, straightforward, and yet just a months – just in time for the harvest in September. tents in the grass. These obliquely cut structures,
bit extroverted – come to think of it, a little like Temperatures of up to 50 °C heated up the building resembling sectioned pyramids, provide an optimal
owner and vintner Hillinger himself. Growing up in site; a thick layer of dust settled on the surrounding source of light for the production and storage areas
his home town of Jois, Hillinger took over the small vines. A total of 24,000 cubic metres of earth were below, which benefit from the cooler climate under-
family business in 1990 when he was just 23. moved. The project was completed in its entirety in ground. Thanks to the direct contact of the building
At that time, the vineyard area was only one hec- May 2004. with the earth, the temperature and humidity regu-
tare, which his father, a wine dealer, cultivated The site, located in a nature reserve between the late themselves naturally. The built-in climate con-
alongside his day job. Hillinger had already com- northern shore of Lake Neusiedl and the south- trol systems need not be switched on, even on hot
pleted a viticulture and oenology course as well as
several internships abroad, and had gained practi-
cal experience in California, South Africa, Australia
and New Zealand. Back in Jois, he focused con- b

sistently on quality, acquired surrounding vineyards,

and rapidly expanded his wine estate. When the vil-
lage became too small for the growing winery in its
1
midst, a new start “out in the green fields” was una-
voidable. The question of where was never an issue
for Hillinger, who is far too attached to his Burgen-
3 2 3
land home and Lake Neusiedl to leave them.
A family home built by the architectural practice a
4
a
gerner°gerner plus caught Hillinger’s eye. After an
initial meeting, it was clear that something had 5 6
clicked between the architects and the vintner.
The first step was the drawing-up of a study that
Hillinger then presented to the local authorities. b

57
summer days. There is a constant temperature of
about 15 °C. The illumination provided by the pre-
fabricated, reinforced concrete skylights gives the
interior a hallowed feel.
In contrast to the largely underground wine cellar,
the sales, tasting and seminar room juts out of the
slope as a box perched on V-shaped spun con-
crete supports. The entire upper storey can be
used and hired for all kinds of events.
The architects themselves designed the dark wal-
nut furniture that brings a sense of nature into the
interior; the bar lit from below seems to float over
the gleaming epoxy resin floor.
A picture window affords a magnificent view of the
surrounding landscape. Illuminated at night, the
cube is a distinctive feature of the wine village.
There is also a wonderful view of the surrounding
vineyards and the lake from the accessible roof. It
was just these visual relationships that were partic-
ularly important to Hillinger.
Within the building, continuous sightlines create a
sense of openness: the vintner can oversee pro-
duction while his customers can get a glimpse into
the art of winemaking. The barrique storage area
on the lower floor can be viewed from a concrete
catwalk glazed with insulated glass. Nevertheless,
Hillinger had to outsource most of the bottle and
barrel storage to an external service provider in a
neighbouring town; a total of 900 barriques are cel-
lared there. The bottling also takes place externally,
in a facility in nearby Mönchhof.
A solid stone table with a monolithic tabletop
measuring seven metres in length stands outside
the winery building. For Hillinger, the table has
become something of a trademark. Two smaller
versions of this table stand in shops in nearby
Parndorf and in Salzburg, opened in 2005 and
2008, respectively. The tables let the customers
know they are visiting a “real” Hillinger shop.
“That was a project where everything worked,”
says architect Andreas Gerner. “And a team that
worked together perfectly.” This is thanks partly to
the exceptional site management provided by an
external office, but also to Hillinger, who, after
handing the architects the commission, remained in
the background, giving them only one stipulation:
“It’s got to be fabulous!”
All in all, €6 million were invested, made possible
by a 30 per cent EU development grant. The build-
ing that emerged created media excitement well
beyond its launch in May 2004, to which 500 guests Hillinger has focused on organic grape cultivation this endeavour. The selection includes chocolates
were invited. since 2010. Thanks to his untiring work in the vine- and various jams, fruit brandies and coffee, and
Today Hillinger, together with 40 employees, culti- yards and strict yield reduction, he produces rich, even merchandising products. How much longer
vates 50 hectares of vineyards, of which 30 hec- intense wines. until he has his own perfume?
tares are located near the town of Rust and 20 near Hillinger’s range features a broad palette of wines to
Jois. Depending on the vintage, additional grapes suit every taste: the “small HILL” series, young
from a further 40 to 50 hectares are purchased wines for every occasion; the reds and whites car-
from cooperating vintners. And although this makes rying the full name HILLINGER to indicate varietal
Hillinger one of the biggest private wine companies wines; and the multi-award-winning HILL series,
in Austria, he still succeeds in producing excellent which consists of cuvées: HILL 1 for red wine and
wines. For him, quality starts in the vineyard: “When HILL 2 for white.
the grapes are good, you don’t have to do so Hillinger is not considering further expansion. He
much in the cellar. After years of experience and would rather concentrate on developing the Leo
lots of experiments, I know that the fruit has to be Hillinger brand. A glimpse into the products being
perfect, and should go into the bottle unchanged.” sold alongside the wine in his tasting and shopping
That is his credo. lounge indicates how far he has already come in

59
Cantina Tramin in Termeno, Italy

Architect: Werner Tscholl, Mühlweg 11/a, 39021 Morter

www.werner-tscholl.com
Team: Andreas Sagmeister
Site area: 10,468 m2
Gross floor area: 5,514 m2 (existing build), 4,300 m2 (new build)
Start of design phase: 2007
Completion: 2010
Region: Alto Adige
Contact: Strada del Vino 144, 39040 Termeno
www.cantinatramin.it
Oenologist: Willi Stürz
Price range: € 6 – € 25

Site plan
Scale 1:5000

Futuristic and yet organic: these are the visitor’s first It is sometimes difficult to describe the benefits of a Terminum 2007, the only wine in Italy to receive the
impressions on seeing the two new wings of the cooperative, says cellarmaster Willi Stürz, who was highest overall rating in all of the country’s wine
Cantina Tramin winery. With a form that recalls the born in Termeno and has been head oenologist at guides.
surrounding steep vineyard slopes and mountain Cantina Tramin for 20 years. But it is just this struc- Until the early 1970s, Cantina Tramin was located
crags, the building blends harmoniously into the ture, he explains, that provides the right conditions in the picturesque town centre. When the space
landscape. for the careful development of the wines on these became too small for the growing facility, the coop-
Founded in 1898, Cantina Tramin is one of the old- small plots, and for the individual work of their erative moved to the equally charming outskirts
est winemaking cooperatives in Alto Adige (South members. Cantina Tramin’s philosophy is one of with an unencumbered view of the Adige Valley and
Tyrol). The wine farmers in the area often do a com- quality and sustainability. It is an aspiration that has its vineyards.
bination of fruit and wine farming, which has paid off, winning the winery’s wines regular acco- The main building is still at the heart of the struc-
resulted in small vineyards, some of them under lades in respected wine guides. ture. In 2006, the management decided to expand
one hectare in size. The 230 hectares belonging to Alto Adige is white wine country, and the king of its the existing ensemble, consisting of production
the winery are cultivated by 270 “co-owners”. They white wines is the Gewürztraminer, which owes its halls, wine storage areas and a visitor centre. So
are the foundation of this strong community, deliv- name to Tramin, as the town of Termeno is called in they tendered a competition for a new concept,
ering grapes with peak biological maturity for the this German-speaking region. The star product of and were ultimately won over by the submission by
production of wines of consistently high quality. the Cantina Tramin winery is the Gewürztraminer Werner Tscholl.

60
Tscholl found himself inspired by the landscape and
the vines. “A purely emotional split-second deci-
sion,” he says. His plan did not require the uproot-
ing of a single vine. During the year-long planning
phase and the construction of the building, Tscholl
was in constant communication with Cantina
Tramin president Leo Tiefenthaler, executive direc-
tor Stephan Dezini, sales director Wolfgang Klotz
and cellarmaster Stürz.
First, the men drew up a list of the winery’s required
specifications, a process in which every last detail
was discussed. Even selecting which shade of
green to use for the steel structure surrounding the
new buildings took an entire year. From 50 colours,
they chose the one that blends perfectly into the
landscape.
Keeping the winery operations and the streams of
visitors separate was the primary consideration.
For each of these functions, a separate level was
created. The existing level continues to provide
delivery access to the vintners, the entrance and
exit for goods, and anything else to do with the vital
workings of the winery’s operations, as well as the
employee car park.
Guest access is located on the newly created level
above, so that visitors can be welcomed separately
from the facility’s operations. The existing winery
building serves as the reception area; the two new
wings, which house the wine shop and the tasting
room, are situated to the left and right of the old
main building. They greet visitors like two open
arms.
It was important to the project participants to retain
the sweeping, unspoiled view of the valley. The
green steel web-like structure surrounds the new
spaces like a climbing vine, just the association that
was intended. The basic idea for the project was a
vine that grows out of the ground of the delivery
area and then climbs up to envelop the building,
giving rise to a sculptural structure that opens itself
out to visitors and gives the whole ensemble a new
face. The complex thus functions as a landmark for
visitors and passers-by, and could become a wel-
coming feature of Termeno itself. The visitor recep-
tion is located in the newly configured winery build-
ing, which serves as a symbol of the winemaking
tradition and thus constitutes the heart of the
complex.
The vine-inspired, stylized steel framework is not
only a decorative element. The placement of the
struts was precisely engineered to provide opti- variety constitutes 21 per cent of its production tannins. Its rich bouquet of dark berries, plums,
mal shading to the glass facade behind. The com- and takes up almost half of its vineyard area. rummy fruit and kirsch schnapps hints at a promis-
position and tint of the glass further reduces the Conditions in Alto Adige are ideal for the variety. ing development.
amount of heat entering the building. A clever The plots lie at an altitude of between 250 and The “organic architecture” theme continues
circulation system, fed with 12 °C water from the 850 metres. The difference between daytime and beneath the main building, where we find the dark-
building’s own well, ensures sufficient cooling of nighttime temperatures is considerable, a vitally red barrel cellar with its walls lined with unfired clay.
production areas. important factor for the development of aroma in The connection to the red wine slumbering in the
The primary building materials used in the interior the grapes. The mountain range to the north pro- wooden barrels is evident. The clay keeps the
are concrete and wood. The purist elements of pol- tects the area from frost, the intense sunlight during humidity at the right level.
ished concrete create an interesting contrast to the the day ensures ripeness, and the warm, dry Ora The wines of Cantina Tramin are aged in steel, con-
oak furnishings, which allude to winemaking and wind coming up from Lake Garda prevents mould crete and wood. There is also a section in which
oak barrels. and mildew. wine is aged in small barrels according to area, so
Along with the red and white varietals – the classic The captivating nose of the delicate Nussbaumer that the specific virtues of individual locations can
range named after the respective grape variety, Gewürztraminer, with notes of rose and smoked be drawn out.
and the special range after the location – Cantina ham, is the star wine of the Cantina. The wines A large skylight illuminates part of the cellar. A
Tramin also offers “special signature cuvées”. These from vintage 2000 prove its ageing potential, featur- special lighting system collects daylight and deliv-
wines, bearing names taken from the local dialect – ing a buttery palate with ripe yellow plum and straw ers it by way of mirrors into the room to create
Stoan (stone) and Loam (clay or loam) – are partic- aromas, yet fresh taste. The Urban Lagrein 2009, pleasant working conditions by almost natural light.
ularly noteworthy, as they create a strong link to soon to come on the market, also deserves further Along with the new building, the winery’s entire
the soil and to tradition. The winery’s best-known attention. The wine from this red, indigenous grape corporate identity got a makeover. The Milanese
wine is of course the Gewürztraminer. This grape grown on old vines is still a bit frisky, with gutsy agency Robilant Associati redesigned Cantina
62
Tramin’s homepage, labels and logo. The five lines absolute enthusiasm to complete rejection. In the
that seem to emerge from the mist on the distinc- meantime, though, even dyed-in-the-wool critics
tive logo are meant to spark the imagination: Is this have come round somewhat and now show grudg-
a play on the five senses? Do the lines symbolize ing respect and admiration for the project.
vines? The idea was to focus on the creativity and From the beginning, Tscholl had had such a clear
integrity that underpin the philosophy of the coop- idea of the design that one could place his first
erative. sketch over a picture of the finished building with-
Upon completion of the project in June 2010, the out seeing any great difference.
Cantina’s co-owners, 300 of their customers, and In retrospect, the clients and the architect would do
of course fellow vintners from the region were everything the same way again. And no wonder:
invited to celebrate. During the building phase in the building is the product of a constant, intense
particular, some critics viewed the building unfa- exchange of ideas marked by a mutual striving for
vourably. The reaction at the launch ranged from perfection.

Section • Floor plans 5 Visitor car park

Scale 1:1000 6 Sales and tasting
area
1 Grape weighing area 7 Storeroom
2 Staff car park 8 Conference room
3 White wine 9 Staff entrance
fermentation 10 Void
aa 4 Staff room 11 Administration

10

3
7
8
1
a 9 11 a

6
2 5
4

63
Weingut Heid in Fellbach,
Germany
Architect: Christine Remensperger, Pfizerstr. 8,
70184 Stuttgart, www.christineremensperger.de
Team: Torsten Belli, Johannes Michel
Site area: 1,060 m2
Gross floor area: 800 m2
Start of design phase: 2000 (wine shop), 2007 (wine estate)
Completion: 2001 (wine shop), 2009 (wine estate)
Region: Württemberg
Contact: Cannstatter Str. 13/2, 70734 Fellbach
www.weingut-heid.de
Oenologist: Markus Heid
Price range: € 5.50 – € 23

Markus Heid’s tradition-rich family business lies right Remensperger had transformed the Heid philosophy
at the heart of Fellbach, next to the town hall. To into architecture – and did it once more when she
accommodate changing production conditions and was commissioned with the renovation of the entire
processes, Heid decided to increase his vineyard wine estate. Since their first project together, she
area from its previous size of four hectares and and Heid had enjoyed a friendly relationship, a factor
expand the wine estate. Initially, however, the town- that made their second project go all the more
centre location offered no possibilities for expansion. smoothly.
Heid’s first thought was to move the entire estate to The task was to renovate or expand all the company
the outskirts of Fellbach; the town’s administration, spaces on the ground and lower floors of the family
however, was quite interested in keeping the winery home, which dates from the 1980s, as well as its
in the town centre, and so was very cooperative in various extensions and its courtyard area. Improving
consultations. During talks, it became apparent that the handling of the production processes, installing
the wine estate was in the middle of an area slated a freight lift, extending the bottle and tank areas, and
for redevelopment in 2007, and the rehabilitation, if creating a new design for the courtyard were all
not demolition, of the old neighbouring buildings identified as important goals. A further challenge lay
was already planned. On the garden side of the in connecting the new structure to the existing build-
building, a new housing estate was going to be built, ing within the limited space available, and within the
which would provide access to the wine estate and time constraints determined by the surrounding
consequently make construction a logistical possibil- redevelopment of the area. During close consulta-
ity. This made it feasible to realize the building pro- tions from November 2007 to April 2008, the vintner
ject without interrupting production. Given these and the architect came up with detailed plans for the
developments, Heid decided to remain in town and renovation.
extend the existing facility. Heid, who has always been more interested in creat-
Another reason to remain in Fellbach was the fact ing something timeless than in following trends, took
that the ground floor and vaulted cellar in the old over the family business in the mid-1990s. He is
timber-framed house had just been converted to a absolutely convinced that the quality of wine is
tasting room and shop in 2001. The interior walls determined in the vineyard, and that the cellar plays
had all been lined with cupboard and shelf elements a subordinate role. In his view, the new cellar
to display the small but exquisite selection of house needed to combine aesthetics with practicality. To
wines. Evoking the old oak barrels in which wine is link the new building to the old one, Heid and
aged, oiled oak was used for the cupboards and Remensperger adopted and extended design ele-
other furniture. In designing this wine shop, Christine ments previously used in the shop. These included a
64
 Site plan
Scale 1:1000
Floor plan
Scale 1:200

10 1 Entrance
2 Shop
3 Kitchen
4 Tasting area
5 Stairs to
7 vaulted cellar
8 9 6 Guest room
7 Office
8 Hall
6
9 Processing
10 Bottle storage

5 1

2
4

65
 sparing use of materials. In the new build, too, the bottles and the bottling line are kept here. A con-
design concept was built on a few select, well- scious decision was made not to build a shutter
placed measures. gate leading to the courtyard, but instead to install a
Remensperger connected the new building to the seven-pane folding door. A door integrated into a
existing structure by adding a sizeable awning of shutter gate would have meant a cumbersome
reinforced concrete, which also provided the frame- obstacle for hand trucks. The folding door offers
work for a wooden pergola. The roofing created a plane access as well as a variable opening.
new space for winemaking and for the traditional The freight lift was placed centrally to allow for rapid
wine festivals. Sanding down the existing concrete loading and unloading. The high-tech areas on the
surfaces made them look identical to the new ones. lower floor were combined into “laboratories”, each
Additionally, all the walls and gate and door areas centrally located for the production sequence. A
that had been created with various designs over the flexible, multi-sectioned sliding wall made of floor-to-
years, received the same cladding of narrow ceiling steel plates closes off the laboratories or the
squared-timber strips. For these, the designer chose access to the stairs and unites the space into a cre-
the same material that gives red wine its finishing ative whole. All of the wiring leading in and out of the
touches during barrique ageing, and which had facility is integrated into one channel running under-
already been used in the shop for the wall cup- neath the cellar ceiling. “Every centimetre was taken
boards and furniture: oak. into consideration to make the best use of the lim-
In keeping with practical considerations, the two ited space available,” says Remensperger.
floors of workrooms are laid out at angles around The sphere, a motif inspired by the bottom of a wine
the existing house. An impressive reception area on bottle, represents a key design element in
the ground floor welcomes visitors. Space consider- Remensperger’s concept. The circular form is first
ations necessitated a multifunctional design of the featured at the entrance to the shop, and returns
reception area and parts of the cellar. The crushers again by the staircase to the cellar. Circular holes in
stand here during the harvest, followed shortly the wall give visitors a glimpse into the glass presen-
thereafter by the fermentation tanks. In early sum- tation cases, where numerous medals and certifi-
mer, during the bottling phase, the palettes of empty cates for Heid’s award-winning wines are on view.
66
 Floor plan
Scale 1:200

1 Technology
4
2 Linking space
3 Workroom
4 Tank storage
8 5 Processing
7 6 Laboratory
5 7 Cold storage
8 Storeroom
3
6

1 8

The skylights in the courtyard awning as well as in to a marginal amount. With regard to the white
the production area have the same round form. A wines, his particular favourite is Sauvignon Blanc. He
unique feature of the skylights is that they not only uses this grape variety, which comes from the Loire
let light in during the day, but also function as light Valley in France, to produce fresh and expressive
sources at night. This is made possible by lamps fit- varietals. Currently he cultivates 10 hectares, three
ted at the sides of the skylights. This idea, as well as of which are subcontracted. He hopes to increase
the entire lighting design, came from Remensperger. the size of his vineyards to 12 hectares, after which
With his newly designed building, Heid has created he plans to stop. Or does he? There is the possibility
a working environment that brightens every day for of taking over the neighbouring estate, a listed
him. The purist, unfussy furnishings are not distract- building...
ing and so focus attention on his wine and its crea-
tion. “I wanted a timeless atmosphere, because the
wine always has to come first,” he says. In this, the
vintner has clearly succeeded. His red wines, made
from Lemberger, Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) and –
unusually for Württemberg – St. Laurent grapes,
have a lovely richness and elegance. Heid is con-
stantly mindful of the quality of his wines. He got rid
of the old, large, red-wine fermentation barrels and
replaced them with traditional open fermentation
vats. That makes it possible for him to observe and
control the fermentation process more closely.
He is particularly fond of Syrah, which, here in the
Rems Valley, takes on a certain coolness. Since tak-
ing over the family wine estate, Heid has reduced
the share of the traditionally cultivated Trollinger
(Schiava) grape variety in his wines from 70 per cent
67
Quinta do Napoles
in Santo Adrião, Portugal
Architect: Andreas Burghardt, Mariahilfer Str. 105,
1060 Vienna, www.burghardt.co.at
Gross floor area: 5,000 m2
Start of design phase: 1999
Completion: 2007
Region: Douro
Contact: Têdo, 5110 – 543 Santo Adrião
www.niepoort-vinhos.com
Oenologist: Luis Seabra
Price range: € 9– € 60

Port wines made the name Niepoort famous and Majestic views illustrate what makes the Douro Val-
put the Douro Valley, in the north of Portugal, on ley so exceptional: the terraced vineyards carved
the map. Today, like no other, Niepoort stands not out of the slate hills. Their creation hundreds of
only for port – a highly ageable wine created by years ago under gruelling conditions made it possi-
adding grape spirit to halt the fermentation process ble to cultivate wine in this area, which is known for
– but also for exceptional red wines from one of the its steep slopes.
oldest and most impressive wine regions in the The wine estate blends effortlessly into its sur-
world. Dirk Niepoort, of the fifth generation of the roundings. “Essentially, we had an idea to erect an
family, sees himself as an ambassador of port and invisible winery – a building that disappears com-
of Douro wine, as the non-fortified wine pressed pletely into the terraced landscape,” explains
from traditional red and white Portuguese grape Andreas Burghardt, the head architect. “Natural
varieties is known. stone terraces, a completely invisible building, a
Without directions, Quinta do Napoles, Niepoort’s hatch through which one descends.” In the end,
wine estate, is difficult to find. There are no signs to however, that was not entirely feasible. “We would
point it out along the narrow, serpentine road that have had to blast away too much rock to do it, and
winds up the slope next to the vineyards. that would have swallowed huge sums of money,”
the Vienna-based architect says.
Niepoort and Burghardt met in 1999 at the launch
of Fred Loimer’s wine estate in Langenlois, in the
Kamptal region of Austria (see p. 122). That was
one of the first wine estates in Europe to have spe-
cial architectural demands, along with the Neu-
meister wine estate in Straden, in south-eastern
Styria – and both were designed by Burghardt. At
the time, Niepoort had already been looking to
expand the winery he had acquired in 1987. The
planning phase for Quinta do Napoles took a full
eight years.
Right at the beginning of their collaboration, Nie-
poort and Burghardt committed a design to paper.
Afterwards, though, they visited a succession of
wine estates together, and in the end it was their
third design that was implemented.
68
Floor plan
Scale 1:800
2
1 Veranda 8
2 Garden 7
3 Entrance
4 Tasting room 3
5 Catwalk access
1 5
6 Fermenting cellar 4
a 6
7 Laboratory
a
8 Access to house 9
9 Picture window

69
Section
Scale 1:800 aa

70
Even today, what they accomplished fills Niepoort Large entrances into the cellar make it accessible nation. All of his wines are allowed to ferment spon-
with great satisfaction. “It’s what I wanted, some- for goods vehicles. “An important feature, should taneously. By harvesting as early as possible, Nie-
thing to last generations.” With conviction, he adds: the fermentation tanks have to be replaced at some poort endeavours to keep their alcohol content at a
“It will look even better in 50 years’ time and be just point,” confides Niepoort. maximum of 13.5 per cent, which only first-rate
as functional.” Vans drive along the access road to the estate to work in the vineyard can assure. The slate soil gives
The building is an almost seamless continuation of deliver the harvested grapes in 20-kilogramme rise to wines with minerality, elegance and great
the existing natural stone terracing, thereby blend- crates. Sorting, destemming and crushing take potential.
ing perfectly into the landscape. Following the ter- place on a large, roofed open space before the For what Niepoort has achieved in the Douro Valley,
racing concept, thousands of cubic metres of the processed grapes travel down a flexible, adjustable and for his efforts to market Portugal’s wines world-
slope were removed to set the wine estate up to pipe to the fermentation tanks below. The white wide, there is only one word: Fabulous.
30 metres deep into the hill, so that only a small grapes are immediately pressed and sent to fer-
portion of it is visible. ment at low temperatures in French oak barriques
The entire design was oriented towards the require- with an open bunghole.
ments for producing exceptional wine. Making use The two barrel cellars differ in more than just size.
of gravity flow as well as ensuring passive cooling The walls of the larger, red-wine cellar are painted
were part of the fundamental stipulations in plan- all in black, which makes the room look smaller.
ning. From the beginning, the winemakers, produc- This is an intentional effect, as the area was origi-
tion engineers and architect were all involved in cre- nally planned to be smaller but, because of techni-
ating the concept. The organization of the rooms cal constraints, could only be realized in its current
and the logistics were a collaborative effort. The form. The much smaller white-wine cellar is painted
technical equipment – apart from the tanks and the in bright, light green, which emphasizes the fresh-
presses – was custom-made. “It was a mutually ness and acidity of the wines. In general, the entire
inspiring process,” says Burghardt. For the most facility is impressively laid out. Visitors never really
part, Niepoort kept out of the proceedings. get a sense of its immense 5,000-square-metre
The building phase took only nine months. The pro- footprint, much of which is underground, or of the
duction areas of the wine estate were finished in fact that enough grapes are processed and aged
time for the 2007 harvest, and the rest followed here every year to make more than one million bot-
suit. A number of technical challenges presented tles of wine.
themselves. To build the cellar beneath, it seemed The wines carrying the memorable name Fabelhaft
at first that the old quinta manor house had to be (Fabulous), originally created for the German mar-
torn down due to its enormous weight. Instead, the ket and now sold to other countries under various
suspended ceiling was removed and the building names, are also a success story. Small cartoons on
virtually hollowed out in order to make it lighter. the labels tell stories in the respective languages of
Today the warmly lit, lofty interior functions as a the countries to which the wine is sold. The stories
tasting and presentation area as well as one of the come from well-known artists in these countries.
entrances to the cellar. The walls of the enormous For example, the work of Phil Mulloy, a British ani-
underground spaces are made of slate. The water mator, is featured on the label of the UK version of
that seeps through cracks in various places helps the wine, called Drink Me. Niepoort markets
keep the temperature cool, maintaining a constant 800,000 bottles of his red cuvée wine – 95 per cent
15 °C throughout the year. The slate, whose layers of which is aged in stainless steel, the rest in oak –
run towards the interior of the building, is fixed in all over the world. “Without Fabulous, I wouldn’t
place by wall anchors set deep into the rock. have been able to expand Quinta do Napoles into
Ventilation openings bring hot air from the outside, what it is today,” he states.
where temperatures can climb up to 45 °C, into a Currently Niepoort cultivates 62 hectares of vine-
lofty space – a kind of “lung” – at the side of the yards, 25 hectares of which are in the direct vicinity
actual cellar, where it is cooled. In contact with the of the quinta, and purchases additional grapes from
native slate on the walls, the air temperature sinks vintners who work according to Niepoort’s quality
immediately to about 22 °C. On particularly hot directives. “As much involvement as possible in the
days, dousing the rocks with water creates addi- vineyard, as little as possible in the cellar” – that is
tional cooling through evaporation. his philosophy, and he follows it with great determi-
71
Winzer Sommerach
in Sommerach, Germany
Architects: hofmann keicher ring architekten, Veitshöchheimer-
str. 1, 97080 Würzburg, www.hofmann-keicher-ring.de
with Reinhard May, Mergentheimer Str. 10,
97082 Würzburg, www.raymay.de
Team: André Stemann
Site area: 3,704 m2
Gross floor area: 1,424 m2
Start of design phase: 2005
Completion: 2006
Region: Franken / Franconia
Contact: Zum Katzenkopf 1, 97334 Sommerach
www.winzer-sommerach.de
Oenologist: Anton Glaser
Price range: € 5 – € 30
aa

Sommerach and its wine cellars are, in many ways, more than a decade. The centenary in 2001 was a neer, took over the position of managing director
the very essence of Germany’s wine region of watershed moment, the beginning of a new era. and brought a new wine philosophy and market
Franken (Franconia). The name of this idyllic wine- The earlier “Winzerverein Sommerach” (Vintners’ strategy into the company. Authenticity, sustainabil-
making cooperative located on the so-called Wine Association of Sommerach), with its 250 members, ity and value now play an important role. The wine
Island in the bend of the Main River is, loosely was known as a solid, dependable winemaking cellar sees itself as a safeguard of tradition, yet an
translated, “Place on the sunny side of the river” — cooperative. But the chairman of the winery was open and innovative one.
a name that vouches for the excellent grape- not content with being “respectably average”. In This way of thinking is evident in the relaunch of the
growing climate on the south-eastern bank of the 2004, Frank Dietrich, a certified agricultural engi- Sommerach wine range. It consists of six product
Main. Fortuitous growing conditions particularly
favour Sommerach’s most famous vineyard site,
the “Katzenkopf” (Cat’s Head). Indeed, the perime-
ter of the area does recall the shape of a cat’s head
a bit, if one applies a bit of imagination to the task.
What’s more interesting, however, is that the soils
here consist mostly of Muschelkalk, interspersed
with clayey sand. This particular soil, common
throughout Franconia, is predestined for the cultiva-
tion of the region’s classic grape varieties, Müller-
Thurgau and Silvaner.
To get the maximum benefit from these excellent
natural conditions for wine cultivation, the vintners
of Sommerach got together to form a cooperative
110 years ago, in 1901. After winemaking coopera-
tives had been founded in other German wine
regions for decades, this was the first association
of Franconian vintners. Now, the Sommerach wine-
makers call themselves simply “Winzer Sommer-
ach” (Vintners of Sommerach), adding “Der Winzer-
keller” (The Vintners’ Cellar).
The name change was, of course, not the only
improvement; indeed, it was just the beginning of a
whole range of notable changes with which this
establishment has been garnering attention for
72
a

Section • Floor plans

3 Scale 1:800

1 Sales and presentation

area
2 Tasting bar
3 Tasting area
1 2 4 Office
5 Laboratory
6 Storeroom
7 Steel barrel cellar
4 5 6
(existing)
8 Barrique cellar
9 Historical barrel cellar

7 8

73
lines, only two of which are still bottled in the tradi- and cellar, and play a pivotal role in their success. For the architects, who started work on their win-
tional Franconian Bocksbeutel flasks. Whether Edi- Indeed, with its many-tiered selection process in ning design in summer 2005, there were interesting
tion St. Valentin, Frizzante Valentin, Fränkische Klas- the vineyard, its careful grape processing, and its parallels to a commission they had secured two
sik, Weinreich Eins, Supremus or Wunderbar, the tailoring of the ageing process according to grape years previously, also by winning a competition: the
fresh, modern and attractive wines are heralded in an variety, vineyard location and maturity, the winery redesign of the Würzburg wine estate Weingut am
unconventional way by their contemporary styling. has set the bar very high. So it was only a matter of Stein, which they completed in 2005 (see p. 119).
The countless accolades, competition awards, time – and financial capability – before it took the Although certain basic elements were identical in
and top ratings from trade journalists that the next step in its pursuit of renewal and perfection: both projects, the details and tasks involved in the
Sommerach winery has received since then, prove commissioning the renovation and redesign of its brief as well as the ultimate implementation were
that the new branding isn’t just smoke and mirrors. marketing, management and sales areas. completely different.
Dietrich and his cellarmaster, Helmut Glaser, see The first step involved organizing a competition for The main building features at its centre an ample
all the recent recognition (include being named as the project. Seven regional architecture practices ground-floor presentation space with a tasting and
best German cooperative) as a confirmation of their took part. The jury awarded first prize to the design shop area, which includes an information counter,
quality policy, in which great skill and exceptional by Würzburg-based architects Hofmann Keicher tasting islands, a service bar and a demonstration
ambition pervade all work done in the vineyards Ring. kitchen – all under the appealing name “Kostbar”

74
(meaning “precious”, but also a play on the German gating best practice, they researched which solu-
word kosten – to taste – and bar). A counter situ- tions would best suit their expectations and the
ated in the middle and two staircases are the main conditions in Sommerach, and how they could be
elements of the room. A striking staircase leads implemented.
from here directly into the underground complex. In the end, the management and the architects
In one area of the vaulted cellar, the architects took all the facts and requirements and turned
tastefully restyled the existing wooden barrel cellar. them into a persuasive new concept. They trans-
In another part, they removed the 1970s’ concrete formed the sombre interior and the old jumble of
tanks to lay bare the historical vaults of quarried elements from the post-war period into an open,
stone. This created an atmospheric barrique cellar, inviting building that offers the quality wines of
where the designers also left enough room for wine Sommerach an attractive and compelling setting.
tasting and events such as a sensory introduction Ultimately, the renovation was resoundingly suc-
to wine. cessful, enabling the Vintners of Sommerach to
The wine school is located on the upper level of reach new target groups as well as significantly
the “Empire of Wine” – the evocative title of the increase the number of visitors and sales.
entire institution. Along with wine seminars and
wine film showings, the vintners’ meetings also
take place here. The tasting room next door offers
a lovely view of the vines on the Katzenkopf in
Sommerach. The building technology and further
storage areas are located at attic level. Outside,
open terraces face toward the sun. The existing
storehouses on the opposite side are all painted
the same way to harmonize with the complex.
The main building was emphasized with a high-
quality facade design. Green solar protection
glass framed by wood and concrete beams, and a
dark terrazzo render define the character of the
exterior. The entrance portico on the gable side of
the courtyard, featuring a statue of St Urban, is a
modern interpretation of traditional Franconian
building.
The same materials, forms and colours are echoed
in the interior. The sustained colour and form motif,
together with the Sommerach winery’s existing cor-
porate identity, create a unified image. The use of
traditional materials such as stone, oak, glass and
concrete underscores the winery’s strong connec-
tion to the locality. Thus, the synthesis of the tradi-
tional and the modern is a goal not only in Som-
merach’s winemaking but also in its architectural
expression.
The entire winery project, which had a budget of
€2.4 million, was completed on time in the spring
of 2006, after only 11 months of planning and
construction.
The management of the cooperative had prepared
itself for the project by means of comprehensive
information-gathering visits to new wine architec-
ture projects within and outside Germany. Investi-
75
Domaine Les Aurelles
in Nizas, France
Architects: Perraudin Architectes,
16, Rue Jacques Imbert Colomès, 69001 Lyon
www.perraudinarchitectes.com
based on a concept by Eric Castaldi
Team: Elisabeth Polzella, Olivier Schertenleib
Gross floor area: 665 m2
Start of design phase: 1999
Completion: 2001
Region: Languedoc-Roussillion
Contact: 8, Chemin des Champs Blancs, 34320 Nizas
www.les-aurelles.com
Oenologist: Basile Saint Germain
Price range: € 12 – € 45

Finding Caroline and Basile Saint Germain’s wine the eye of the visitor, it looks uniform, minimalist, a Saint Germain’s passion for wine began when he
estate is a bit of a challenge. The route leads you to bit monumental yet discreetly reserved. Stacked, was a student of landscape architecture in Nice.
Pézenas, and after that to the village of Nizas. So monolithic stone blocks form its outer perimeter, Born in Forbach, in the Lorraine region of France,
far, so good. The last few metres, however, are measuring 61 by 11 metres. In the middle of the he also worked there as a wine seller on the side.
rather tricky. The road gets increasingly narrower. long front facade is an imposing steel gate, which He became obsessed with the south of France as
The only indication that you are on the right track is has purposely been allowed to develop a rusty pat- well as with wine.
a sign that says “Domaine Les Aurelles”. But up ina. Here, steel and stone complement each other, To improve his knowledge, he travelled to Bordeaux
until you pull up to the building, you still can’t both imparting their own timeless quality to the and began a two-year apprenticeship at the
believe you’re approaching a wine estate. building. famous Château Latour. There he worked not only
When you manage to reach it, though, you are The gate conceals the entrance. When it is open, in the vineyards and the cellar, but also – as a land-
rewarded with a beautiful view over the vineyards one can see that there are two buildings, one to scape architect – in the park of the château. During
up to the foothills of the southern Massif Central. either side of the entrance. A large shutter gate his subsequent studies of viniculture in Bordeaux,
Only on second glance do the enormous stone opens to one side for access to the northern part of he met his future wife, Caroline. Her roots led the
walls reveal themselves to be part of a building. The the building, where large enamelled tanks are couple to Cognac, where Caroline’s family business
structure exudes an irresistible sense of peace. To located in the ground-level cellar. The height of the was located.
single-storey space is about eight metres. At either After seven years, both of them felt drawn back to
side there are six stone columns supporting the the south of France, determined to start up their
roof. own wine estate from scratch. Saint Germain went
The entire structure is reminiscent of a Greek tem- about the search for his future estate methodically
ple. Daylight can enter only through the long, slit- and painstakingly. He was only interested in a
like openings directly under the roof edge on both superior terroir, with exceptional soil and climate
sides of the space. This is a place that offers no conditions. Only there, he knew, would be able to
distractions – a place where Basile Saint Germain achieve his goal of producing really tremendous
can devote his full attention to his passion of creat- wines. “In the end, it could just as well have hap-
ing exceptional, exquisite wines. pened in another wine region in France,” says Saint
The two-storey southern building houses a storage Germain, “but I was convinced that, particularly
area on the ground floor. Above that there are here, in the neglected wine region of Languedoc
offices illuminated by a row of vertical windows on with its exceptional conditions, greatness would be
the eastern side of the building. There is no sepa- possible.”
rate tasting area. Instead, tasting takes place either It was chiefly the southern French grape varieties –
directly in the cellar or under the olive tree in front of such as Carignan, Grenache and Mourvèdre for red
the winery. wine and Roussanne for white – that fascinated
76
him. He searched for the perfect site for two years,
from 1992 to 1994. There were enough vineyards
on offer, but he wanted very particular soil condi-
tions. He finally found what he was looking for close
to his current site, near Nizas.
The area boasts a white, clayey soil above 10 to 15
metres of low-lying, substantial seams of pebbles,
which developed as fluvial deposits from the
Hérault River. Similar to the renowned soils of
Châteauneuf du Pape, the ground here is full of
these round pebbles, which are about as big as the
palm of one’s hand. Saint Germain left the existing,
up to 100-year-old vines standing. “On the slopes
with southern exposure and lots of heat, and in the
clayey soil with its good water-holding capacity
and, thanks to the pebbles, excellent drainage, the
Mourvèdre grape in particular has superb poten-
tial,” explains Saint Germain.
After the harvest in 1995, he and his wife began to
produce wine in their own vineyards, working
according to organic precepts from the very start.
As they did not yet have their own cellar to age the
wine in, they looked for someone who could help
them. This proved to be extremely difficult, how-
ever, because at that time almost all the vintners
were working in cooperatives, which wielded enor-
mous power in the wine sector and had little inter-
est in a vintner who wanted to develop his own
wines. Additionally, most of the maisons des vign-
erons, as the vintners’ homes are called in France,
had only a small cellar under the living area that
was very difficult to access externally. “These two
77
problems were very nearly the undoing of the whole wine estate in Vauvert in the Camargue (see pages from ancient Roman times: the blocks were simply
project,” says Saint Germain. 50ff.), took over the project from Castaldi, who did laid down, layer for layer, to be kept in place by
But then he found a solution. After four successful not have the time to continue with it. In the end, their own weight, and the seams were faced with
harvests, it became clear that he needed his own they chose the same stone that was used for the lime mortar.
facility. His friend, architect Eric Castaldi, agreed to Pont du Gard, a Roman viaduct near Nîmes. Enor- The stones act as a cooling unit, absorbing heat
do the planning. They started work in September mous blocks of solid limestone were cut to a depth during the day and emanating it back into the envi-
1999. “We wanted a simple, functional structure on of 65 centimetres and transported by lorry to Nizas ronment at night. The green roof was also designed
new terrain that would integrate itself perfectly into – not an easy feat, considering that the average to be a climate buffer. This heavy construction with
the landscape,” says Saint Germain. stone weighed three tons. a thick substrate layer absorbs rainwater, which
During planning, they got the idea of making the The original idea – to cement the monolithic stone cools the building as it evaporates.
building out of solid rock using native stone from blocks together – was discarded, as it was not This impressive building was finished in 2001 in just
the area. The Lyon-based architect Gilles Perrau- known what effect the adhesive would have on the four months, in time for the harvest in September.
din, whose favourite materials have been wood, interior room climate. Instead, they decided to The wines of the Domaine Les Aurelles are just as
earth and stone ever since he completed his own employ a tried and tested construction method impressive. From a total vineyard area of nine hec-
78
 aa

Axonometric projection 1 Equipment and 3 Courtyard 6 Storage area 9 Archive

Section • Floor plans machine storage 4 Fermenting cellar 7 Void 10 Laboratory
Scale 1:500 2 Dry storage 5 Ageing cellar 8 Office 11 Kitchen

a a

tares, only 200 hectolitres of wine are produced. made of 60 per cent Carignan and 40 per cent
With a yield of 18 hectolitres of white wine and Grenache; a red Aurel with 65 per cent Mourvèdre,
20 –22 hectolitres of red wine per hectare, Saint 20 per cent Syrah and 15 per cent Grenache; and,
Germain is operating at homeopathic levels – but at last but not least, Déella, a wine that Saint Germain
the very highest levels of quality. His vinification of calls “the leftovers”, as it only gets bottled when
the difficult and often underestimated white grape there is wine left over – meaning its composition is
variety Roussanne produces one single wine: Aurel. variable. All the red wines are aged in stainless
Its name inspired by the name of the estate, the steel, so that the fruit notes enter the bottle as
varietal is aged in barriques made of oak from the unadulterated as possible. They are unbelievably
Vosges Mountains. Per vintage, there are only five rich wines with an intoxicating depth, fruitiness and
casks of this wine, which has a fascinating nose great potential.
and a complex aromatic structure, and is very rich Saint Germain’s wines have joined the top ranks of
with an almost endless finish on the palate. the world’s wines, and are most often found on the
There are just three red wines: Solen, a cuvée tables of Michelin-starred restaurants.
79
Quinta do Portal Site plan
Scale 1: 2000
in Celeirós do Douro, Portugal
Architect: Álvaro Siza Vieira, Rua do Aeixo, 53, 2º
4150-043 Porto
Team: Gabriel Flórez, Pedro Polónia, Ola Boman,
Miguel Nery, Atsushi Ueno, Gonçalo Campello
Gross floor area: 4,700 m2
Start of design phase: 2001
Completion: 2010
Region: Douro
Contact: E.N. 323 Celeirós do Douro, 5060 Sabrosa
www.quintadoportal.com
Oenologist: Paul Coutinho
Price range: € 4.50 – € 75

Portugal’s Douro Valley is characterized by cork Portal and the merging of all five wine estates under visitors can admire the view over the Douro vine-
and slate – cork as a stopper for wine bottles, slate its name. The property now covers 100 hectares. yards. Right next door, an older hall still serves as a
as the ground on which the vines grow. Both mate- Quinta do Portal started producing red Douro wine production facility, with large fermentation tanks,
rials also envelop the new storehouse at Quinta do in 1994, which became a great success. Then, presses and bottling lines. A subterranean tunnel
Portal, helping it to blend into the surrounding vine- 10 years later, the wine Quinta do Portal Auru 2001 connects the two buildings.
yards of the central Douro Valley. Completed in won its first awards. When the winery became The entire structure is made of steel and concrete,
2008, the 4,700-square-metre building in Celeirós increasingly short on space, Branco decided to visible on interior cellar walls, which are left bare.
do Douro, near Sabrosa, represents the fulfilment build a new storehouse for wine ageing and stor- The stairs that connect the two lower floors are
of a dear wish of Quinta do Portal’s owner, Eugénio age. It was to be a functional building that blended constructed symmetrically and, seen from a dis-
Branco. into the landscape as well as possible. At the same tance, resemble a large W. Large ceiling lamps of
The Branco family has been in the Douro Valley time, together with the already existing hotel and white glass illuminate the area. On the side of the
since the 15th century, and has been producing neighbouring restaurant, it was to bring wine tour- lampshade, in small letters, one can read the name
port wine for more than 100 years. The original ists to the estate. of the designer: Álvaro Siza.
estate was Quinta dos Muro; after 1974, they Branco managed to bring one of the most impor- Both storage areas are designed to offer enough
bought more vineyards, then four more quintas. tant contemporary European architects, Álvaro capacity for the coming years. At present, there are
The year 1991 saw the purchase of Quinta do Siza, on board for the project. Siza’s objective was only about 600 barriques in the red wine cellar,
to create a building that was in harmony with the which can accommodate up to 3,040 of them. In
landscape and that could be integrated into it as the port wine cellar, the enormous barrels can hold
fully as possible. The planning of a building that up to 800,000 litres. The barrels are made predom-
was to function as a storage space for port wine as inantly of French and American oak. On the bot-
well as for red wine was challenging, as the two tom, all of them carry the characteristic icons for
require different storage temperatures. Branco and Quinta do Portal. The first, a P, stands for Portal.
Siza settled on a three-storey solution. The second, a stylized gateway, is the sign for all
The bottom floor is set nine metres into the ground port wines and is found on their labels as well as
to provide the cool temperatures of about 12 °C their crates. The third icon, a door knocker, repre-
required for cellaring red wine. If the mercury rises, sents all Douro wines; and a fourth, a wine glass,
a vaporizer installed in the ceiling distributes a fine symbolizes the tasting of the wine.
mist into the air, ensuring further cooling and a A notable feature at Quinta do Portal is its use of
humidity level of 80 per cent. One storey up, the oak from Russia; its special wood qualities are
port and muscatel wines are stored at about 17 °C, suited particularly well to very dry port wines. The
a significantly higher temperature. On the top floor, 50-year-old barrels of Portuguese oak, in which
Siza created the Portal, a space that combines a port wine ages for several decades, are also note-
panoramic terrace and presentation rooms. Here worthy.
80
81
82
 Floor plans
The idea of using cork, Portugal’s characteristic Scale 1:1000
material, on exterior facades, first came to Siza
while he was designing the Portuguese pavilion for 1 Terrace
2 Vestibule
Expo 2000 in Hanover. Conceived initially as a tem-
3 Auditorium
porary exhibition space, the pavilion was later reas- 4 Roof terrace
sembled in Coimbra, a town in central Portugal, for 1 2 3 4 5 Main entrance
use as a concert hall. It became clear that cork is a 6 Tasting area
7 Port wine cellar
first-rate, weather-resistant material that also pro-
8 Bottle storage
vides very good insulation. For Siza, this was rea- 9 Linking tunnel
son enough to use a layer of cork 10 centimetres 10 Barrique cellar
thick to insulate the exterior of Quinta do Portal. 11 Technology
The cork cladding covers a surface area of 1,506
square metres. The combination of this with the
5
Douro slate, which covers the lower portion of the
building over 1,140 square metres, creates a fasci-
nating contrast.
Visitors arriving at the Quinta entrance from the 6 7

enormous car park immediately enter the shop and

tasting area. Here, the rustic pine parquet floor
contrasts with the walls and ceiling of exposed
concrete. A long wooden counter on the right dis-
plays the red, rosé and white wines, and further
down the port and muscatel. The furnishings, also
designed by Siza, are made of Riga fir, which
comes from Latvia and was used in the 19th cen-
tury to build houses in Porto. Siza made use of it
8 10 11
for the first time in one of his earliest projects, the
Leça Swimming Pools in Leça de Palmeira, com-
pleted in 1966. The material proved itself to be
9
strong and stable, even after decades, without any
treatment.
On the top level of the building, the roof area, Siza
set a large structure in the shape of a keyhole. This
83
84
terracotta-coloured volume accommodates a pres- tries of the world, and the numbers are steadily
entation area that holds up to 60 people. A large climbing.
window affords a view out over the surrounding Winning the 2011 Prémio de Arquitectura do
landscape. The roof terrace, which can be hired Douro, the Douro Valley’s architectural award,
for various events when not used by the quinta Quinta do Portal opened another chapter in a suc-
for its own, is covered with vegetation, which also cess story that began more than 100 years ago
benefits the climate in the storage areas below. with the production of port wine.
This was Siza’s second wine commission after the
Adega Mayor wine estate (see pp. 26ff.). On this
project, too, he worked according to the require-
ments of the vintner – in this case cellarmaster
Paulo Coutinho, who has been responsible for wine
production at Quinta do Portal since 1994.
Numerous accolades attest to Quinta do Portal’s
quality standards. Its wine range encompasses the
entire spectrum, from the introductory white Relato
wine, a blend of Gouveio, Malvasia Fina and
Viosinho grapes, to the top wine of the house, the
Quinta do Portal Auru, a red wine made from
selected Touriga Nacional and Tina Roriz grapes.
Today, the estate exports more than 1.4 million bot-
tles of wine and port wine to more than 50 coun-
85
Rocca di Frassinello
in Gavorrano, Italy
Architects: Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Via Rubens 29,
16158 Genoa, www.rpbw.com
Team: L. Couton (associate), B. Plattner (partner) with
L. Dal Cerro, G. Ducci G. Pasquini, P. Hendier and
K. Demirkan; Y. Kyrkos, C. Colson, O. Aubert (models)
Start of design phase: 2001
Completion: 2007
Region: Maremma
Contact: Podere Poggio Alla Guardia, 58023 Gavorrano
www.castellare.it
Oenologist: Alessandro Cellai
Price range: € 15– € 100

Rocca di Frassinello in Gavorrano, in the Grosseto Château Lafite Rothschild, near Bordeaux. Today,
province of Italy, is a collaborative project by Paolo the oenologist Alessandro Cellai takes care of qual-
Panerai, owner of the famous Tuscan wine estate ity maintenance on the vineyards and in the cellar.
Castellare, and Baron Éric de Rothschild, managing The red-wine grape varieties Sangiovese, Cabernet
director of the renowned Bordelais family business Sauvignon, Merlot and Nero d’Avola, and the
Domaines Barons de Rothschild. white-wine variety Vermentino grow on 80 hectares
The two men first met in the 1980s, when the of the 500-hectare estate, which lies between the
baron and his wife, Beatrice, were visiting her well-known appellations of Bolgheri and Scansano.
home, the Maremma. In this aspiring southern part In accordance with the practice of French châ-
of Tuscany, which extends out towards the sea, teaux, three collections of different qualities are
these two experienced businessmen and wine marketed: the Poggio alla Guardia, a good basic
experts placed their new wine estate, where they wine; Le Sughere di Frassinello, an upscale middle
produce wine of the very best quality. In 2000, they range (in France often referred to as a Second vin);
planted their first vines; they then gathered their first and the Rocca di Frassinello, the top quality or
harvest in 2003. During the early days, their oeno- Grand vin of the estate. The wines are exported to
logical consultant was Christian le Sommer from 55 countries around the world.
In 2001, the wine estate commissioned the archi-
tect Renzo Piano with the building of a new barrel
cellar. The structure borders the northern side of an
area open on the sides (based on the example of a
sagrato, a space for public events) on the slope of
a gently rising hill. Here one can enjoy a beautiful
view of the surrounding landscape. Underneath the
area lies the underground barrel cellar with a
2,500-barrel capacity. It resembles an amphithea-
tre, but instead of people, wooden barrels sit on
the steps that descend down towards the middle
of the space. The tasting area is on the lowest
level, in the middle of the cellar.
Light wells located all around the cellar provide a
soft, subdued light as well as a visual link to the
surrounding wine production areas. The only direct
light source is a 1.5-by-1.5-metre opening in the
86
87
middle of the barrel cellar. This allows one to see seems to be carrying on a dialogue with it. A crea- cultural crusade. Much more than just a beverage,
the sky, but it also creates a dramatic atmosphere tive tension exists between the rather archaic- after all, wine is still a product made painstakingly
of light inside the cellar, similar to the inside of the seeming cellar and the glass construction, facilitat- by hand.
Pantheon in Rome. The wine production areas ing a dialogue between traditional winemaking and Panerai and Piano have known each other for
encircle the barrel cellar. Via small openings in the industrial production. many years. The former was once among the first
ceiling, the fermentation tanks can be filled with The wine estate’s trademark – a tall, slim tower – journalists to write about the architect’s work, and
grapes directly from the area above, which allows can be seen from far away. Painted red, it recalls they have been good friends since then. But that is
an optimal use of natural gravity in the production the towers of Tuscan city palaces, such as the not the only reason Piano was chosen for the pro-
process. square medieval towers of San Gimignano. ject; there is also the fact that he is one of the most
The barrel cellar forms the base upon which a The external appearance of the wine estate is an important contemporary architects in Italy. Interest-
transparent, airy glass pavilion stands. The light- expression of its philosophy. As a Franco-Italian ingly, he had never before built a wine estate,
weight cube, measuring 20 by 20 metres, wel- joint venture, it aims to produce international wines. although he loves wine and his father owned a
comes visitors and functions as a sales area. Its “To make great wines, you have to interpret the ter- small wine estate in Piedmont.
roof seems to hover overhead, like a flying carpet roir as successfully as possible, and it varies from The basic tenets of the project were worked out by
made of woven grape vines. The laboratories and location to location” – this is the basic principle Piano and Panerai in a long planning process from
offices are located in the eastern and western por- behind Rocca di Frassinello. 2001 to 2007. Piano’s philosophy is not to eradi-
tions of the building. Standardized tastes are barred. In a world in cate nature through architecture, but to integrate
Despite its size, the building does not dominate the which everything is becoming more homogene- architecture into the landscape. The resulting build-
landscape. Instead, it crouches into the slope and ous, the wine estate is fighting back in a sort of ing is a fitting reflection of his credo.
89
Weingut Erich Sattler
in Tadten, Austria
Architects: Architects Collective, Hohlweggasse 2/25,
1030 Vienna, www.architectscollective.net
Team: Andreas Frauscher, Patrick Herold,
Richard Klinger, Kurt Sattler
Site area: 300 m2
Gross floor area: 450 m2
Start of design phase: 2009
Completion: 2010
Region: Burgenland
Contact: Obere Hauptstr. 10, 7162 Tadten
www.erichsattler.at
Oenologist: Erich Sattler
Price range: € 4 – € 30

90
 Site plan
Scale 1:2000
Floor plans
Scale 1:500

1 Barrel room
2 Tank room
3 Terrace
4 Office
5 Vestibule
6 Tasting area
7 Bedroom

a
Even as a young boy, Erich Sattler played where he exceptional ageing potential. “From the vineyard to
b 4 b now passionately works: in the vineyards of his the bottle, everything should go through my
home community of Tadten, in the middle of Aus- hands,” he says. “I don’t want to get any bigger.”
5 tria’s Burgenland. After finishing his studies at the But when his wine estate threatened to burst at the
3
school of oenology and viticulture in Krems and at seams three years ago, he saw that he needed to
the University of Natural Resources and Life Sci- take action. Since his brother Kurt has his own
6 ences in Vienna, Sattler returned to the village of architectural practice in Vienna, the search for an
7 3 Tadten, population 1,300, and took over the family architect was not hard.
wine estate in 2000. Erich Sattler had particular ideas about the planned
a “I am passionate about wines, just as I love them renovation. He wanted a space that could serve as
and like to drink them,” says Sattler, and one is a meeting place for business partners and custom-
immediately inclined to believe him. His main focus ers alike. At the same time, he wished to have an
is on the red grape varieties Zweigelt and St. Lau- area for cooking and eating. Since accommodation
rent, which together comprise more than four fifths in Tadten is quite limited, it also seemed a good
of his wine production. For the white wines, it’s idea to include guest rooms for visitors at the wine
Pinot Blanc and the regional variety Welschriesling, estate.
a late-ripening grape with fruity acidity that, despite The architectural challenge lay in integrating a new
its name, has nothing to do with Riesling. They all building into the existing space in the centre of the
grow on the sparse, gravelly soil that the Danube village. There were two older buildings and a new
deposited here more than two million years ago on one on the site, which measures 12 by 120 metres.
its way to the Black Sea. It’s an ideal soil for pro- The L-shaped residential building stands near the
1
ducing wine, as it absorbs heat during the day and village green; its courtyard gives access to the
radiates it back to the vines during the night. The wine estate. On the other side of the plot, towards
2 sparseness of the soil supports the making of red the vineyards, there is a production and storage
wines with velvety tannins and a playful fruitiness. building with vehicle access. This grouping of
The local climate, characterized by its hot, dry sum- buildings led to the idea of placing the extension
mers and usually sunny autumns, allows the grapes in the middle of the plot. Kurt Sattler and his
to ripen perfectly. team at Architects Collective worked out three
On his 12-hectare estate near Lake Neusiedl, Sat- designs for Erich Sattler to choose from. The one
tler produces wines with great typicity, richness and he selected offered a two-storey solution: the
91
ground floor houses the barrel room, with the tast- bouring Hungary as well as to the Alpine foothills in insulation. This was treated with an acid-resistant
ing area, kitchen, office and guest rooms on the the distance. coating to make it more robust and hygienic.
upper floor. Sweeping glass facades mediate the transition from It was decided not to install a cooling system on
The planning phase lasted for six months; the interior to exterior and bring light into the rooms. the ground floor. Although outside temperatures
implementation, about a year. While the upper floor Kurt Sattler and his team were inspired by the work can exceed 30 °C during the summer, the tempera-
was still being built, the ground level was already in of US artist Dan Graham, who created a stir with, ture inside the barrel room does not go above
use for the 2009 harvest. among other things, his accessible pavilion in the 15 °C. The concrete floor was set directly into the
The different shapes of the two floors are of partic- heating power plant in Berlin-Mitte, and the “Two- earth without any insulation. Underfloor heating
ular interest. The ground floor is rectangular, and Way Mirror Hedge” at the Ständehauspark in Düs- was installed on the upper level. Outside, the
the upper floor is set upon it in the shape of a seldorf. The interior itself can be used in its entirety extensive terraces are covered with wooden deck-
parallelogram. The latter’s interior rooms open or divided by folding walls and four large doors. In ing, and an enormous awning provides shade dur-
out into different directions. The two basic shapes the middle of this area is a free-standing, pentago- ing wine tastings. The uppermost roof terrace is
are linked via a series of diagonals, which create nal structure covered with wood, which contains reserved for private use, so only a lucky few are
a flowing overall configuration. On the upper level, sanitary rooms and a kitchen. treated to the magnificent view from up there.
this gives rise to a variety of spaces with myriad The entire construction is of concrete and masonry. Erich Sattler is a rather reserved person, and his
geometries and angles of view. The areas left on The dark grey facade contrasts with the white inte- wine estate is designed the same way: not brash
either side of the parallelogram form two terraces, rior. The only dashes of colour are provided by the and concerned with appearances, but subdued
one east- and one west-facing, which can be red chairs in the tasting area. and discreet. Only after visitors come through the
used for events and wine presentations. The On both ground and upper levels, the emphasis lay entrance gate and into the courtyard does the win-
slanted and slightly arched roof is decked in on easy maintenance as well as on functionality. ery open up to them – just like its wines, which take
wooden planks and walkable. From afar, it looks The architects created large surfaces with as few a little time to unfold after opening but then release
like part of an enormous wooden barrel. The roof joints as possible to make them easy to clean. To their velvety, delicate, elegant aromas. It is this
offers an impressive, 360-degree panoramic cover the bare concrete on the interior walls, they reserved elegance that unites the wines, the estate
view towards Lake Neusiedl, Slovakia and neigh- chose 10-centimetre-thick sandwich panelling for and the vintner.
92
Sections
Scale 1:500

aa bb
Cantina San Michele-Appiano
in Appiano, Italy
Architect: Walter Angonese, Marktplatz 6, 39052 Caldaro
www.angonesewalter.it
Artistic intervention: Manfred Alois Mayr, Merano
Team: Silvia Potente
Site area: 350 m2 (sales), 820 m2 (barrique cellar)
Gross floor area: 422 m2 (sales), 936 m2 (barrique cellar)
Start of design phase: 2008
Completion: 2011
Region: Alto Adige
Contact: Via Circonvallazione 17/19, 39057 Appiano
www.stmichael.it
Oenologist: Hans Terzer
Price range: € 7– € 22
Site plan
Scale 1:1500

The San Michele-Appiano winery, founded in 1907, San Michele-Appiano’s main building, built in 1909 The look of the new sales space is dominated by
is located in the heart of the South Tyrolian Wine in the Art Nouveau style, once served as the wine light oak, which is found in the counters, shelves
Road town of Appiano, or Eppan, where it can be cellar’s stately headquarters, embodying the pride and the long table to the rear of the room. As in
seen from afar. Its 350 members deliver their of the winegrowers and the region’s deep sense of other wine estates, this material provides a visual
grapes, tenderly cultivated on 380 hectares, to tradition. Complementing this reference to the past, link with winemaking. In spite of the heavy, solid
San Michele, which distributes their wines to more the newly designed barrel cellar and a wine bar/ oak and the black, three-centimetre-thick bitumen
than 30 countries and to the top tier of Italian res- shop completed in 2011 allow a glimpse into a terrazzo flooring, the space appears light and
taurants. future that is to be marked by innovation, creativity open. Natural light comes in only through the glass
Hans Terzer, the cellarmaster, has been in charge and openness. wall in the entrance area and the patios.
of wine production since 1977. Anton Zublasing, Terzer has been friends with architect Walter Upon entering the space, one’s attention is imme-
himself a winegrower and one of Italy’s leading Angonese for more than 10 years. Over the course diately caught by the lamps, which were designed
oenologists, is the president of the cooperative of the entire planning and building phase of the by Mayr. Halogen lamps fixed to overhead cable
and of the Alto Adige wine consortium, and as new barrique cellar and showroom, they stayed in raceways covered in gold leaf bathe the space in a
such constitutes the link between its members and close contact with each other and with Merano warm, atmospheric light. The contrast of “lowly”
the management. Günther Neumeir is in charge of artist Manfred Alois Mayr, jointly working out the material and luxurious surface comes to full effect
the administration of the winery. design approach. here, with the gold playfully reflecting the light from
the lamps. The interrupted cable raceways appear
to be suspended in mid-air.
The undisputed stars in this space are the cellar’s
wines. The planners did not want to create a bou-
tique in which architecture and furnishings would
predominate and leave little room for the wine.
Instead, their aim was to give the cellar’s bottles
pride of place.
These are on display in the oak shelves along the
walls. Between the shelves, there is a strip of wood
containing backlit black-and-white photographs
depicting vineyards and everyday winemaking
scenes. Symbolism and emotionalism suffuse the
entire space, even if it is sometimes mere details,
such as the barrel stoppers let into the handrail of
the massive oak counter, that stimulate the senses
by inviting touch.
94
 Floor plan tasting space
Scale 1:400

1 1 Entrance
2 Yew tree patio
3 Grapevine patio
8
7 4 Lagenbühne
5 Olivenbaum-Patio
2 6 6 Verkostungsraum
4
7 Verkostungs- und
5 Verkaufsraum
8 Lager
3

95
 1 Floor plan, wine cellar
Scale 1:400

1 Entrance
2 Barrique cellar
3 Cut-open
concrete tanks
2

96
In the separate tasting room, too, oak predomi- world, pursued a policy of mass production. The
nates. The tables and chairs are custom-built of huge subterranean concrete tanks bear witness to
solid wood. A huge table stands on a slightly this time. As these had not been used for years,
raised platform in the sales space. The surface of the San Michele-Appiano winery, too, put the tanks
the table, which from a distance is perceived solely to good use by cutting them open and turning
as a dark slab of organic form, upon closer inspec- them into barrique cellars. The walls are clad in
tion reveals itself to be a photographic overview of glass tiles, which have over the years taken on the
the cellar’s vineyards. On the individual sites stand colour of the wine and today shimmer in hues of
bottles of wine produced from the grapes grown violet and dark blue; the deposits of tartar found in
there, an approach that creates an immediate and the joints glitter. This is an atmospheric room that
palpable link to the origin of the wines on display. ties together the winery’s past and present.
The view out of the space leads across the three Through a passageway painted a bilious green,
patios. Grapevines grow in one, an olive tree in the one arrives in the adjoining barrel cellar, which has
second, and yew trees in the third. These three also been updated by Angonese. The walls here
typical plants from Alto Adige symbolize the flora of feature the typical black yeast deposits. From the
the surrounding landscape, while at the same time far end of the cellar, the opening in the middle of
sheltering the space from the sun. the opposite wall looks like a pane of green glass
Against the light, the ceiling of the sales space ini- lit from behind. It is an incredibly effective optical
tially appears black; a closer look, however, reveals illusion.
large, intersecting circles of dark, muted colours. A flight of stairs of rough concrete leads up to the
Petrol green, grey-brown and dark red are used Art Nouveau building. The original wrought-iron
over the table on the dais. The colours correspond banister is still in its original state, save for a new
to those found on the vineyard map. Above the coat of dark-green paint. This, too, is evidence of
counters and the shelves, gold, ochre and grey- the deliberate play of contrasts. From there, one
blue are used, colours that harmonize with the light arrives in the upper barrique cellar, whose original
wood and the golden lamps. Thanks to the high- form, including supports, was “formed over”, thus
quality material used, the furnishings, though sim- getting a pragmatic architectural reinterpretation.
ple, appear elegant. As in the sales space, the floor is of bitumen ter-
White wine is the mainstay of San Michele’s busi- razzo. The walls are covered with a render studded
ness, accounting for 68 per cent of its production. with tiny shards of glass, which makes the entire
Of this, 18 per cent are made up of Weissburgun- space glitter. From afar, it looks as if minute gem-
der (Pinot Blanc). With a 17 per cent share of total stones have been set into the render.
production, Schiava, which is indigenous to the All work was done under the close supervision of
Alto Adige region, accounts for more than half of the architect and the artist, working together. Both
the red wines produced. were frequently present during the construction
The Classic Line includes all the characteristic Alto phase. There were numerous changes in the
Adige whites, reds and rosés in DOC quality. The course of the project, which cost the client “lots of
Selection Line comprises an individually assembled nerves”, as Angonese sheepishly admits. But self-
collection of extraordinary wines from select vine- criticism and self-doubt have their uses, and the
yard sites. The Sanct Valentin line represents the flexible response to new possibilities and situations
top of the range, with wines created from individual permitted some decisions to be corrected.
sites with strict yield limits. This line includes the It was not necessarily the aim of the project to call
wine-loving architect’s favourite wines, the Sanct more attention to the winery, as San Michele-
Valentin Sauvignon Blanc and the Sanct Valentin Appiano already had an established status. Rather,
Pinot Noir. Purity of tone, subtle acidity and bal- in their remodelling of the wine cellar, the architect
ance characterize the San Michele wines. The and artist built on the existing facilities, combined
uncompromising focus on quality was honoured in the old and the new, and played masterfully with
2000 with the “Cellar of the Year” award. contrasts.
From the 1950s to the 1970s, the Alto Adige
region, like many other wine-growing regions in the
97
Weingut Gantenbein
in Fläsch, Switzerland
Architects: Bearth & Deplazes Architekten, Chur / Zurich
Valentin Bearth – Andrea Deplazes – Daniel Ladner
Wiesentalstr. 7, 7000 Chur, www.bearth-deplazes.ch
Gross floor area: 980 m2
Start of design phase: 2006
Completion: 2008
Region: Graubündner Rheintal
Contact: Ausserdorf 38, 7306 Fläsch
www.gantenbeinwein.com
Winemaker: Daniel Gantenbein
Price range: ca. € 60
Site plan
Scale 1:2000
Section
Scale 1:500

Before the backdrop of the massive Grison Alps in

the Rhine Valley of eastern Switzerland, the building
nestled in the vineyard seems lightweight and
almost transparent. The relief structure gives the
walls the appearance of moving, and with the play
of light on the sandstone bricks of the facade,
every change of perspective brings a different look
to the new production facility of the Gantenbein
Winery in Fläsch. Completed in 2008, the structure
is connected via a subterranean passage to the
wine cellar built in 1996 and is the result of a unique
interplay of winemaking, architecture and techno-
logical innovation.
It all started in 1982, when Martha and Daniel
Gantenbein decided to take over the four-hectare
vineyard belonging to Martha’s parents, Leonhard
and Anna Kunz, and thenceforth to focus only on
their passion, wine. The businesswoman and the
machine mechanic had both been fascinated by
winemaking from an early age and took courses
at the Wädenswil wine school on Lake Zurich to
gain an in-depth knowledge of the cultivation and
ageing of wine.
The vineyards, now comprising six hectares, are
planted exclusively with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and
Riesling grapes, with the Pinot Noir having the lion’s
98
 aa

share at five hectares. It is the best-known Ganten-

bein wine and one of the best red wines in all of
Switzerland. The Gantenbeins never went in for a
wide range of different wine styles and qualities;
instead, their goal has been to produce one perfect
wine from each variety every year. This focus, as
well as an extreme yield limitation and a selection in
the vineyard, has paid off. Since the early 1990s,
Gantenbein wines have been celebrated by wine
lovers all over the world. The great Burgundy wines,
which the vintners encountered in the course of
their wide-ranging travels in the perennial quest for
oenological perfection, served as the inspiration for
all this. Over time, the classic blue Pinot Noir vines
were gradually replaced by Burgundy clones.
The Gantenbeins continue to take these trips,
which are designed to keep them in a constant
dialogue with their vintner friends and colleagues.
Interestingly, when Daniel Gantenbein rhapsodizes
about something, it is never about his own wines,
but instead about the exchange of precious bottles
with winemakers he is friends with, particularly from
the Mosel region. The Gantenbein Riesling bears
evidence of this acquaintance. In his personal trove
in the subterranean wine cellar, Daniel Gantenbein
keeps numerous French and German treasures.
99
 bb

Section • Floor plans Bottling (existing)

Scale 1:500 5 white wine cellar
6 fermenting cellar
1 Empty bottles /Shipping 7 Terrace
2 Bottle fittings 8 Presentation space
3 Cold storage (existing) 9 Tasting
4 Bottle storage / 10 WC / Coatroom

The Gantenbein wines invite comparison with the ing single-storey buildings came a new building research project, Fabio Gramazio and Matthias
great Burgundies and the top German Rieslings, with a logistics warehouse on the lower floor, a Kohler, chair of architecture and digital fabrication
though they are in no way copies of these. Marked cuverie or press room on the ground floor and a at the same university, designed a robot to lay the
by their structure, depth, complexity, subtly fruity hospitality space on the upper floor. The structure bricks according to a predetermined pattern.
aromas and perfectly integrated wood notes, the features a concrete shell covered with a simple Thanks to the various angles in which the individual
wines come into their own after a few years in the pitched roof of corrugated sheets. The new building bricks are laid in a bond pattern with open joints,
bottle. “Great quality can only be attained if you can is connected with the existing buildings via under- the facade resembles a basket filled with grapes.
work in just the way you want to,” says the vintner. ground passages. The flow of wine, the laws of The gaps in the wall let in light, but keep direct sun-
“We want to interfere as little as possible in the gravity, the need for temperature regulation, and light out, which makes for a pleasant working
development of the wine.” After being received, the the sequence of work processes determine the atmosphere in moderate daylight. The materials are
grapes are carefully crushed and then drop down layout of the space. simple: a concrete skeleton, bricks, and an interior
into the fermentation vessel. After fermentation, the “Good architecture must serve its purpose 100 per cladding of three-layer polycarbonate panels. The
wines are clarified through the process of soutirage cent. First comes work, then the showroom!” temperatures in the hall do not drop below 0 °C in
only. The quality is determined in the vineyard, and explains Gantenbein. It was never his intention to winter or climb above 20 °C in summer. The large,
none of it is allowed to get lost in the cellar. create a place of architectural pilgrimage or a vehi- round lamps of black perforated plate on the
“We have decided to remain vintners,” Gantenbein cle to boost sales, but a structure in which practi- ground floor were designed by Daniel Gantenbein’s
explains. The wine, as the “inside” or heart of the cality is given aesthetic expression. father, who assists during the grape harvest and is
business, was always the primary focus. Only then Gantenbein had known some of the architects for in charge of the distilling of the marc. Fans
came the “outside” – things such as equipment, years; but it was also on the recommendation of his mounted atop the fermentation barrels located
labels and new buildings. The first money that brother, Köbi Gantenbein, who publishes a Swiss inside provide the right circulation of air according
came in was invested back into high-quality wine architectural journal, that the architectural practice to the weather conditions. The interior of the hall
processing equipment. In 1996, production was Bearth & Deplazes was chosen. Basic principles of recalls the inside of a Moroccan house, where gaps
moved from the village to the vineyards. As the the design were worked out jointly. between the bricks let in thin shafts of light.
impractical, cramped cellar was bursting at the The outer skin of the service building, a translucent A few times a year, for special occasions, the build-
seams, the Gantenbeins first built a wine cellar and masonry wall of offset bricks, was designed by ing turns into a festive hall. The parties are catered
then a hall of their own design. The decision to Andrea Deplazes, professor of architecture and by Doris and Roland Kalberer, operator and chef,
expand followed in 2005. Alongside the two exist- construction at ETH Zurich. Within the scope of a respectively, of “à table”, the hospitality space with
100
 4

3 2

7
9
b b
1 8
6
10

a
 a professional kitchen located on the upper floor. were invited to the party celebrating the completion
Working by advance booking only, the top Swiss of the project. “Good food and good wine are just
chef treats his guests to culinary delights of the as much a part of the good things in life as suc-
highest order. The spaces can be booked for con- cessful architecture,” the Gantenbeins say.
ferences as well. On the upper floor, too, ingenious Daniel Gantenbein is full of praise for the accom-
simplicity and great artisanship go hand in hand. plishments of the builders, who worked to the high-
The floor and the sideboard are made of polished est level of their craft. When the concrete ceiling
concrete; huge sliding glass doors, which allow of the first storey was completed, they celebrated
guests to step out on to the terrace, offer a pano- with a bottle of 1983 Goldkapsel by J.J. Prüm.
ramic view of the Alps. A woven canopy on the Behind the kitchen is the lounge with its round
ceiling sports a pattern that recalls the tendrils of a windows and Le Corbusier armchairs. The design
grapevine. At the very point where the windows of the wallpaper is simple and ingenious: beech
begin, the pattern of the canopy continues in the leaves were laid on paper and scanned in. The star
curtains. Surrounding the two three-metre-long lanterns designed by architects Bearth & Deplazes
tables of Piedmontese walnut are 24 simple bathe the space in a diffuse light.
wooden chairs. This is where the guests sat who The cellar is accessed either via a repurposed for-
mer hospital lift or via a spiral staircase that sports
the same vibrant light blue as found on the Pinot
Noir labels. Both lead to the columned cellar, which
is connected to the 1996 building. The white mush-
room columns, lit from below, have a vaguely alien
look about them. They serve both as ceiling sup-
ports and as water conduits. Somewhat hidden
behind the lifts is one of the Gantenbein’s personal
treasure troves housing valuable bottles from the
great wine regions of the world – products, to a
great part, of the thriving trade that the vintners
engage in with their colleagues. The columned cel-
lar is connected to the barrique cellar for the white
wines, a space painted an intense shade of ochre.
Via the workroom under the older building, one
arrives at the burgundy-coloured cellar where the
Pinot Noir ages. The cellars in which the wines rest
have clay-plastered walls, which helps to keep the
humidity at the optimal level of 90 per cent.
“The existing building was the benchmark and the
departure point of the extension. We as architects
were fascinated by the charming, immediate practi-
cality of this rustic architecture,” explains architect
Daniel Ladner, who was in the closest contact with
the Gantenbeins throughout the project. He had
the role of cheerleader, explainer and budget
enforcer. The vintners see their philosophy as hav-
ing been successfully implemented. Their friendly
contact with the architects continues to this day.

102
Bodegas Ysios in Laguardia, Spain

Architect: Santiago Calatrava, Parkring 11, 8002 Zurich

www.calatrava.com
Site area: 15,384 m2
Gross floor area: 8,000 m2
Start of design phase: 1998
Completion: 2001
Region: Rioja
Contact: Camino de la Hoya, 01300 Laguardia
www.ysios.com
Oenologist: Luis Zudaire
Price range: € 18 – € 40

In this corner of Spain’s Rioja Alavesa region, the gets its name from the goddess Isis, the “mother of old vines and then aged 14 months in barriques
mountains of the Sierra de Cantabria rise more than god” or “mother of the sun” of Egyptian mythology, made of 55 per cent French, 40 per cent American
1,300 metres from the ground, providing shelter is one of a total of seven wineries belonging to the and five per cent Hungarian oak, which lend the
from the cold and wet north-easterly winds blowing Domecq group in the Rioja region. Every one of Reserva its fruity aroma. These casks are usually
in from the Atlantic; limestone and clay soils supply them stands for its own characteristic wines from medium toasted or medium-plus toasted, allowing
the grapevines with excellent nutrients; and in spite different terroirs. them to maintain the primary aromas of the Tempra-
of the comparatively rough climate, the south-facing The vineyards of Bodegas Ysios comprise 75 hec- nillo variety but also to impart subtle vanilla and
vineyards enjoy the best possible exposure to tares and are subdivided into ten sites, each of coconut aromas to the wine. After barrel ageing,
sunlight. In the midst of this majestic scenery lies which is harvested separately by hand. Then the the wine is cellared in bottles for three years. Ysios
Bodegas Ysios, which, seen from afar, looks like a grapes from each plot are fermented and aged sep- Edición Limitada Reserva originates from grapevines
silvery snake undulating across the gentle green of arately. Only after that does blending occur. The end aged over 80 years old from the Bodegas’s best
the vineyards. results of this process are just two wines: Ysios parcels, and it is bottled only in very good vintages.
Located in Laguardia, in the Rioja Alavesa region, Reserva and Ysios Edición Limitada Reserva. Both Before that, the wine ages for 18 months in
this impressive structure was commissioned by of them are reserve wines produced from 100 per barriques made of exclusively French oak. Every
Domecq Bodegas, a member of the Pernod Ricard cent Tempranillo grapes. Some 200,000 bottles of bottle gets its own individual number, and no more
Group, and designed by the renowned Spanish Ysios Reserva leave the winery every year. The than 5,000 bottles are produced. This strict limit
architect Santiago Calatrava. Bodegas Ysios, which reserve wine is pressed from grapes from 30-year- gives the wine the allure of the unique – a character-

104
istic richly in evidence in the appearance of the
winery itself.
From a bird’s-eye perspective, the whole facility
resembles a wine glass, with the approach and
entrance forming the stem, the building itself repre-
senting its contents and the wavy form of the roof
recalling large barrels lying side by side and con-
nected by a band of silver. At the same time, in
an effect intended by Calatrava, the facility follows
the silhouette of the surrounding mountain range.
The roof consists of rising and falling glulam timber
trusses of up to 42 metres in length, clad with alu-
minium on the outside. It forms a stark colour con-
trast to the warm tone of the timber facade.
In the middle of the building, the roof pitches steeply
upwards and extends far forwards. This marks the
entrance to the winery, a section that contains the
tasting room as well. From here, the visitor is treated
to a majestic view out over the vineyards, but can
also look into the barrel cellar with its overwhelming
height and its 1,300 barriques. To the left of this
impressive central area lies the tract with the fer-
mentation tanks, and to the right is the bottle cellar
with the bottling line. The layout of the rooms mir-
rors the process of wine production.
In Bodegas Ysios, Calatrava has succeeded in cre-
ating a widely celebrated architecture that shows off
the particular qualities of the Ysios Reserva wines,
but also speaks for itself. This is one reason why
more than 20,000 visitors a year find their way to
the foot of the Sierra de Cantabria.
Bodega Brugarol
in Palamós, Spain
Architects: RCR Arquitectes, Fontanella, 26,
17800 Olot (Girona), www.rcrarquitectes.es
Assistants: G. Puigvert, A. Lippmann
Site area: 30 hectares
Gross floor area: 981 m2
Start of design phase: 2004
Completion: 2007
Region: Catalonia
Contact: Mas Bell-Lloc, 17230 Palamós
www.brugarol.com
Oenologists: Xavier Vidal, Miquel Arenas
Price range: € 15 – € 30

Some three kilometres inland from the coast of ing business on a professional basis, but to engage blends subtly into the landscape, underscoring the
Catalonia, in the foothills of the Pyrenees, lies in viniculture as an integral part of a holistic use of concept of a strong link between building and sur-
Bodega Brugarol. The entire estate calls itself Bell- the land. What Engelhorn wanted was to set up a roundings. In this eccentric structure, architecture,
Lloc, the Catalonian term for “beautiful place” – a self-sustaining operation that included agriculture sculpture and landscaping meet.
fitting name for this oasis of peace kissed by the and animal husbandry. As a result, Bell-Lloc today The main material used is plates of Corten steel,
breeze. From here, the view sweeps down to the produces not only wine, but also olive oil, olive whose reddish-brown patina allow the building to
Mediterranean Sea. It is hard to believe that the soap, honey, jam and goat’s cheese. seem to melt into the surrounding, identically col-
crowded, noisy beaches of the Costa Brava are The estate includes fives hectares of vineyards that oured earth. The idea was to make and cellar the
only a stone’s throw away. are divided into three areas. The red grape varieties wine in the element from which it came: earth and
The old finca located in a nature preserve has been of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc are stone. The visitor was to be given the opportunity
in the German Engelhorn family since 1943. Not grown directly adjacent to the bodega; the vine- to get to know the wine in its natural surroundings.
long ago, after thinking about the matter for some yards further out towards the sea feature the red Via gravel-covered concrete ramps on two sides,
time, Kurt Engelhorn decided to breathe new life varieties Garnacha and Carignan in one section visitors enter the subterranean wine world though an
into the estate. The vines were planted in 2001 and and the white varieties Malvasia and Xarel-Lo in honour guard of slightly outward-leaning steel plates.
the first wine was vinified in a neighbouring winery another. The vines grow in a granitic and iron-rich This is the same route that the grape harvest takes
in 2003. The goal was not to get into the winemak- red soil. Two cellarmasters vinify a white wine and a into the facility. The dumped stones that prop up the
red wine from the grapes, whose yield is strictly lim- vineyard peek out through the gaps between the
ited. The focus is on capturing the unique proper- vertical steel plates. The ground and the spaced
ties of the terroir and the grape varieties. These are steel elements continue as a central theme through-
fermented separately and then matured in small out the building.
oak barriques. Only then are the wines blended. Under the roof of folded steel plates is the entrance
In 2003, an architectural competition was tendered to the tasting room and the laboratory, in which not
for the new wine cellar and won by RCR Arqui- only the wine but also the olive oil of the estate can
tectes from Olot. The architects had had previous be sampled. From here, a glass wall affords a direct
experience in wine architecture projects, and were view of the surrounding landscape. On the other
already acquainted with the owners. In the course side, a way leads past stainless-steel fermentation
of the planning phase in 2004–2005, countless tanks and down into the wine cellar.
drafts were drawn up and constantly reworked until As in almost all transitions from one space to
construction could finally begin in late 2005. another, a sliding door of Corten steel bars the way.
At first glance, the visitor does not even notice the It takes some effort to open it, and the material
winery and has to be told where it is. The structure is squeaks with the friction produced. As the architects
accessible only via a path through bushes and vines. intended, the heaviness and solidity of the steel are
Partly buried under the vineyard, the new facility palpable.
106
Section
Scale 1:500

aa

107
 7
6
5
4

2
3

1 11
a
10

a 8 9
Floor plan 5 Workshop
Scale 1:500 6 Multifunctional space
7 Changing rooms
1 Access ramp 8 Barrel cellar
2 Technology 9 Bottle cellar
3 Fermenting cellar 10 Tasting area
4 Laboratory / Labelling room 11 Auditorium

A kind of obstacle course leads through the various crete steps offer a place to sit; in the centre stands the laboratory and the workshop, Mari-Carmen
rooms of the wine cellar. First, one enters the barrel a simple table of rough wood. Thoughts of altars Pujadas, the marketing director of Bell-Lloc, pre-
cellar through a long corridor. The only source of spring to mind – and indeed, the space has the air sents the bodega’s two wines, which are character-
light is an artificial one: a small crevice with LED of a room for prayer or sacrifice. Overhead, shafts ized by their complexity, good length and minerality.
lamps let into the gravel along the walls. The eyes jut out into the open, letting sunlight – and rain – A steel capsule sits atop the neck of the bottles,
take some time getting accustomed to the semi- enter unimpeded. The afternoon sun flooding in attached by a thin inner ring of rubber and a wax
darkness. Through the gaps between the steel makes for a fascinating, constantly changing play seal. The capsule contains all the necessary infor-
plates that make up the walls, nature encroaches. of light. It is pleasantly cool and very tranquil here. mation. Otherwise, the bottles are completely bare;
Bits of root can be glimpsed between the stones; A six-step staircase descends to the multimedia neither labels nor writing mar their purist look. The
beetles and spiders are welcome guests. Some space with a projection wall. The broad sitting capsules recall the materiality of the winery. The
50 casks standing on the natural ground are reposi- steps leading down to the wall are made of con- minimalist, purist theme is evident throughout the
tories for the wine, which can slumber undisturbed crete as well, with hemp mats the only concessions entire concept.
by bright light. to comfort. Small, intimate concerts or lectures The materials steel and stone as well as the subter-
Six concrete steps lead down to the bottle ageing take place here. ranean arrangement of the spaces allow a natural
cellar, where up to 20,000 bottles may be stored in The ceilings of the cellar and of the spaces above regulation of temperature and humidity – a factor
containers of Corten steel. The “shelves” of ceiling ground consist of the red-steel plates arranged in that is central to the production of wine and thus
height are tilted to the right by 17 degrees. an irregular zigzag pattern resembling an outsized was of particular importance to the client.
From here, a sliding steel door lets one back into piece of origami. In the secluded, quiet, dark The idea for the overall design concept originated
the entrance area. Alternatively, one can further atmosphere of the wine cellar, visitors can forget with the architects, although Engelhorn took very
explore the labyrinth, taking two stairs that are the outside world and engage in subterranean little persuading. Everything was to be integrated
arranged at right angles and coming out in the tast- meditation. perfectly into the natural landscape. From the out-
ing room, the cellar’s inner sanctum. Two large con- Back in daylight, in a covered open-air area between set, the look was to be as dark as possible, with
108
the sources of light reduced to a minimum. What maintaining the archaic character of the historical
little artificial light there is was installed by order of buildings and giving them their own face, as Engel-
the building authorities. horn explains. The hotel, which, of course, serves its
Since June 2011, visitors wishing to spend the night guests products made on the premises, is a refuge
at the finca are welcome to do so. The old residence for those in need of a bit of tranquillity. The unspoilt
and the small chapel of Santa Maria de Bell-Lloc landscape and the peaceful surroundings lend this
were restored to their original states with the aim of place its meditative power.
Weingut Heinrich in Gols, Austria

Architects: propeller z, Mariahilferstr. 101/3/55, 1060 Vienna

www.propellerz.at
Site area: 10,232 m2
Gross floor area: 4,390 m2
Start of design phase: 2007
Completion: 2008
Region: Burgenland
Contact: Baumgarten 60, 7122 Gols
www.heinrich.at
Oenologist: Gernot Heinrich
Price range: € 6.50– € 60

Together with his wife, Heike, Gernot Heinrich has association formed by a few of the nation’s top-tier vious one, until the decision was made to construct
operated the eponymous winery in eastern Aus- vintners acting internationally as ambassadors of a whole new structure.
tria’s Burgenland with great success for more than Austrian wine. The architects worked out and defined the planning
20 years. By now boasting 80 hectares of its own He is known for creating fascinating, age-worthy goals jointly with the client. These included an
vineyards and 40 hectares’ worth of additional pur- wines, primarily from the Blaufränkisch grape, expansion of the barrel cellar; the creation of new
chases, the winery is one of the largest in all of which enjoys a long tradition in Burgenland. His storage areas for machinery, work materials and
Austria. Heinrich is also a founding member of main focus, however, is on red cuvées or blends. fertilizers; and an expansion of the bottle ware-
the vintners’ association Pannobile, which was To create these, he vinifies the indigenous grape house. In addition, a loading and delivery bay was
launched by seven winemakers in 1994. The joint varieties Blaufränkisch, St. Laurent and Zweigelt, to be created for vehicles, particularly for large
aim of the association is to produce particularly but also Pinot Noir and Merlot, using the bio- trucks. At the same time, the new building was to
expressive wines that typify the terroir of the region dynamic method and employing treatments that be linked as closely as possible, both practically
and the characteristics of the various, primarily are, to the greatest possible extent, exclusively and aesthetically, to the existing winery.
indigenous, grape varieties. The nine current mem- natural. While before the turn of the millennium the In addition to these considerations, the inner layout
bers of the association collaborate mainly in the vineyards cultivated by the family business had of the building was to reflect Heinrich’s philosophy
areas of quality control and marketing. Heinrich covered less than 20 hectares, by 2007 this area of biodynamic agriculture. For an efficient utilization
also belongs to the Premium Estates of Austria, an had increased to 60 hectares around the northern of the building in both agro-economic terms and in
part of Lake Neusiedl. This enormous increase in its everyday operations, the declared aim was a
area under cultivation inevitably meant an extension hangar structure with a simple, divisible and recy-
of the main winery building. A lack of space had clable construction. And Heinrich had another
forced the owners to lease an additional hall in the request that was a bit unusual for a vintner to
neighbouring village and commission an external make: namely, that spaces should be created for
logistics provider with the cellaring of the bottles. the use of the workers temporarily employed on the
What began in February of 2007 with the planning vineyard – spaces that could be used as communal
of a new hall for tractors and machinery ended in living areas, but also as dining areas and accom-
autumn 2008 – before the grape harvest – with the modation.
completion of an entirely new winery building. Three In the ensuing planning phase, Heinrich and his
years previously, the architects, propeller z from team analysed the technical requirements from a
Vienna, had already completed the winery’s tasting standpoint of processes and scale. These require-
room after a process of fruitful collaboration. Now, ments were precisely set down, from the number of
in the course of the initial meetings for the new pro- fermentation tanks called for to the space needed
ject, the participants kept coming up with new for tractors and machinery, and even down to the
ideas and considerations. Ultimately, five consecu- distances required between the tanks. During the
tive designs were drafted, each building on the pre- planning and building phase, the architect commu-
110
 Tasting space & office
Old build (production & Bottle warehouse
barrique cellar) Covered courtyard/ Roof shell
multifunctional space of lightweight wood
Private residence
Loading bay construction

Shed for agricultural

equipment

Barrique cellars
on both subterranean levels

New barrique cellar

Courtyard

Site plan Building for labourers

Scale 1:5000 Overview of the entire plant

Perspective view of the
entire facility

111
 5

6 7

a a
8
4
Floor plans • Section 8
Maßstab 1:800

1 Press room
2 Front courtyard
3 Labourers’ building
4 Multifunctional area 1 2
5 Bottle cellar
6 Shed
7 Barrique cellar
3
8 Fermenting cellar

112
nicated with Heinrich directly, with Heinrich’s cellar- The adjacent shed houses tractors and machinery the well-made Red, an everyday red wine, to the
master providing input on technical questions. as well as work materials and empty receptacles. If top-tier Pannobile and Gabarinza wines, the latter
In a construction period of just 10 months, an need be, an additional level can be created here for a blend of 60 per cent Zweigelt, 30 per cent Blau-
impressive building went up on a 10,000-square- extra warehouse space. To enable operations in fränkisch and 10 per cent Merlot. But the very
metre area, a building whose most striking feature any weather, the roof extends out far beyond the pinnacle is represented by the now legendary Salz-
is its distinctive envelope. When one approaches building, creating a rain-protected, multifunctional berg, which is regularly listed among the three best
from the west, the highly angular structure looks area between the bottle warehouse and the exist- reds in Austria.
hermetically sealed; still, despite its size, it fits har- ing build. “The large courtyard space created by The vineyards on the slopes directly above the win-
moniously into the landscape. On passing, the the U-shaped arrangement of the buildings can be ery enjoy not just the ideal amount of sun, but a
outer skin reveals itself to be a light roof shell of used for many purposes,” explains Heinrich. For fascinatingly diverse range of soils, from silty and
about 90 by 34 metres in size that freely spans the example, large coolers placed there during the har- clayey to calcareous or sandy and gravelly, a diver-
shed and the bottle warehouse, thus positively vest provide additional cooling capacity. The court- sity which provides the ideal ripening conditions for
affecting the temperature and air circulation. yard also serves as a manoeuvring space for trucks the very different needs of Merlot, Blaufränkisch
Initially, Heinrich had wanted the wood of the build- delivering supplies and empty bottles. and Zweigelt grapes, and all within a relatively small
ing envelope to stay visible, as he thought that in On the other side of the courtyard, the hall complex area.
the course of time, the colour changes that timber with its large freight elevator is designed to receive After ascending the Mount Olympus of red wines,
undergoes would allow the building to blend better the grapes picked during the harvest. Via large Heinrich has discovered a new playing field: the
into the landscape. What was ultimately imple- openings in the floor, the freshly crushed grapes world of white wines. On the chalky and slate-
mented was a roof construction of wood sandwich can drop directly into the fermentation tanks in the based soils of the Leitha Mountains, he vinifies
panels covered with a welded black roofing mem- cellar by means of gravity rather than pumps – a expressive varietal wines from Chardonnay, Neu-
brane held in place with white vacuum fasteners. factor that has a direct bearing on the quality of the burger and Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) grapes.
Today, the winemaker is very happy with this wine. A further notable feature is integrated in the So far, unfortunately, his production of these has
solution. roof of this hall: rainwater is collected over the barely exceeded homeopathic doses; but those
Under the bottle warehouse, the barrique cellar whole surface of the roof and utilized in the winery who know Heinrich trust that that will change.
extends over two levels and is joined below ground as non-potable water. With this impressive building, the Heinrichs have
with the existing build, the press house. Thanks to In order for visitors to be able to enjoy the wines in taken an important step towards their goal of grad-
the climate-regulating effect of the surrounding an appropriate setting, a futuristic-looking tasting ually expanding their wine estate.
earth, the temperature is naturally kept at a con- room was installed. On the wall, soil profiles of the
stant level. This is where the 500-litre oak barrels, various rock and ground formations show the diver-
the fermentation tanks and the large stainless steel sity of the surrounding terroir, which is reflected in
tanks used for the blending of the wine are found. the highly diverse Heinrich wines. They range from
113
Country guide to wine and architecture in Europe

Germany 116
Austria 120
Switzerland 124
Italy 125
France 128
Spain 130
Further countries 134
Germany Baden-Württemberg • Müller-Catoir, Haardt (neo-Classical facade with
Judging by its main grape varieties, Baden is “Bur- column portal, interior fit-out in Gründerzeit style)
gunderland”: Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), Graubur-
gunder (Pinot Gris) and Weissburgunder (Pinot Rheingau
Wine production Blanc) account for some 55 per cent of the gross Alongside Schloss Vollrads, Schloss Johannisberg
Together, the German wine regions boast 105,000 vineyard area of 16,000 hectares. In Württemberg, and Eberbach Abbey (see pp. 12ff.):
hectares under vines. Of this area, white wine culti- with its 11,500 hectares of vineyards, red wine • Weingut Freiherrlich Langwerth von
vation accounts for some 64 per cent and red wine production is predominant, accounting for almost Simmern’sches Rentamt, Eltville (building ensem-
and rosé 36 per cent. The leading grape varieties 70 per cent of total output. There is an emphasis on ble with Renaissance residence, park)
among the white wines are Riesling, specialities such as Trollinger (called Vernatsch in • Weingut Robert Weil, Kiedrich (mansion in the
Müller-Thurgau/Rivaner, Silvaner, Grauburgunder/ Alto Adige), Schwarzriesling (Pinot Meunier), and English country style, park)
Ruländer (Pinot Gris) and Weissburgunder (Pinot Lemberger (called Blaufränkisch in Austria). Boas-
Blanc), with Kerner, Chardonnay, Gutedel, Traminer, ting an output share of more than 70 per cent, the Rheinhessen
Sauvignon Blanc and others playing a lesser role. 146 winemaking cooperatives are the main wine • Staatliche Weinbaudomäne Oppenheim
The most popular red-wine varieties include Spät- producers in Baden-Württemberg. (three-wing facility in the Art Nouveau style)
burgunder (Pinot Noir), Dornfelder, Portugieser, • Schloss Westerhaus, Ingelheim (neo-Baroque
Trollinger (Schiava), Lemberger (Blaufränkisch), Franken / Franconia two-part wine estate with castle and winery
St. Laurent and Merlot. Depending on the vintage, With its 6,000 hectares under cultivation, Franconia buildings, impressive location)
Tafelwein (table wine) and Landwein (country wine) is one of the smaller German wine regions, account-
account for some 5 –10 per cent of output; ing for six per cent of output. White wines – primar- Nahe
Qualitätswein (quality wine from a specific region) ily specialities such as Silvaner, Müller-Thurgau • Gut Hermannsberg, Niederhausen-Schloss-
makes up about 60 – 70 per cent, and Prädikats- and Bacchus – predominate, making up 80 per böckelheim (formerly Preussische Weinbau-
wein (superior quality wine, such as Kabinett, cent of production. The majority of wines produced domäne, conceived as a showpiece winery, gen-
Spätlese and Auslesen) accounts for 20 – 30 per here are visually distinguished from others by the erous building complex in the Art Nouveau style)
cent. shape of their bottle: most Franken wines are sold
Cultivation takes place primarily on steep and in flasks – short, flattened, round-bodied bottles Mosel
hilly vineyards on various types of soil. There are called Bocksbeutel. • Maximin Grünhaus Schlosskellerei C. von Schu-
13 wine regions in all, of which 11 are located in the bert, Mertesdorf (historical building ensemble)
south-west of the country. With its 65,000 hectares Sachsen/Saxony • Weingut Karthäuserhof, Trier-Eitelsbach (13th-
under cultivation, Rhineland-Palatinate is the larg- Europe’s north-easternmost wine region is also one century moated castle)
est wine producer of all the German states, with of the smallest German wine regions. In the Elbe val- • Mönchhof & Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben, Ürzig
Baden-Württemberg coming in second with 27,000 ley east and west of Dresden, a broad range of pre- (Baroque manor, medieval vaulted cellar)
hectares. dominantly white wine grapes is cultivated, mainly • former wine estate Julius Kayser & Co.,
The number of winemaking businesses has been Müller-Thurgau, Riesling and Weissburgunder. On Traben-Trarbach
decreasing for decades, a trend that is affecting the the producer side, the small size of Saxon wine-
smaller wineries above all. About one third of the making businesses is notable. Some 1,800 “hobby Wine architecture
vineyard area in Germany is cultivated by the mem- vintners” alone, some of them with just a few rows On the initiative of the Rhineland-Palatinate Cham-
bers of the 200 winemaking cooperatives (called of vines, are members of the Meissen winemaking ber of Architects and with the support of the
Winzergenossenschaften). Two hundred leading cooperative. Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Viniculture and the
wineries (with a high percentage of Riesling produc- German Winegrowers’ Association, the “Architek-
ers) are members of VDP, an association of Ger- Traditional wineries turpreis Wein” prize for wine architecture has been
man superior-quality wine estates. Pfalz/Palatinate awarded since 2007. Vintners and their architects
• Weingut Geheimer Rat Dr. von Bassermann- in all German wine regions are eligible to win.
Rhineland-Palatinate Jordan, Deidesheim (extensive vaulted cellars)
Six wine regions – Rheinhessen, Pfalz (Palatinate), • Reichsrat von Buhl, Deidesheim (mansion, histor- The following are examples of the connection
Mosel, Nahe, Mittelrhein (UNESCO World Heritage ical cellar) between historical building culture and contempo-
Site) and Ahr – are located in Rhineland-Palatinate. • Dr. Bürklin-Wolf, Wachenheim (barrel cellar, rary interior design:
The state accounts for 65 –70 per cent of German English garden) • Weingut Künstler, Hochheim, Rheingau
wine production. • Fitz-Ritter, Bad Dürkheim (mansion, half-timbered • Weingut Forstmeister Geltz-Zilliken, Saarburg,
inner courtyard) Mosel
116
• Weingut Leo Fuchs, Pommern, Mosel Winzerhof Gierer in Staatsweingut Weinsberg
• Kühling-Gillot, Bodenheim, Rheinhessen
Nonnenhorn in Weinsberg
• Weingut Julius, Gundheim, Rheinhessen
• Kruger-Rumpf, Münster-Sarmsheim, Nahe Architects: mattes · sekiguchi partner, Wilhelmstr. 5a, Architects: Bürogemeinschaft Eisele + Mattes,
74072 Heilbronn, www.msp-architekten.com heute: mattes · sekiguchi partner, Wilhelmstr. 5a,
Completion: 2007 74072 Heilbronn, www.msp-architekten.com
Rhineland-Palatinate Region: Württemberg Completion: 1999
• Kreutzenberger, Kindenheim, Pfalz Contact: Sonnenbichlstrasse 31, 88149 Nonnenhorn Region: Württemberg
• Weinmanufaktur Montana, Bensheim-Auerbach, info@winzerhof-gierer.de Contact: Traubenplatz 5, 74189 Weinsberg
Hessische Bergstrasse www.sw-weinsberg.de
• Weingut Schneider, Ellerstadt, Pfalz
The state-owned wine estate was a product of
Baden-Württemberg Germany’s oldest vinicultural academy (founded in
In the past few decades, the winemaking coopera- 1868, now the State Teaching and Research Acad-
tives of Baden-Württemberg have invested primarily emy for Viticulture and Orchard Management). Its
in the modernization and optimization of their pro- perfected cellar technique has brought forth a num-
duction facilities, ideally leading to a “visual clean- ber of award-winning wines. The year 1999 saw
up” of the buildings. the completion of a new sales space offering expert
• Winzergenossenschaft Oberbergen advice and tastings. Its large glass facade is con-
• Weingärtnergenossenschaft Eberstadt ceived as an inviting shop window. The elegant
• Weingärtner Brackenheim presentation room harmonizes with the existing
• Weingärtnergenossenschaft Metzingen- facilities, which date back to the 1970s. Four years
Neuhausen The wine-producing district of Bayerischer Boden- after the sales space, the “glass production build-
• Weingärtner Flein-Talheim see, near Lake Constance, is officially an exclave of ing” with an experimental winery and a sparkling-
the wine region of Württemberg, a region otherwise wine production facility was opened. Its equipment
Franken/Franconia associated with the Neckar, Rems Valley, Kocher, constitutes the state of the art in oenology.
Almost all projects in Franconia have focused on Jagst and Tauber areas. Not far from Lindau, Josef
the areas of hospitality and customer marketing. and Renate Gierer operate a wine farm that Weingut Pauser in Flonheim
The display and tasting spaces are part of local or includes orchards, a distillery and guest rooms.
regional tourism concepts: When Josef Gierer took over the business from his Architects: EICHLER Architekten, Hauptstr. 98,
55232 Alzey-Weinheim, www.eichler-alzey.de
• Cultural Centre, City of Dettelbach parents, he set out not just to improve the quality of
Completion: 2010
• Vinothek Iphofen the wine, but also to increase the size of the vine- Region: Rheinhessen
• DIVINO Nordheim yards. The resulting success dictated the next Contact: Im Baumfeld 40, 55237 Flonheim
• Winzergemeinschaft Franken (GWF) steps: a built extension of the working areas and www.weingut-pauser.de
• Weinhaus Hans Wirsching, Iphofen the sales and tasting rooms. With a modern, ele-
gant look that recalls a completely refurbished Over three years and three building phases, what
Sachsen /Saxony barn, the new sales and tasting extension built on began as a simple plan to build a new sales and
The historic legacy of Saxon wine culture, in combi- to the existing building has been very popular with tasting space for the Pauser wine estate had bal-
nation with its old building culture, is lovingly main- visitors. Moreover, it offers a view of the adjoining looned into a project that included a machine hall, a
tained. Typical examples of this are the 1990–2010 lakeshore, turning a tasting of the farm’s impressive new barrel and bottle cellar, a new grape receiving
renovation of the oldest wine estate of the region, range of wines into a visual treat as well. A few space and finally the shop. With its angular lines,
Schloss Proschwitz, with its 18th-century cluster of steps away, a glass window in the floor gives the the wine production building harmonizes com-
buildings in Zadel, near Meissen, and the rebuilding visitors a look into the oak barrel cellar. Should the pletely with the previously built machine hall clad in
of the Hoflössnitz wine estate, both of which remain popularity of their wines continue to grow, the Gier- oxidized steel. The sales space offers a modern,
popular tourist destinations. ers plan to build a new bottle cellar as well as a inviting tasting room that features the materials
new production building. steel, glass, wood and stone. The upper storey
houses an event and reception space with a sun
deck affording a panoramic view over the hilly land-
scape of Rheinhessen.

117
Jean Stodden in Rech Weingut Bürgermeister Carl Koch Vincenz Richter in Meissen
Erben in Oppenheim
Architects: Architekturbüro Mertens, Hauptstr. 151a, Architects: Gehbauer Helten Architekten, Postplatz 6, Architects: seidel + wirth, Thomas-Müntzer-Platz 9,
53474 Bad Neuenahr, www.mertens-architekt.de 55276 Oppenheim am Rhein, www.gehbauerhelten.de 01307 Dresden
Completion: 2007 Completion: 2002 Completion: 2008
Region: Ahr Region: Rheinhessen Region: Sachsen/Saxony
Contact: Rotweinstr. 7– 9, 53506 Rech /Ahr Contact: Wormser Str. 62, 55276 Oppenheim am Rhein Contact: Kapitelholzsteig 1, 01662 Meissen
www.stodden.de www.ck-wein.de www.vincenz-richter.de

The Vincenz Richter wine estate in Meissen is a

prime example of the sense of optimism that has
brought the vintners of Saxony, in eastern Ger-
many, to new heights, both of quality and of price.
In the excellent Meissen vineyards on the slopes of
the Kapitelberg, architects seidel + wirth created a
building of concrete and glass to complement the
historical timber-frame building from the 17th cen-
tury. In order not to mar the landscape of the Spaar
Mountains, the wine production area, measuring
900 square metres in total, was moved under-
ground. The spaces for the marketing of the wines,
For years, Jean Stodden has been in the top The bottling plant of Weingut Bürgermeister Carl which include a wine shop as well as tasting,
league of German red-wine makers. His wines have Koch Erben in Oppenheim is evidence of how a teaching and exhibition spaces, encompass 250
consistently been hailed for their expressive positive and progressive attitude can facilitate the square metres.
strength, their wonderful aromas and their ageabil- architectural rejuvenation of wineries. A building
ity. To achieve this, the vintner, whose family has cube resembling a spatial sculpture was set beside Schloss Wackerbarth in Radebeul
been cultivating wine since the 16th century, lets the historical building of the estate, forming a stark
his wines age for 16 months in special casks. Such contrast to the existing build. Both structures are
oenological gems require a fitting setting, so a new charismatic in their own way. The many colour fac- Architects: h.e.i.z.Haus Architektur.Stadtplanung,
Wurzener Str. 15a, 01127 Dresden, www.heizhaus.de
presentation and tasting space with cellar was cre- ets of the facade of oxidized steel and its gradual
Completion: 2002
ated. Here, materials with a strong link to wine, patination attractively complement the historical Region: Sachsen/Saxony
such as wood, natural stone and glass, were given building of the wine estate, which was founded in Contact: Wackerbarthstraße 1, 01445 Radebeul
a modern update. Wooden barrels that not only aid the 19th century. www.schloss-wackerbarth.de
the “show”, but also serve as red-wine storage, are Looking back, architects Achim Gehbauer and Ger-
integrated into the overall look, while thermally sep- hardt Helten see their project as a “simple answer The Schloss Wackerbarth wine estate, owned by
arated from the heated space by a glass wall. The to complex and multifaceted considerations”. They the state of Saxony, exudes a fascination that is
logo of the winery and an open fireplace are harmo- stress that the implementation of their concept sure to affect even those visitors whose affinity to
niously integrated into the interior. The result is very would not have been possible if their client had not wine is not especially strong. Alongside the reno-
much in line with Stodden’s wine philosophy: been open to their ideas and had confidence in vated Baroque building, the architectural highlight
“Doing everything in harmony with nature to bring their creative powers. of the estate is the wine and sparkling-wine pro-
wine to perfection.” duction facility, which in 2002 was converted to an
adventure winery, in which visitors can experience
the making of wine from the grape to the glass and
then taste selected products afterwards. The new
buildings, which are characterized by their clean
lines and their tension between the old and the
new, have been awarded numerous architectural
prizes.

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Weingut am Stein in Würzburg Staatlicher Hofkeller Weingut Horst Sauer
Architects: hofmann keicher ring architekten, Veitshöchheimer- in Würzburg in Escherndorf
str. 1, 97080 Würzburg, www.hofmann-keicher-ring.de Architects: archicult gmbh – breunig architekten, Architects: Büro Reinhard May, Mergentheimer Str. 10,
Completion: 2005 Mainleitenstr. 33, 97299 Zell am Main, www.archicult.de 97082 Würzburg, www.raymay.de
Region: Franken / Frankonia Completion: 2005 Completion: 2006
Contact: Mittlerer Steinbergweg 5, 97080 Würzburg Region: Franken / Frankonia Region: Franken / Frankonia
www.weingut-am-stein.de Contact: Rosenbachpalais, Residenzplatz 3, Contact: Bocksbeutelstr. 14, 97332 Escherndorf
97070 Würzburg, www.hofkeller.de www.weingut-horst-sauer.de

In the past few years, many winery building projects

in Franconia were subject to similar constraints:
there was an increased need for space but only
limited area on which to create it; a new architec-
tural language had to engage in a dialogue with the
existing, varied building fabric; and in many cases,
the client was not a minor vintner but a wine estate
with a reputation, a rich history, and customers who
often had traditional views on how “their” winery
was supposed to look. Horst and Magdalena Sauer
decided to accept the exciting challenge of erecting
In unveiling their new wine estate on the panoramic a new building with a sales space and a treasury, in
site of the “Würzburger Stein”, Ludwig and Sandra The Bavarian state-owned Hofkeller, at 120 hec- which the estate’s wines would be given an appro-
Knoll took their first and most significant step tares under cultivation one of the largest wine priate home. The project took more than two years
towards a rebranding of their Frankenwein. In col- estates in Germany, is also one of the country’s old- to complete.
laboration with architects Hofmann Keicher Ring, est, going back almost 300 years. The unique, his-
they have created an architectural reflection of the torical ambience of the Hofkeller is key to the suc-
character of the estate’s wines, which are marked cessful marketing of its wines. It is this legacy that Weingut Max Müller I in Volkach
by their clear structures, autonomy and uncompro- was to be captured in a contemporary medial way
mising quality. This ambition is manifested in two for visitors to the estate. The concept of the archi- Architect: Reinhold Jäcklein, Erlachhof 5, 97332 Volkach
www.jaecklein.de
distinctive structures, the WeinWerk presentation tects is built on a multi-step solution that effectively
Fertigstellung: 2008
building, measuring 10 by 10 metres, and the wine presents historical data and facts from the Hofkel- Region: Franken / Frankonia
production facility, measuring 9 by 9 metres. The ler’s past, but also fulfils pragmatic functions such Contact: Hauptstrasse 46, 97332 Volkach
WeinWerk building was inspired by the vertical as tastings and sales. In this way, culture and com- www.max-mueller.de
structure of the vineyard rows and the horizontal merce are brought together in a fitting and low-key
structure of the soil layers. The two-layered facade manner. The tour starts in the sales space with its Since 1991, the Max Müller I winery in Volkach has
of green glass and vertical oak beams reflects the glass display areas and continues to the event been housed in a Baroque building dating back to
colours of the surrounding landscape. The wine pavilion with its richly ornamented facade of oxi- 1692, complete with an impressive vaulted cellar
production facility is a building of natural stone dized steel and an interior that recalls a wine bower for its stainless-steel tanks and wooden barrels.
symbolizing a contemporary interpretation of typical in autumn. Finally, the visitor arrives at the historical Rainer and Monika Müller decided to transform the
vineyard houses. The detail-rich cubes are incorpo- wine cellar, whose past is shown in a timeline. The museum-like presentation and tasting rooms into a
rated harmoniously into the existing ensemble, concept and planning stage of this effective, holistic light-filled, inviting space with elegant furnishings
achieving a successful symbiosis of old and new presentation took several years, an investment of and diverse materials, lighting moods and colours.
that has made the wine estate an architectural time that has paid off, as is evidenced by the Their project is a successful example how the
attraction in the hills of the Frankenwein metropolis increase in sales to private customers. architectural and interior-design arts of yesterday
of Würzburg. and today can coexist harmoniously side by side.

119
Weingut Brennfleck in Sulzfeld Austria Burgenland
Some 14,600 hectares of vineyards are spread out
Architects: Dold + Versbach, i_Park Klingholz 15, over the four wine districts Neusiedler See (7,300
97232 Giebelstadt, www.dold-versbach.de
Completion: 2007
hectares), Neusiedler See/Hügelland (3,900 hec-
Region: Franken / Frankonia Wine production tares), Mittelburgenland (2,300 hectares) and Süd-
Contact: Papiusgasse 7, 97320 Sulzfeld am Main Austria has 45,000 hectares under vines, of which burgenland (500 hectares).
www.weingut-brennfleck.de 65.5 per cent grow white wine and 34.5 per cent For a limited time, the European Union promoted
red wine. Burgenland through a regional development pro-
The question of whether – and to what degree – a For the production of quality and premium-quality gramme. The measures permitted extensive invest-
project is worth all the effort, cost and commitment wine (Qualitätswein and Prädikatswein), 22 white ment in the modernization and new building of win-
that go into it can, of course, be determined only in wine and 13 red wine grape varieties are qualified. eries and their technical equipment.
retrospect. But in the case of the Brennfleck wine Grüner Veltliner is the most widely cultivated white
estate in Sulzfeld, the Gault Millau wine guide wine grape variety (36 per cent of output), followed Styria
attests that the new building measures have clearly by Welschriesling (nine per cent), Rivaner/Müller- Styria accounts for some seven per cent of Aus-
been beneficial to the quality of the wines. The Thurgau and Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) includ- tria’s wine production. The total area under vines of
sales-boosting praise refers to Brennfleck’s new ing Chardonnay (six per cent each) and Riesling about 3,800 hectares is spread out over the wine
wine production facility of exposed concrete and (three per cent). Among red wine varieties, Blauer districts Südoststeiermark (1,350 hectares), Süd-
Franconian shell limestone. The new ensemble with Zweigelt (nine per cent) is the most dominant, fol- steiermark (2,350 hectares) and Weststeiermark
its clean lines has optimized production processes lowed by Blaufränkisch and Portugieser (five per (450 hectares). For climatic reasons, white wine
and also gives visitors exceptional glimpses into the cent each). As in Germany, there is a large propor- cultivation predominates, accounting for 75 per
wine cellars, which are connected to the building tion of part-time vintners with small vineyards cent of production. Welschriesling and Weissbur-
by a tunnel. The contrast with the surrounding (20,000 vintners with less than one hectare of vine- gunder (Pinot Blanc) constitute the leading varie-
buildings of the listed estate from 1479 only adds yards); 6,500 wineries do their own bottling. ties. Of the Styrian white wines that attain an inter-
to the appeal of the whole. Grape cultivation is concentrated in four Austrian nationally recognized top quality, most are vinified
states: Lower Austria, Burgenland, Styria and from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay/Morillon
Lubentiushof in Niederfell Vienna. There are small vineyard areas (87 hec- grapes.
tares) in five further federal states.
Austrian wine law distinguishes between wines Wine architecture
Architects: Hessel.Architekten, Keltenweg 27, without a regional appellation (country wine or Notable examples of traditional wine architecture
56626 Andernach, www.hessel-architekten.de
Completion: 2007
Landwein, table wine or Tafelwein, and Austrian include:
Region: Mosel wine or österreichischer Wein) wines with a pro- • Domäne Wachau, Dürnstein (its early-18th-
Contact: Kehrstraße 16, 56332 Niederfell / Mosel tected regional appellation (Qualitätswein and century Kellerschlössel, or Cellar Castle, is the
www.lubentiushof.de Kabinett), and Prädikatswein. Each designation Wachau region’s Baroque showpiece, restored
comes with its own regulations concerning mini- completely in 2006)
This wine estate in Niederfell produces a “slow” mum must weight and maximum yield per hectare. • Klosterneuburg Monastery
wine for Riesling enthusiasts. In an almost text- • Esterházy Winery, Eisenstadt (wine cultivation
book manner, a wine workshop was created for Lower Austria since the 17th century, wine museum, new pro-
customer outreach on a tiny inner-city demolition Some 30,000 hectares of vineyards are spread out duction facility)
site. With its clean form, the new build fits in over eight wine districts in the Danube Plain in the
effortlessly with the local building tradition. A north-east of the country. This is where more than
small courtyard was created between the old and 60 per cent of Austrian wine comes from, almost
the new building. In the choice of materials and in half of that made up of the Grüner Veltliner grape
the design of its details, the small extension is variety. The rest of the output comes from a wide
modern through and through, distinguishing itself selection of grapes whose resulting wines reflect
in this way from the adjoining old build. Quarry the various climatic and geological factors.
stone was the only traditional building material Together with Burgenland, Lower Austria forms
used; otherwise steel, glass and wooden louvres the Weinland Österreich (Wine Land Austria) wine
predominate. region.

120
Lower Austria over a generously proportioned cellar that houses Loisium Visitor Centre
In comparison with other Austrian states with wine the bottling line, the tasting room and offices in
in Langenlois
cultivation, Lower Austria boasts a relatively modest addition to 500 wine casks.
number of modern wine architecture projects. With their wide variety of wine architecture, wine Architects: Steven Holl, 450 West 31st Street 11th Floor,
10001 New York, www.stevenholl.com
About a dozen wine producers have taken con- towns such as Gols, Horitschon, Neckenmarkt and samottreinisch, Franz Sam und Irene Ott-Reinisch,
crete steps in that direction since 2000. The Deutschkreuz offer the visitor a kind of permanent Franz Josefskai 45, 1010 Vienna, www.samottreinisch.at
Bründlmayer wine estate in Langenlois started that exhibition of contemporary wine building culture. Region: Kamptal
as early as ten years previously, when Wilhelm The range of architectural expression goes from Contact: Loisium Allee 1, 3550 Langenlois
www.loisium.at
Bründlmayer built a new gravity-flow winery follow- careful updates all the way to imaginative new
ing the principle of gentle grape processing. Other structures the likes of which were hard to imagine
vintners followed suit in the ensuing years, con- here just a few short years ago. These include the
structing extensions and new builds: ARACHON ageing cellar of the Vereinte Winzer
• Weingut Hirsch, Kammern Blaufränkischland cooperative in Horitschon, where
• Weingut Markowitsch, Göttelsbrunn the wine ages in 1,000 casks on 1,500 square
• Weingut Ott, Feuersbrunn metres and where the first storey houses not only
• Weingut Grassl, Göttelsbrunn the bottling line, but also stylish presentation and
• Weingut Holzapfel, Weissenkirchen tasting rooms. Designed by architects Wilhelm
• Weingut Rudi Pichler, Wösendorf Holzbauer an Dieter Irresberger and featuring a
sandstone facade that blends harmoniously into
While the winemaking cooperative Domäne the landscape, the winery is considered an aes-
Wachau (formerly Freie Weingärtner), which also thetic masterpiece of Burgenland wine architecture.
runs the Kellerschlössel in the famous Kellerberg
and uses it for special events, wanted just a mod- Styria Seldom has new Austrian wine architecture been
ern sales space, the Winzer Krems cooperative Parallel to the building boom in the wine industry of celebrated with as much media fanfare as the Loi-
(one of the largest in all of Austria, boasting 1,200 Burgenland, the southern part of Styria, too, wit- sium World of Wine. The reasons for this are as
members and 1,000 hectares under cultivation) nessed a great deal of building activity in wine multifaceted as the entire project. In 2003, New
built a completely new, glass production facility farms and farming estates. More than a dozen pro- York architect Steven Holl built something wholly
under a sweeping roof construction. jects were realized from the late 1990s to about new in Austria’s largest wine-growing community,
2005, most of them in Leutschach, Gamlitz and using an architectural language that stretched the
Burgenland Straden. The Neumeister wine estate in Straden is borders of tradition and convention. The functions
In the course of just a few years, Burgenland has one of the most architecturally innovative projects, are spread out over three levels: underground,
become an El Dorado of modern wine architecture. featuring a stair-like structure nestled into the hill- there is a mythical cellar world where the visitor can
From 1999 to 2004, more than 50 winemaking side and a brilliant interior. More even than in other learn about the past and present of Austrian wine
businesses there undertook construction meas- wine regions, the new buildings in southern Styria culture; at ground level, one finds the real eye-
ures, ranging from modernization projects to the are notable for their dialogue of contrasts with the catcher, a cube-shaped structure with an unusual
building of entirely new estates. The Burgenland surrounding, traditional building fabric. The wine aluminium envelope tilted five degrees to the south.
architect Anton Mayerhofer alone handled more estates Regele in Ehrenhausen, Ploder-Rosenberg This is the tasting and sales centre for the wines
than 20 of these projects. in St. Peter am Ottersbach and Krispel in Hof bei from more than 100 of the region’s vintners, placed
The first trailblazers included the Gesellmann and Straden show how dramatically the resulting solu- in the midst of their vineyards. Those who want to
J. Heinrich wineries in Deutschkreuz and Gernot tions can differ from one another. learn more about the wonderful world of wine can
Heinrich in Gols, but primarily Franz Weninger, the now book a relaxing, enjoyable stay at the adjoining
Blaufränkisch specialist, who opened the way for three-storey wine and design hotel Loisium, which
modern architecture in winery buildings in 1998. “floats” on concrete pillars and was completed in
Like many of the later projects in the region, the 2006.
new production facility of the internationally
renowned red-wine producer adapts to the basic
form of the traditional long farm in Mittelburgenland.
In collaboration with Weninger, the architects Rai-
mund Dickinger and Kriso Leinfellner designed a
clearly structured, light, south-oriented structure
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Weingut Loimer in Langenlois Wein & Schnaps Mariell Weingut Pittnauer in Gols
Architects: Andreas Burghardt, Mariahilfer Str. 105, in Grosshöflein Architects: Halbritter + Halbritter, Untere Hauptstr. 5,
1060 Vienna, www.burghardt.co.at Architects: creuz & quer, Brockmanngasse 5, 8010 Graz 7100 Neusiedl am See, www.arch-halbritter.com
Completion: 2000 AllesWirdGut Architektur, Josefstätter Str. 74/B, 1080 Vienna,
Completion: 2001
Region: Kamptal www.alleswirdgut.cc
Region: Neusiedler See /Hügelland
Kontakt: Haindorfer Vögerlweg 23, 3550 Langenlois Completion: 2001
Contact: Hauptstrasse 74, 7051 Grosshöflein
www.loimer.at Region: Neusiedler See
www.mariell.at
Contact: Neubaugasse 90, 7122 Gols
www.pittnauer.com
Well-known vintner Fred Loimer and architect
Andreas Burghardt built their Wineloft, a spectacu- What is more important, form or function? In con-
lar structure in its own way, over an 18th-century temporary wine architecture, planners and clients
vaulted brick cellar. The building of exposed con- often have a clear answer to this question: both
crete and black rendering soon became a widely parameters should be given equal weight, so that a
discussed showpiece of modern wine architecture. significant improvement in wine production effi-
At first glance, the L-shaped structure seems ciency is combined with an authentic, modern look.
closed and barely accessible; one lone window These were the criteria that guided Brigitte and
provides a view out on to the prime vineyards of Gerhard Pittnauer in the building of their new wine
Heiligenstein. Towards its protected courtyard, estate on the outskirts of Gols. Devoid of any
however, the structure shows its open and sun- showmanship, the structural volume of light-col-
filled face through a glass facade. In the middle of oured exposed concrete with glass facades is
the tasting room stands a tasting table of eight designed within and without to ensure an optimized
metres in length, a fitting stage for the Grüner Velt- With its seven hectares of vineyards, the winery of wine production process. Completing the Pittnau-
liner and Riesling that have aged in the subterra- Gabriele and Richard Mariell is one of Austria’s ers’ friendly wine world is a light-filled tasting room.
nean world with its geometrically arranged system smaller wine producers. That said, the vintners
of tunnels. have not only made a name for themselves as
makers of white and red wines, but also have
United Vineyards – Pfneisl became widely known for their fine spirits. Their Weingut Koppitsch
fame, however, has spread beyond their products
in Kleinmutschen in Neusiedl am See
to encompass the production facility they erected in
Architect: Dietmar Gasser, Marktplatz 5, 7423 Pinkafeld the middle of the old village fabric of Grosshöflein in Architects: Halbritter & Hillerbrand, Untere Hauptstr. 5,
Completion: 2006 7100 Neusiedl am See, www.h2arch.at
Mittelburgenland. Reduced to clear forms and lines, Completion: 2010
Region: Mittelburgenland
the larch-clad, L-shaped block with its corners Region: Burgenland
Contact: Gutshof, 7452 Kleinmutschen
www.wine-pentagon.com gripped by strips of sheet metal offers an engaging Contact: Oberer Satzweg 55, 7100 Neusiedl am See
contrast to the surrounding traditional building fab- www.wein-koppitsch.at
To make things easier for their English-speaking cli- ric. Once inside, the visitor is welcomed by the qui-
entele, the Pfneisl brothers opted for the interna- etly compelling spectacle of decoratively lined-up Light, friendly, unpretentious and simply likeable:
tionally understood name United Vineyards, a deci- casks, clever lighting and a window of room height this is the look of the family-run wine estate after its
sion that makes sense when one considers the that provides a view out on to the vineyards conversion in 2010. The building does without
increasing role that export plays for the 100-hectare beyond. vibrant colour effects and modernistic structures.
wine estate. A similarly international approach is Only the floors and ceilings in the cellar are painted
evident in the names of the wines – Pentagon, a warm red; in the other rooms, light hues predomi-
Phaeton, Platinum ¬– and in the production facility nate, even in the furnishings. The only contrasts to
built in 2005 with architect Dietmar Gasser, which is these are the dark lamps in the tasting room. To
a rectangular block of black concrete interrupted by achieve a unified overall appearance in the wine
a wide glazed entrance and some vertical slits, and estate, which has been subject to numerous exten-
sitting majestically atop a light plinth. Without a sions over the years, the facades of the buildings
doubt, the Pfneisl winemaking family has arrived in are clad with boards spaced at irregular intervals.
the future of wine architecture.

122
Weritas Wagram FX Pichler Weingut Sabathi in Leutschach
in Kirchberg am Wagram in Ober loiben Architects: Wemmers Skacel Forenbacher Architects, Claudia
Architects: gerner°gerner plus, Mariahilfer Str. 101/3/49, Architects: Architekten Tauber, Utzstr. 11, 3500 Krems Wemmers, Igor Skacel, Michael Forenbacher, Triesterstr. 136,
1060 Vienna, www.gernergernerplus.com www.arch-tauber.at 8020 Graz, www.wemmersskacel.com
Completion: 2009 Completion: 2009 Completion: 2004
Region: Wagram Region: Wachau Region: Südsteiermark / Styria
Contact: Marktplatz 44, 3470 Kirchberg am Wagram Contact: Oberloiben 27, 3601 Dürnstein Contact: Pössnitz 48, 8463 Leutschach
www.weritas.at www.fx-pichler.at www.sabathi.com

United we stand: this is the motto behind the deci- Even if the new production facility at the FX Pichler It is not only Erwin Sabathi’s wines that sport a
sion of an increasing number of vintners to pool wine estate in Oberloiben, not far from Dürnstein, sophisticated finesse; the architecture in his wine
their efforts in marketing and sales in order to reach had not turned out as stunningly elegant as it did, it estate in Leutschach, too, is full of surprises. The
a larger number of customers than they ever could would doubtless have been the subject of critical facade faced in dark, thermally treated wood
by going it alone. Such joint activities, it goes with- curiosity and much discussion. But as everything announces proudly to the world that the estate
out saying, have to be accompanied with the requi- that the late, legendary vintner Franz Xaver (FX) uses wine barrels of toasted oak. Like some other
site amount of fanfare. This was the insight behind Pichler ever touched somehow turned to gold, the wineries built on steep slopes in Styria, this building
the design of the new presentation and sales space architecture of this project, too, far surpasses the for wine production and tasting nestles completely
built by architects Andreas and Gerda Gerner in the ordinary. At the same time, the long, flat-roofed into the hillside. The processing of the grapes and
old market square of Kirchberg in 2009 – a commis- building is in no way showy; it is not even located the downstream production steps take advantage
sion by 54 winemakers in the Wagram wine district. on the main road, but tucked away behind an old of gravity, occurring entirely without the aid of
The project is distinguished by its prominent loca- vintner’s house, leaving the landscape of the pumps. This and the short distances are advan-
tion and clear design. In the building of reinforced Wachau undisturbed. The facade design is visually tages that ultimately benefit the quality of the wine.
concrete, the lower level houses the specially cli- sophisticated, with anthracite-coloured concrete
mate-controlled bottle cellar and the seminar rooms; elements and lively aluminium appliqués. A gener-
the upper level, a greenish, shimmering glass cube ous glass facade on the other side, as well as con-
with an extensive view over the Wagram vineyards, tinuous quarried stone walls, oak board flooring
contains the wine shop as well as a restaurant and and slate floors provide strong, natural accents.
wine bar. The furnishings in the tasting room are minimalist,
featuring a huge white table and designer chairs.
Planning and construction took seven years, during
which time the client brought home inspirations
gained on his various trips.

123
Weingut Lackner-Tinnacher Switzerland Weingut Adank in Fläsch
in Gamlitz Architects: Kurt Hauenstein, Kirchgasse 1, 7306 Fläsch
Architect: Rolf Rauner, Alberstr. 8/17, 8010 Graz www.atelier-f.ch
www.architektur-rauner.at Completion: 2009
Wine production Region: Graubünden /Grisons
Completion: 2002
Region: Südsteiermark / Styria Vines grow in almost all Swiss cantons, but large- Contact: St. Luzi, 7306 Fläsch
Contact: Steinbach 12, 8462 Gamlitz scale cultivation takes place in just six regions north www.adank-weine.ch
www.tinnacher.at and south of the main ridge of the Alps. Taken
together, the vineyards of Switzerland cover an area From 1966 to 1974, farmers and vintners in Fläsch
of almost 15,000 hectares, making the country one undertook a combining of their estates and planted
of the smallest wine-growing regions of Europe. vines rather than crops and meadows. Since that
The cantons in the French-speaking part of Swit- time, the municipality has developed into a
zerland do the most intensive wine cultivation. respected wine producer. It owes its reputation as
Valais leads with 5,100 hectares, followed by Vaud the home of expressive wines primarily to its Pinot
(3,800 hectares) and Geneva (1,300 hectares). In Noir, from which elegant, vigorous red wines are
the former two, white wine is predominant (Fendant produced. Hansruedi Adank, who took over the
and Perlan). In Geneva, however, red wine has now winery of his parents in 1994, created quite a stir
overtaken white wine cultivation. Ticino (1,000 with such ruby-red Spätburgunder wines. He pre-
hectares) is almost exclusively geared to red wine sents these, alongside aromatic Sauvignon Blanc
production, over 80 per cent of it vinified from Mer- and full-bodied Grauburgunder, to visitors in his
lot grapes. Of the eight cantons that cultivate wine new sales and tasting area, where the irregularly
In wine estates that can look back on a rich tradi- in eastern Switzerland on a total of 1,800 hectares, spaced windows cast attractive, artistically pleasing
tion, such as Fritz and Wilma Tinnacher’s winery, Graubünden or Grisons, with its Bündner Herr- light cones on to the walls.
which goes back to the 18th century, respect for schaft wine district, is quantitatively not the most
the historic legacy demands a careful approach, important, but the most significant in terms of
particularly in the implementation of new building quality. Scadenagut in Malans
projects. For the Tinnachers, then, it was crucial for
the building housing the new tank farm and presen- Wine architecture Architects: Konrad Erhard und Daniel Schwitter, Jochstr. 1,
7000 Chur
tation rooms to be in harmonious dialogue with the Graubünden/Grisons
Completion: 2004
old vaulted cellars. The resulting structure is faced While the five wine communities that make up the Region: Graubünden /Grisons
with wooden slats that have now started to darken Bündner Herrschaft wine district are home to 60 Contact: Scadenaweg 1, 7208 Malans
with age, and topped with a planted flat roof. These wine-producing businesses, the number of estates www.malanser-weine.ch
features, like the production facility nestled into the that have undergone architectural changes is quite
slope of the vineyard, are pleasantly low-key, an small. The few businesses that have done any con- “In the past few years, we have increasingly
impression that continues inside in the modern tank versions or new building include Weinhaus Cottinelli found that the demands of the customers go far
farm and in the stylishly elegant tasting room under in Malans and Weingut Marugg in Fläsch, which beyond the pure quality of the wines,” says Peter
the vaulted ceiling, which was renovated in 2002. built a modern, atmospheric wine cellar in which Wegelin, explaining his decision to build a new
The project received an award from the Republic of the barrels are visually accentuated with spotlights. wine cellar and a sales and presentation space to
Austria for its exemplary design. It was designed by the Fläsch-based architect Kurt meet the expectations of his clientele as well as
Hauenstein, whose winery projects are character- fulfil his own desire for an optimization of pro-
ized by their clear architectural language and their cesses. With Chur architects Konrad Erhard and
orientation to the existing structures in the village, Daniel Schwitter, he built a winery with a function-
for example in their use of materials. ally designed production storey on the vineyard
The architect used this very approach in his level, a barrique cellar underground and, on
designs for Weingut Davaz in Fläsch, one of the street level, a meeting space for tastings and
prime producers in the Bündner Herrschaft. He events in a transparent glass cube.
began with a carriage house and a residence, both
of which are marked at first sight by a refreshing
inconspicuousness.

124
Lavaux Vinorama in Rivaz Cantina Ghidossi in Cadenazzo Italy
Architects: Fournier-Maccagnan, Atelier d’architectes, Rue du Architect: Aurelio Galfetti, Via San Gottardo 92,
Cropt 30_cp 248, 1880 Bex, www.fourniermaccagnan.ch 6900 Lugano-Massagno, www.aureliogalfetti.ch
Completion: 2010 Completion: 1994
Region: Vaud/Lavaux Region: Ticino Wine production
Contact: Route du Lac 2, Case postale 118, 1071 Rivaz Contact: Via Mirasole 8, 6500 Bellinzona/Cadenazzo Italy is tied with France as Europe’s second-largest
www.lavaux-vinorama.ch www.cantina-ghidossi.ch wine-producing country after Spain. Its 820,000
hectares of vineyards are distributed over 20 wine
The evolution of Davide Ghidossi’s cantina in Cade- regions. The most wine is produced in Veneto
nazzo goes back to the beginnings of modern wine (7.5 million hectolitres), followed by Emilia-
architecture, when the architect Aurelio Galfetti Romagna, Apulia and Sicily (6.5 million hectolitres
designed the two-storey building on the steep each). While the regions in the south produce pri-
slope for him. In his work, Galfetti favours simplicity marily table wine and country wine, the share of
and a focus on what is essential and natural, an quality wines (with a D.O.C. appellation) is highest
approach that is reflected in his choice of forms in Piedmont and Trentino-Alto Adige (over 80 per
and materials. The building project, completed in cent each). In Friuli and Tuscany, quality wines
time for the 1994 wine presentation, has to this day account for more than half of production. The pro-
lost none of its simple yet fascinating aura. The ducer structure is highly heterogeneous, ranging
plants growing on it give the concrete building even from micro-vintners to major high-tech wineries
more character. In this place, good wine and good that control a large share of Italian wine exports.
Since 2010, one of the finest vineyard landscapes architecture have been coming together joyously Traditionally, the wine industry is based on an
of Switzerland has been enriched by an oenological for decades. immense diversity of grape varieties, including sev-
and gastronomic institution with a distinctive archi- eral hundred indigenous varieties that are often
tecture. The steep, terraced hills of the Lavaux confined to a small local area. “International” varie-
north of Lake Geneva between Montreux and ties, such as Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay,
Lausanne were declared a UNESCO World Herit- Weingut Schmidheiny do play an ever greater role, but regional speciali-
age Site. There, on the Lavaux wine route north of ties such as Nebbiolo (Piedmont) and Sangiovese
in Heerbrugg
Rivaz, by the Forestay waterfalls, Lavaux Vinorama are cornerstones of the Italian wine range.
was built as a “teaching and social centre”. The Architects: Bänzigers Architektur, Kirchgasse 1,
9442 Berneck, www.baenzigersarchitektur.ch
mighty, monolithic cube is nestled, fortress-like, into Completion: 1999
Wine architecture
the steep slopes, its facade, decoratively designed Region: Ostschweiz Northern Italy
by artist Daniel Schlaepfer, taking on the hues of Contact: Schlossstrasse 210, 9435 Heerbrugg As multifaceted as the Italian wine world is, the
the surrounding rocks and vineyard walls. The func- www.schmidheiny.ch number of new building projects in wine estates
tional spaces – a wine bar serving 200 wines, a and cellars is comparatively limited. Contemporary
cinema and event rooms – are located on various, The involvement of the well-known Schmidheiny wine architecture enjoys its most interesting dis-
effectively lit levels of the low-energy building. business dynasty in wine cultivation goes back plays in the north, particularly in Trentino-Alto
more than 100 years, to when the family co- Adige. Since 2010, the new central winery of
founded a vintners’ cooperative. In Heerbrugg, in TERRE DA VINO, an association of cooperatives
the lovely panoramic setting of the St. Gallen Rhine and wine estates with 5,000 hectares of vineyards,
valley. Thomas Schmidheiny runs a wine estate to has been attracting attention with its almost indus-
which a spare but elegant tasting space of con- trial look. The impressive scale of the project,
crete and glass was added. An oenophile, Schmid- designed by Giovanni Arnaudo from Cuneo on a
heiny is networked with selected top wineries 5,000-square-metre footprint, forms a stark con-
abroad, and recently extended his empire through trast to the traditional look of Barolo’s family-
the acquisition of the Höcklistein winery in Rapper- owned businesses.
swil-Jona on Lake Zurich – a modern and also One of the most unusual creations of modern wine
architecturally attractive wine estate. architecture is found in the Colli Orientali Friuli
region, in the village of Gramogliano near Corno di
Rosazzo in Udine. Here, Augusto Romano Burelli
and Gianfranco Roccatagliata built a 13-metre-
125
high “wine tower” over the vaulted barrel cellar of nean presentation. With its winery in Rionero, Manincor in Caldaro
Cantina Perusini, one of the oldest wine estates of completed in 2002, Terra dei Re has given itself a
the region. The three-storey tower recalls the sen- look of measured elegance, its generous glass Architects: Walter Angonese, Marktplatz 6, 39052 Caldaro
www.angonesewalter.it
try towers of Roman border defences. On the floor facades punctuated with concrete columns. In Rainer Köberl, Maria Theresien Str. 10/3, 6020 Innsbruck
of the barrel cellar is a clock face above which a 2001, the Japanese designer Hikaru Mori and www.rainerkoeberl.at
Foucault pendulum swings along with the rotation architect Domenico Santomauro built an excep- Silvia Boday, Richardsweg 1, 6020 Innsbruck
www.silviaboday.com
of the earth. tionally attractive wine estate for entrepreneur
Completion: 2004
Mario Bisceglia in the midst of newly planted vine-
Region: Alto Adige
Central Italy yards near Lavello, a project that sets new aes- Contact: San Giuseppe al Lago 4, 39052 Caldaro
Almost all modern wine architecture projects are thetic standards for wineries in the south of Italy. www.manincor.com
concentrated in Tuscany. One of the first was the Italy is notable for its passion for combining wine
winery for the estate of the former “Abbey of the cellars and modern art, examples of which can be
Good Harvest”, Badia a Coultibuono near Monti di found in almost all regions. One of the oldest and
Chianti. Architects Piero Sartago and Nathalie most renowned wine estates in Calabria, Mastro-
Grenon designed a modern “wine fort”, its length beradino in Atribalda, decided to go another way.
punctuated by two cylindrical towers. The struc- When, following an earthquake, the vaulted cellars
ture forms a noticeable counterpart to the much- had to be rebuilt completely in 1980, the decision
visited medieval monastery in neighbouring Gaiole. was made to complement the Classical residence
Since about 2000, Maremma, a town to the south by painting the vaulted ceilings of the barrel and
of Livorno near the Tuscan coast, has been a sort ageing cellars with large frescoes in the Renais-
of Mecca for wine estate investors. This trend has sance style.
spawned new projects, some of them quite spec-
tacular, on which so-called star architects have
been involved as well. The Ticino-based architect
Mario Botta designed the Petra winery for entre- The grape harvest of the 2004 vintage marked the
preneur Vittorio Moretti. The winery, a cylindrical inauguration of the new production facility of the
central building flanked by two flat wings and clad Manincor wine estate in Caldaro (Kaltern). The
with Verona sandstone, glows in tones of warm opening was preceded by three years in which Alto
pink. In the interior, too, the winery is both elegant Adige architect Walter Angonese, his colleagues
and extravagant, with ramrod-straight rows of Rainer Köberl and Silvia Boday, and the client,
barrels and the cellars bathed in changing colour Michael Graf Goëss-Enzenberg, were tied up
lighting. almost exclusively in the ambitious project of plan-
Angelo Gaja, a wine icon from Piedmont, commis- ning a “showpiece cellar” with some 4,800 square
sioned Giovanni Bò to build his Cà Marcanda win- metres of usable floor area.
ery in Castegneto Carducci, and Renzo Piano Rather than being a simple appendage of the his-
planned the two-storey, amphitheatre-style under- torical estate, the three-storey new build was to
ground cellar for 2,500 casks for the Rocca di integrate itself as an autonomous structure into the
Frassinello wine estate in Gavorrano (see pp. 86ff.). precious earth of the surrounding hillside vineyards.
The most notable creations of wine architecture in The notable benefits of the building include an opti-
the Marche region include the barrel cellar and mal cellar climate and a significantly improved
tasting room of Azienda Umani Ronchi, designed grape-handling process as well as the communica-
by Marco Vignoni. tive environment provided by the above-ground
tasting and sales space. Now it has become evi-
Southern Italy dent also that the gradual ageing process of the
In the southern Italian region of Basilicata, which exposed concrete and the cladding and staircases
for many years did not exactly rate as the home of of oxidized steel make the structure complement
great wines, several ambitious wineries opened the old estate building even more effectively.
between 1998 and 2002 and opted for contempo-
rary wine architecture. For its cellar in Serra del
Granato, Cantine del Notaio went for a Mediterra-
126
“Bistrot” Elena Walch in Termeno Alois Lageder in Margrè Feudi di San Gregorio
Architect: David Stuflesser, Petlinstrasse 18, Architects: Abram & Schnabl Architekten, Via cassa di in Sorbo Serpico
39046 St. Ulrich, www.dstuflesser.com risparmio 15, 39100 Bolzano, www.abram-schnabl.com Architects: ZITOMORI, Via Lamarmora 36, 20122 Mailand
Completion: 2010 Completion: 1995 www.zitomori.com
Region: Alto Adige Region: Alto Adige Vignelli Associates, 130 East 67th Street, New York,
Contact: Via Andreas Hofer 1, 39040 Termeno Contact: Vicolo dei Conti 9, 39040 Magrè sulla Strada del Vino NY 10021, www.vignelli.com
www.elenawalch.com www.aloislageder.eu Completion: 2003
Region: Campania
If the wines of Alto Adige are in increasing demand Contact: Località Cerza Grossa, 83050 Sorbo Serpico
www.feudi.it
today, this is thanks in large part to local vintner
visionaries such as Alois Lageder. Although he pro-
duces a million bottles these days, his wine philos-
ophy has lost none of its autonomy and individual-
ity. In 1997, he had a new building constructed
according to ecological und building-biology criteria
near the historical Löwengang estate in Magrè
(Margreid). The choice of the materials wood and
stone ensures a positive exchange of energy. In the
cellar, the interplay of sun, air and rock produces an
optimal climate for wine storage. The heart of the
Elena Walch is one of Alto Adige’s best-known facility is the 15-metre-high vinification tower, which
ambassadors of wine. Ever since the trained archi- replaces mechanical pump technologies with the
tect began to run the tradition-rich Walch winery force of gravity.
with her husband, her wines have achieved top In 1986, the Ercolino and Capoldo families founded
ranks for quality, renown and popularity on the Feudi di San Gregorio with the aim of giving Cam-
international wine scene. In the vineyards of Castel Cantina Mezzacorona pania – indeed, the whole south of Italy – a wine
Ringberg – where top Walch wines grow – all the production facility the likes of which had not been
in Mezzocorona
gastronomic stops were pulled out in the pano- seen before. To implement the ambitious project,
ramic setting over Lake Caldaro. For the local mar- Architects: Cecchetto & Associati, Cannaregio 563/E, 300 hectares of vines were planted near Sorbo
30121 Venice, www.studiocecchetto.com
keting of the wines, an elegant wine “bistrot” was Completion: 2000
Serpico, and Enzo Ercolino hired the Milan-based
opened in the centre of Termeno (Tramin), not far Region: Trentino designer Hikaru Mori, the architect Maurizio Zito
from the imposing barrel cellar, in 2010. Designed Contact: Via Tonale 110, 38016 Mezzocorona and the New Yorker designer couple Massimo and
by David Stuflesser and appropriately named “Le www.mezzocorona.it Lella Vignelli, all known for their creative, unusual
Verre capricieux”, the bistro, which is located close concepts. What resulted is more than just a mod-
to the main village road, opens up to the garden When the wine production cooperative began con- ern, functioning wine production facility. With a min-
and is surrounded by old trees. Visitors are drawn struction of a new production facility in the mid- imalist architecture that seems almost light-hearted,
to its inviting, friendly ambience. 1990s, words such as “futuristic” and “spectacular” thanks to the surrounding gardens filled with roses,
became attached to the project. Indeed, the con- herbs, old vines and water rivulets, the complex
cept did seem almost sensational at the time, as includes a 650-metre-long ageing cellar for 6,000
buildings of that scale – its footprint measures barriques and an aural accompaniment of music
34,590 square metres – and with such an eye- from the Middle Ages; a central, glass tasting room;
catching aesthetic were then unknown in Italy. The a gourmet restaurant; rooms for wine tastings and
plant, which is designed to handle the production cookery courses; a wine shop; a hotel; and an
of wines from 1,600 member vintners and includes amphitheatre. Under the aegis of the Vignellis, the
a production facility for the sparkling wine Rotari, entire interior was given a consistent design, down
was conceived with environmental impact in mind. to the clothing of the staff and the look of the wine
Seventy per cent of the building’s area is located bottles. Since the opening in 2004, there has been
underground, which significantly reduces the need a steady increase in the number of visitors and in
for cooling. the quality of the wine.

127
France Wine architecture that set new architectural standards in its rejection
Among the French wine regions, Bordeaux is play- of the conventions so popular in Bordeaux. The
ing a leading and multifaceted role in the evolution long, almost spare building, coloured a subtle pink
of wine architecture in the 21st century. As early as and flanked by sculptures, houses hall-like chais
Wine production the 1980s, châteaux in Bordeaux underwent for the production of red and white wines.
If other European wine-producing countries have extensive restructuring measures, which in turn led
made great strides in the production of world- to new building projects in the decades that fol- One of the most notable wine estates in the Bor-
class wines in recent decades, this is thanks in lowed. deaux region is Château d’Arsac in Margaux,
large part to significant groundwork laid by whose rigorously geometric, cobalt-blue stone
France, which, among other things, has estab- As most château owners place a strong emphasis decor recalls the grand buildings of Saint Peters-
lished quantitative norms that now have role- on image and on the historical legacy, most work burg. Owner Philipp Raoux commissioned Patrick
model character for virtually all wine-producing on interiors and exteriors initially constituted Hernandez with the building of an adjacent cellar
countries in the world. To name just some impor- “building cosmetics”. Owner Olivier Bernard had and visitor reception, the result being a perfect
tant milestones, France was the starting point of his Domaine de Chevalier, a prime wine estate in symbiosis of traditional building style and contem-
the global advance of the grape varieties Caber- Graves, completely remodelled in 1991, trans- porary architecture in aluminium, wood and glass.
net, Merlot and Chardonnay; pioneered the use of forming the once almost gloomy-looking building
the small oak barrel, the barrique, in winemaking; into a light-filled, elegant and inviting structure. The most famous flagships of the wine scene
and established the Appellation Contrôlée (AC) Château du Glana in St. Julien is another example have now joined the Bordeaux building boom. In
system of wine classification. of the trend towards an architecturally noble, sub- 2002, the Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron
Vineyard area and wine output in France are tly modern appearance. As in the 1920s, interna- redesigned the refectory for Château Pétrus, pro-
decreasing, but the country still retains its first tional experts were commissioned to help pro- ducer of one of the world’s most expensive wines,
place in the international ranking with some mote the wines by placing them in the most and the Mazières practice oversaw the new cellar
830,000 hectares under vines. In volume, French effective, theatre-ready setting. Architect Olivier building there in 2011. With Richard Perduzzi,
wine production accounts for some 20 per cent of Brochet oversaw the redesign of the cellar of Bernard Mazières also designed the new chai of
the total worldwide figure, but its share of global Château Léoville-Poyferré in St. Julien, where the Rothschild-owned Château Clerc Millon in
quality wine production is much higher. Depend- walls of glass bricks, gleaming metal surfaces and Paulliac.
ing on the vintage, the country’s 110,000 winery intense colours surround the latest in vinification
operations produce between 40 and 50 million technology.
hectolitres – six to seven billion bottles – of wine.
About 73 per cent of this output is made up of red IIn a scope never before seen, commissions for
and rosé wine and 23 per cent of white wine. Of numerous restorations, renovations, extensions
total production volume, a little less than two and redesigns have been concentrated on two
thirds is drunk domestically (though per capita architectural practices: the Bordeaux-based
consumption is falling markedly) and a third Atelier des Architectes Mazières, which lists some
exported. Primarily in export, premium wines with two dozen châteaux among its references, and,
the AC classification play an important role. On since 1986, Jean de Gastines Architectes, based
average, about half of French wines belong to this in Paris. A typical example of the Mazières style is
category, which can cover an entire region (such the new cuverie of Château Branaire-Ducru in
as Champagne) or the majority of it. French wine St. Julien. A far more expressive project is the
country is divided into 14 wine regions of varying white wine cellar of Château Lynch Bages in
size. With its 120,000 hectares, Bordeaux is the Pauillac, a row of tilted metal cubes. Metal and
largest cultivation area for premium wines. Most exposed concrete also characterize the facade of
red wine cultivation is of the grape varieties the Alain-Triaud-designed production facility at
Grenache (94,000 hectares), Syrah (68,000 hec- Domaine Henry Martin (Château Gloria) in
tares), Cabernet Sauvignon (56,000 hectares) and Beychevelle, a structure whose angular lines are
Carignan (53,000 hectares). Among white grape somewhat softened by a gently wavy roof.
varieties, the leaders are Ugni Blanc, which is cul- Commissioned by the entrepreneur and owner of
tivated for the production of cognac (83,000 hec- multiple châteaux Jean-Jacques Lesgourgues,
tares), followed by Chardonnay (45,000 hectares) Sylvain Dubuisson built the new Château Haut
und Sauvignon Blanc (26,000 hectares). Selve in Graves from 1996 to 1998, a building
128
Château Cos d’Estournel Château Faugères Château Cheval Blanc
in Saint-Estèphe in Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse in Saint-Émilion
Architects: Wilmotte & Associés, 68 rue du Faubourg, Architect: Mario Botta Architetto, Via Beroldingen 26, Architect: Christian de Portzamparc, 1, rue de l’Aubade,
St Antoine, 75012 Paris, www.wilmotte.fr 6850 Mendrisio, www.botta.ch 75014 Paris, www.chdeportzamparc.com
with Jacques Garcia Completion: 2008 Completion: 2011
Completion: 2008 Region: Bordeaux Region: Bordeaux
Region: Bordeaux Contact: 33330 Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse, Saint-Émilion Contact: 33330 Saint-Émilion
Contact: 33180 Saint-Estèphe www.chateau-faugeres.com www.chateau-cheval-blanc.com

Pritzker Prize-winner Christian de Portzamparc was

commissioned with building a new production facil-
ity at Château Cheval Blanc in Saint-Émilion. The
project as completed aroused the most contradic-
tory reactions: on the one hand, it was hailed as
one of the most successful examples of new archi-
tecture in Bordeaux; on the other, it was criticized
for not fitting in at all with the neighbouring 19th-
century estate. The white, shell-like building is
meant to convey the noble sensuality and elegance
of the Cheval Blanc wines. The fermentation cellar
features various technological flourishes, including
Some of the biggest challenges that architects face After a construction period of more than two years, 59 glass-clad, amphora-shaped concrete contain-
are projects that can hardly escape the influence of two Swiss, the Basle entrepreneur Silvio Denz and ers in which the grapes from the 44 plots of the
neighbouring structures. In the case of Cos the Ticino architect Mario Botta, completed a post- Cheval Blanc vineyards ferment separately from
d’Estournel in St-Estèphe, built by its founder in the modern winery building on a sloping vineyard, a one another.
oriental style, that is especially tricky. After the structure that looks more like a church building than
hotelier Michel Reybier, who owns further wine a repository for valuable red wines. A three-storey-
estates in Bordeaux and Tokaji, acquired Cos tall tower illuminated by LED spotlights houses Château Villemaurine
d’Estournel in 2000, he had a new winery built for offices and tasting rooms, and the subterranean cel-
in Saint-Émilion
€35 million behind the pagoda-decorated facade, a lar contains fermentation and ageing barrels (more
project that took from 2006 to 2008 to complete. than 1,000 barriques). The building has cost the Architektin: Marie-Laurence Vizerie, 7, Rue Abbé Lewden,
33500 Libourne
Jean-Michel Wilmotte designed the production new owner of Faugères at least 8 million. That said, Completion: 2009
facility and the cellar; Jacques Garcia was respon- no expense was spared anywhere: the facility fea- Region: Bordeaux
sible for the design of the exterior and interior. With tures a computer-controlled grape selection pro- Contact: Lieu dit Villemaurine, 3330 Saint Émilion
its clear, unprepossessing external appearance, the cess, chilled rooms for the grapes and 50 oak bar- www.villemaurine.com
winery completely refuses to engage in a style rels for the fermentation of red wine. The entire
competition with the old build, reserving all its production meets the standards of the ISO norm for The cellars of Château Villemaurine have become
glamour for the inside. There, in an atmosphere of environmentally friendly wine production, which is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Saint-
luxury and prestige, and with the help of the most far from the case in many other Bordelais wineries. Émilion. They include a labyrinth of pathways from
up-to-date gravity-flow and cooling technology, the the Middle Ages and cave-like rooms, which are
state of the art of premium winemaking is pre- presented to visitors in a light and sound show.
sented. In the fermentation cellar, 72 gleaming Justin Onclin acquired the Grand Cru Classé estate
stainless-steel tanks are lined up in a row, a glass in 2007; in 2009, architect Marie-Laurence Vizerie
skywalk gives visitors a view down on a sea of bar- added a new production facility equipped with the
riques, and glass columns provide almost mystical latest in vinification technology. Connected to the
light effects. neighbouring château via a glass passage, the
building represents the modern end point of the
timeline through centuries of wine production in
Saint-Émilion.

129
Spain The most impressive building projects were under- in size, but this expansion process was not accom-
taken by the Andalusian Sherry producers, who panied by a commensurate development in the
built “cathedral-bodegas”, and by the producers of architecture of their facilities. In contrast to the situ-
the Spanish sparkling-wine speciality, Cava, primar- ation in other European countries, winery busi-
Wine production ily the Catalonia-based Codorníu company. Its Cel- nesses were usually separate from the private resi-
Virtually nowhere else in Europe was the transition ler Gran, built in 1901–1905 in the Modernismo dences of the owners, so for a long time, the
from archaic wine cultivation to modern wine pro- (Spanish Art Nouveau) style, is a famous example Spanish wine landscape was characterized by sim-
duction as rapid and far-reaching as it was in of the influence of Modernismo on the winery archi- ple, exclusively functional agricultural buildings.
Spain. The vineyard area of the Mediterranean tecture of the time. It is now a museum.
“wine giant” has shrunk by almost one quarter over Unencumbered by any historical building fabric, the
the past two decades, which is a far greater The Codorníu group expanded in the 20th century Bordeaux-based architect Philippe Mazières, him-
decrease than has occurred in Italy and France in with the acquisition of further Cava- and wine-pro- self the owner of a vineyard in his home country,
the same time period. Still, with its 1.1 million hec- ducing concerns, such as the Penedès winery built built Bodega Viña Real on a rise near Logroño for
tares under vines, Spain is still by far the world’s by José María Sala for the Bach brothers in a slight the tradition-rich family business CVNE. The wine
largest wine-growing country by area. On the other twist on the Classical style in 1918. The Masía estate was inaugurated in 2004 in the presence of
hand, Spain’s vineyards do not produce the same Bach, which welcomes visitors to its opulent King Juan Carlos. The symbolic form of the central
yield as those in other European countries. Its spaces, was expanded in 1988 – 2010 by architect winery building is borrowed from a fermentation
scarce rainfall and dry soils call for certain grape Domingo Triay, who added modern service build- vat; the circular arrangement of the barriques and
varieties and cultivation methods that naturally limit ings. Triay modernized other Codorníu-owned wine columns recalls the famous example of Château
the harvest yield per hectare. There are, even so, and Cava holdings as well, among them Bodegas Lafite Rothschild.
large regional differences in the quantity as well as Bilbaínas, founded in 1901 in Haro, Rioja, and the A number of other winery buildings have been
the quality produced. largest Codorníu bodega, Raïmat, which was built erected on hillsides to enable a gravity-flow move-
Wine grapes are grown in almost all areas of the in 1918 by Rubío i Bellver in Lleida and whose ment of grapes and must. These include Bodegas
country, but the regions in the north-west, on the grounds include a 17th-century castle. The typical Baigorri near Samaniego, built by Ignacio Quemada
upper Ebro, in the Duero valley and in Catalonia are architectural features of the time survived the mod- Arquitectos; and the largest Rioja winery, Bodegas
traditionally seen as the most important areas for ernization measures largely intact. From the early Juan Alcorta in Logroño, only a small part of whose
the production of quality wines. The country’s lead- 1950s, shipyard buildings as found in Barcelona immense facilities (45,000 square metres, 25 million
ing wine region is Rioja, with 63,500 hectares under inspired the Cava producer Rondel, which also bottles produced each year, 75,000 barriques) are
vines and 1,000 wine producers, followed by Nav- belongs to the Codorníu group. Its pride and joy is visible from the outside.
arra, which has 18,400 hectares. La Mancha, its Salón Noble, which was designed by Lluís Bonet
found in the central plateau in the middle of Spain, i Garí, a student of Antoni Gaudí. Wine production of high quality is not limited to
is the country’s largest wine cultivation area, but, Rioja and its northern neighbour Navarra. Wineries
like large areas of the Levante, is regarded as the Wineries that look more like church naves than like in other northern and north-western parts of the
home of simple table wines. Mainly, this is where agro-industrial buildings emerged in the early country, too, have for the past several years been
the Airén and Garnacha grape varieties are culti- 1920s, most of them commissioned by winemak- producing award-winning, first-rate wines. These
vated for the production of cheap consumer wines. ing cooperatives and designed by Gaudí student advances have often been accompanied by the
As for more sophisticated wines, these are vinified Cèsar Martinell. Martinell is the true “father of the installation of new winery technology in combina-
primarily in the north from the Garnacha and Tem- wine cathedrals”, creating some 40 wineries with tion with the architecture to go with it. A prime
pranillo varieties. Internationally widespread varie- artistic brick halls, primarily in the Catalonian wine example of this is the Castilian wine region Ribera
ties such as Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay are region around Tarragona. His most impressive del Duero, where the area under vines has
increasingly being used to produce higher-quality works include the wineries he completed for the expanded to more than 20,000 hectares over the
wines. cooperatives El Pinell de Brai (1919) and Sant past few decades and which can now be called a
Cugat del Vallès (1921). L’Espluga de Francolí, an kind of birthplace of cutting-edge wine architecture.
Wine architecture agricultural cooperative, commissioned a winery Thanks in no small part to EU funding, the late
From the mid-19th century onwards, the sales suc- complex consisting of three halls of 12 metres in 1990s saw the launch of numerous new winery
cesses of the wine, Sherry and Cava producers led height, two of which were designed by Pere projects with an architecture that set new stand-
to the creation of large-scale wineries to be able to Domènech i Roura around 1913. ards. These include the bodegas listed below by
handle the harvests grown on the vintners’ region:
immense vineyard holdings, most of them between Through a continuous process of mergers, the wine
500 and several thousand hectares in size. cooperatives grew to several thousands of hectares
130
Galicia Señorío Otazu in Echauri Señorío de Arínzano in Aberin
• Dominio Do Bibei, Ribeira Sacra
Architects: Jaime Gaztelu Quijano, Takonera Kalea, 4, Architect: Rafael Moneo, Cinca 5, 28002 Madrid
31001 Pamplona, Completion: 2002
Rioja Arenas y Asociados, P. Eduardo Dato, 21 Bajo, Region: Navarra
• Bodegas Antión, Elciego 28010 Madrid, www.arenasing.com Contact: Carretera Estella-Tafalla n-132 km. 3, 31264 Aberin
• Bodegas Baigorri, Samaniego Completion: 2001 www.arinzano.com
• Bodega Contador, San Vicente de la Sonsierra Region: Navarra
• Bodegas Darien, Logroño Contact: 31174 Echauri
www.otazu.com
• Institucional de la Grajera, Logroño
• Bodegas Regalía de Ollauri, Ollauri

Somontano
• Bodegas Laus, Barbastro

Ribera del Duero

• Bodegas y Viñedos Qumrán, Peñafiel

Penedès
• Mas Rodó Vitivinícola, Sant Pere Sacarrera

Castile-La Mancha In 1988, the largest family-owned winery in

• Casalobos, Ciudad Real Navarra, Bodegas Chivite, acquired an estate near
Señorio Otazu, founded in 1989 by Carlos Biurrun, Estella that was composed of several historical
is the most northerly winery in the Navarra region. It houses, including an 18th-century mansion and a
is located on the premises of an old estate that fortified tower from the Middle Ages. The goal was
produced wines probably as early as the 14th cen- to produce top-notch wines there. After the clear-
tury. Since 1860, this has been the site of a finca ing of the former croplands and the subsequent
modelled on a French wine estate, where recep- planting of grapevines, the Chivite family commis-
tions and wine tastings are held. The U-shaped sioned Rafael Moneo with the building of the ultra-
facility of historical and new buildings brings modern winery Señorio de Arínzano. The facility,
together tradition and modernity in an unusual way. inaugurated in 2002, envelops the three old build-
In 1997, the addition of a subterranean cellar ings with its two wings, adapting to them with its
caused quite a stir. Built by architect Jaime Gaztelu colour-coordinated exposed concrete and a
Quijano and engineer Juan José Arenas, the cellar pitched roof. The layout of the building echoes the
features a massive vaulted ceiling of reinforced steps in the wine-production process, with the first
concrete which is composed of nine square sec- wing encompassing the steps from the receiving to
tions with spans of 18 metres each and a clear the processing of the grapes, and the second,
height of six metres. In contrast to traditional larger and somewhat lowered wing housing the fer-
vaulted ceilings, the arches do not rest on support- mentation vats, the ageing cellars and the bottling
ing columns, but directly on the floor. The pine used line and finally the tasting room. Not only the wine
to shutter the exposed concrete gives the surface a barrels, but the entire roof construction is of oak – a
decorative structure that lends the ageing cellar a reference to the holm oaks that have been growing
unique note. in the neighbouring woods for hundreds of years.

131
Bodega Tandem in Lorca Bodega Irius in Barbastro Bodega Waltraud
Architects: VF arquitectos, Avda Marcelo Celayeta 75, Architects: JMP y Asociados, C/Arrúbal, no. 2, in Vilafranca del Penedès
31014 Pamplona, www.vfarquitectos.com 26006 Logroño, www.jmarinopascual.com Architects: BC Estudio, Plaza Equilaz 10 Ent. 3a,
Completion: 2007 Completion: 2008 08017 Barcelona, www.bcarquitectos.com
Region: Navarra Region: Somontano Completion: 2009
Contact: Ctra. Pamplona – Logroño km. 35,9, 31292 Lácar Contact: Ctra. Basbastro – Monzón km. 155 (N 240), Region: Penedès
www.tandem.es 22300 Barbastro Contact: Pacs del Penedès, Vilafranca del Penedès
www.bodegairius.com www.torres.es

The name of this relatively young bodega, which

was founded in 2003, goes back to the union of In Bodega Irius, Jésus Marino Pascual has created Miguel Torres has been called the uncrowned king
several wine professionals, including oenologist a project that shows a different and surprising face of Spanish wine, or, at least, its most famous
Alicia Erayalar and managing director José-Maria every time the time of day, season, or position of ambassador. Indeed, he not only turned the winery
Fraile, and wine enthusiasts, who jointly – in tan- the viewer changes. Set in the midst of vineyards in that his father founded, with its 1,700 hectares of
dem – took on the project of running a first-rate Barbastro, in the Somontano region, the winery vineyards, into one of the leading family-owned
winery for red wine in Navarra. The plans were first draws attention to itself not only because of its wine businesses in Spain, but he is also known for
forged a few years previously, before the acquisition imaginative composition of stainless steel and glass his numerous innovations and initiatives. Bodega
of 22 hectares of prime vineyards in the Yerri Valley, topped with prism-like structures, but also because Waltraud, named after Torres’s wife, was built in
not far from the Route of Santiago de Compostela. of the glowing lighting effects that emanate from 2008, joining the five estates that had made up the
The design and fit-out of the winery was done by the building. The cubes and angles of the outside Torres empire until that point. Javier Barba, a pro-
the young architects José Luis Vélaz Ballesteros find their complement in the metallic interior fit-out, ponent of “green architecture”, built the winery for
and Iván Fernández Prados. The production facility part of which is vibrantly coloured. Irius, opened in some €12 million in the Torres-owned Pacs del
building, completed in 2007, is divided into two 2008, is also influenced strongly by the principles of Penedès near Vilafranca del Penedès. On its green
parts, one below and one above ground, and con- bioclimatic architecture, which is oriented towards roofs, it boasts a photovoltaic plant that delivers
sists entirely of concrete. Its most distinctive feature natural energy efficiency. Twenty-seven metres of power for the lighting of the entire complex. In the
is a large window that is illuminated at night to – as the 54-metre-high building complex are buried in centre of the aesthetically designed facility, which is
tradition demands – light the way for the pilgrims en the ground, allowing savings of up to 70 per cent in harmoniously integrated into the surrounding land-
route to Santiago. cooling costs. scape, is an interior courtyard lined with columns.
The grapes from the 350 hectares of vineyards are The larger part of the structure is buried up to
harvested in the cool evening and night hours to 11 metres deep in the ground to achieve optimal
better conserve their aromas. Special technologies natural cooling. There is where one finds the ageing
for quality optimization, some of them patented, cellar housing 3,000 barriques filled with the
were designed for the transport and processing of estate’s top wines.
the grapes.

132
López de Heredia in Haro Bodega Martín Berdugo Ferrer Bobet in Falset
Architects: Zaha Hadid Architects, 10 Bowling Green Lane, in Aranda de Duero Architects: Espinet /Ubach Arquitectes i Associats, Camp 63,
London EC1R0BQ, www. zaha-hadid.com Architects: vi.vo architecture.landscape, Badenerstr. 125, 08002 Barcelona, www.espinet-ubach.com
Completion: 2006 8004 Zurich, www.vi-vo.ch Completion: 2002
Region: Rioja Completion: 2004 Region: Montsant
Contact: Avda. de Vizcaya, 3, 26200 Haro Region: Ribera del Duero Contact: Carretera Falset a Porrera km 6,5, 43730 Falset
www.lopezdeheredia.com Contact: Crta de la Colonia, 09400 Aranda de Duero www.ferrerbobet.com
www.martinberdugo.com
One of the most noticeable wineries in Rioja is Like the prow of an ocean liner, the building of the
López de Heredia Viña Tondonia, whose produc- The warehouse designed by architects Maria Viné bodega rises from a vineyard-covered hill near
tion facility is crowned by a striking outlook tower and Vicky Daroca for Bodega y Viñedos Martín Ber- Falset, in the mountainous Priorat. In 2002, Sergi
(Txori Toki in Basque) that offers a lovely view over dugo in Aranda de Duero, Burgos province, in Ferrer-Salat, CEO of a pharmaceutical company
the vineyards. The buildings, which are more than 2004, is among the examples of extraordinary archi- and a wine enthusiast, and Raül Bobet, former
100 years old and cover an area of almost 20,000 tecture in the Ribera del Duero region. The deputy head of Bodegas Miguel Torres, realized
square metres (3,500 square metres of which are extremely simple and solid-seeming building, which their vision of a technologically perfect and environ-
cellars for 15,000 barriques), were joined in 2002 picks up the colours of its surroundings, is a skele- mentally friendly winery. The building, in which only
by a new pavilion. Designed by Zaha Hadid, the ton construction with concrete facade elements of the visitor reception, bottling line and shipping
building consists of a gleaming, golden steel struc- various sizes and thicknesses jutting out. These department are located at ground level, blends into
ture housing the sales boutique. With a little imagi- help liven up the facades, which are otherwise inter- the surrounding landscape, thanks also its reddish
nation, the pavilion recalls a dented wine bottle rupted by just a few aluminium windows and two colour scheme, which picks up the colour of the
lying on its side. sliding gates, lending the complex the apperance of locally predominant stone. Ever since its first vin-
a “wine fort”. tage, 2005, the bodega has enjoyed international
renown for its excellent quality.
Marqués de Riscal in Elciego
Architects: Gehry Partners, 12541 Beatrice Street,
Los Angeles, CA 90066, www.foga.com Bodegas Protos in Peñafiel Pagos del Rey in Rueda
Completion: 2006
Architects: Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, Thames Wharf, Completion: 2002
Region: Rioja Rainville Road, London W6 9HA, www.richardrogers.co.uk Region: Rueda
Contact: C/ Torrea 1, 01340 Elciego Alonso Balaguer y Arquitectos Asociados, Carrer de la Riba, Contact: Avenida Morejona, 6, 47490 Rueda
www.marquesderiscal.com 36, 08950 Esplugues de Llobregat, www.alonsobalaguer.es www.pagosdelrey.com
Completion: 2008
Marqués de Riscal is not only the oldest bodega in Region: Ribera del Duero The Ribera del Duero region owes its reputation to
Rioja; thanks to its futuristic-looking architecture, it Contact: Bodegas Protos, 24–28, 47300 Peñafiel flagship enterprises such as Bodegas Vega Sicilia,
www.bodegasprotos.com
has also achieved a worldwide reputation as one of from whose – now expanded and modernized –
the most popular examples of new building in cellars have emerged some of Spain’s most expen-
Spain’s wine regions. Adjacent to the old build of Alongside major wineries such as the Codorníu- sive wines, or the Pesquera wine estate, whose
the winery, which goes back to the year 1860, affiliated Bodega Legaris near Curiel de Duero (built creations have caused a stir worldwide since the
American architect Frank O. Gehry designed a in 2004 by Domingo Triay), Bodegas Protos, a for- 1980s. The past few decades have seen the
luxury wine hotel with a conference centre, restau- mer wine cooperative in Peñafiel, is among the expansion of the region’s vineyard acreage as well
rants and a wine bar. The nested building cubes – most interesting architectural examples in the as of the capacity of is wineries. The largest among
which, Gehry explains, are inspired by wine crates Ribera del Duero region. Designed in 2005 by these is Pagos del Rey, which belongs to the Félix
– were covered with wavy, variously coloured strips Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and Alonso Solis wine estate and was built in 2002 for €22 mil-
of titanium. Balaguer, the project is an architecturally brilliant lion. The complex structure of concrete and glass
mixture of austerity and elegance, an impressive contains, among other things, a storeroom for
interpretation of contemporary building arts, and a 8,000 barriques.
fascinating contrast to the adjacent historical
cooperative winery building from the 1920s.

133
Further countries however, they often signal authentic wines that are near Heraklion on Crete in the 1990s, giving the
usually made from grapes grown exclusively in Por- island one of its most modern wineries.
tugal – grapes that thrive in the Atlantic climate and The most impressive wine estate on Crete, Domain
bring forth notable wines. Zacharioudaki, is located at an altitude of about
From Asia Minor, wine culture spread via the Medi- For many years, Portugal’s wine industry was heav- 500 metres on a hill near Plouti. It was built in early
terranean into the temperate zones of Europe ily traditional. The port houses in Vila Nova de Gaia, 2000 by the publisher Stilianos Zacharioudakis.
between the 40th and 50th parallels. Depending on resembling huge, monotonous warehouses, or the Behind the facades of natural stone, a
the respective geographical conditions and the major cooperative wineries are evidence of this. But 2,000-square-metre winery boasting state-of-the-
local population’s consumption patterns, wine culti- while the prevailing conservatism, primarily among art equipment is spread out over three levels. An
vation assumed varying degrees of importance. On the owners of smaller quintas, is slowly giving way elegant dining room on the upper storey offers a
average, the wine industry accounts for 6.5 per to a certain openness towards new ideas, this grand panoramic view.
cent of total agricultural sales. Still, wine cultivation trend has not yet made itself felt in architectural One of the most notable projects of new Greek
is present in all countries of central and southern projects. The winery landscape is still characterized wine architecture is Ktima Pavlidis in northern
Europe, a group that currently constitutes 23 by numerous estates built in the typical Portuguese Greece, near Kokkinogia in Drama, the architecture
states. style. In the past few years, these have been joined and grape varieties of which are strongly influenced
Put together, all the wine-growing areas in the by only few new facilities that could be called repre- by the countries of the western Mediterranean.
region take up close to 44 million hectares, equiva- sentative of modern wine architecture. Besides the Finally, there are also several interesting new winery
lent to a share of some 55 per cent of global vine- wineries introduced in the Projects section, these buildings in Attica, near Athens. These include the
yard area. As the average yield per hectare is include Quinta do Encontro in São Lourenço do Strofilia winery, not far from the village of Anavys-
higher in Europe than on other continents, Europe’s Bairo, some 30 kilometres from Coimbra in the sos, which is specialized in white wine production;
wine industry accounts for almost 70 per cent of Bairrada region. The circular winery building was and Papagiannakos in Markopoulo near Mesogia,
global wine production. The past few decades, designed by Pedro Mateus and completed in 2008. Greece’s first bioclimatic winery, which was
however, have witnessed a clear shift here. While Two years previously, Casa da Torre, a project awarded an architectural prize in 2008.
grubbing-up schemes and structural transforma- designed by Castanheira & Bastai Arquitectos,
tions have decreased Europe’s vineyard area by opened in Vila Nova de Famalição, north of Porto. Hungary
almost 10 million hectares, the same period has A dozen countries in central and south-eastern
seen a marked increase in cultivation area in the Greece Europe have been cultivating wine for centuries, but
southern hemisphere and in Asia. Ancient Hellas, the founder of western building and only few of them are pursuing a progressive course
In the statistical mean, the wine production of Italy, wine culture, was for a long time tied to its historic in their vineyards and cellars to supplement their
France and Spain together constitutes almost 95 legacy and traditions. Its grape plantations total ancient traditions. These countries include Hungary
per cent of Europe’s total wine output. Of the other 100,000 hectares in area, which roughly equals the and Slovenia, where new winery buildings are visual
wine-producing countries on the European conti- German acreage, but they produce more than just proof of the changes that have taken place since
nent, Germany, Portugal, Romania, Greece and wine. Thus the yield is on average merely a third of the 1990s. In Hungary, primarily in the Tokaji region,
Hungary are in leading positions, producing a long- a normal harvest in Germany. some of these have resulted from investments
term annual average of between 10 and 3 million Starting in the mid-1980s, when the EU provided undertaken by western European wine companies.
hectolitres. Despite all the differences in planting, financial assistance, and Greek oenologists who But initiatives by traditional Hungarian wineries, too,
varieties and vinification techniques, the countries had acquired their professional know-how abroad are culminating in notable buildings, such as the
with less wine-growing area, too, boast a histori- began to establish new facilities, the production of new winery built by the Millenary Benedictine
cally significant wine culture that goes back thou- quality wines increased. Most of the winery build- Abbey of Pannonhalma not far from its Baroque
sands of years. ings erected in the 1980s and particularly in the cloister complex, which was recognized by
1990s are in the typical Greek style, not least UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Portugal because many of them are popular stops on wine
In terms of output, Portugal comes in 10th place in tourist routes. The prime example of this is
the international wine rankings. The fact that the Domaine Selladia in Maegalochori, near Pygros on
popularity of its wines – other than port wine – is Santorini. The winery, which was opened in 1990
hardly increasing outside its borders, is not attribut- and has become a visitor magnet, boasts wholly
able to any problems with quality. Rather, the Por- modern equipment, but its architecture neverthe-
tuguese terms on the labels denoting geographical less bows to local traditions. The Boutari family,
origin, grape varieties and quality classifications are who own this estate and who call a total of six wine
often poorly understood internationally. To insiders, estates their own, built Domaine Fantaxometocho
134
Füleky Pincészet Bazaltbor Winery in Badacsony Klet Brič Winery in Dekani
in Bodrogkeresztúr Architects: PLANT – Atelier Péter Kis, Evetke út 2, 1121 Buda- Architects: Boris Podrecca, Jörgerbadgasse 8, 1170 Vienna
Architects: Épitesz Stúdió, Krisztina körút 71, pest, www.plant.co.hu with Marko Lavrenčič, www.podrecca.at
1016 Budapest, www.epstudio.hu Completion: 2010 Completion: 2002
Completion: 2010 Region: Balaton Region: Primorje/Istria
Region: Tokaj Contact: Római út 199, 8261 Badacsony Contact: Dekani 3a, 6271 Dekani
Contact: Iskola köz 15, 3916 Bodrogkeresztúr www.laposa.hu www.vinabric.si
www.tokaj.org

Designed by Budapest-based architect Péter Kis, Although completed as early as 2002, Klet Brič,
Among the new facilities in the region that brings the Bazaltbor (“Basalt wine”) winery in Badacsony, located near Novi Brič on the Istrian peninsula, is
forth the famous Tokaji wine, this project, com- on Lake Balaton, presents itself as a modern fairy- still Slovenia’s architectural showpiece winery. It was
pleted in 2010, is notable for its adaptation to the tale castle with a facade completely enveloped in built by the Istrian architects Boris Podrecca and
surrounding old building fabric. Owner Péter Lovas vines. The production facility, which was inaugura- Marko Lavrenčič far from the main road, on a site
commissioned the architects Épitesz Stúdió to ted in 2010, has a footprint of almost 420 square that was especially landscaped for the project. The
design a new structure on the site of an older build- metres and a facade of prefab concrete compo- location, 400 metres above sea level, offers a lovely
ing next to the village church in the historic centre nents into which vine-like structures have been panoramic view. The building consists of two differ-
of Tokaj. But the old building was not immediately etched – a pattern that continues over the glass ently designed structures for different functions. The
torn down; rather, its rendering was removed and and metal panels as well. The vaulted cellar is lined complex includes a tower house and, set back, the
parts of the wall featuring the volcanic, greyish-yel- with traditional brickwork. private residence of the client.
low tuff typical of the region recovered. Then the
old stones were placed on the outside and inside of
the reinforced-steel building. The roof is covered
with stone slabs of the type found in the surround-
ing structures as well.

135
Appendix

Glossary 138
Index of names 140
Index of wine regions 142
Picture credits 142
Author bios 143
 barrique cellar
Glossary The most widely used type of barrel in winemaking, with a In wineries, the barrel cellar is used for the ageing of wines. The
capacity of 215 to 230 litres. Barriques are made of oak, pri- conditions required for wine storage are: a constant, cool room
marily from France. After assembly, the casks can be toasted climate, and an environment that is free of shocks, strong
adega (flamed), which imparts smokey aromas to the wood. As the smells, and strong direct light. These conditions are most easily
The Portuguese term for a wine estate or wine cellar. use of barriques is quite expensive, some vintners add oak fulfilled in underground cellars, but many new winery busi-
chips or powder to their wines instead. See also barrel. nesses avoid the high cost of establishing one by opting
aerate instead for a large, multifunctional storage building.
To bring wine in contact with air. This activates the yeast in the blend (also cuvée)
fermentation process. A wine created from a mixture of different grape varieties. cellarmaster
A person who is in charge of the cellars at a winery and whose
ageing Bocksbeutel main job it is to supervise and monitor the ageing process of
The storing of wine for the purpose of improving its taste. Dur- A 0.75-litre flask, or flat ellipsoidal bottle, that is traditionally the wines produced there.
ing ageing, young wine undergoes internal processes that alter used for wines in the wine region of Franconia. Similarly shaped
and mature its taste and aromas. Wine is aged in a barrel or bottles are used for Portuguese and Hungarian wines as well. chai
tank first, then in a bottle. The French name for a building used to store barrels of wine.
bodega Different kinds of wine are usually stored in separate chais, as
alcohol content The Spanish term for a wine estate or wine cellar. they require different storage conditions.
The alcohol content of a wine has to be declared on its label. It
can range from about 9 per cent by volume to about 15 per bottle ageing chaptalization
cent. The average alcohol content of wines has increased in Depending on their variety, origin, vintage, and how they are The process of adding sugar to the must before fermentation
the past few years, owing to warmer climates and changing made, wines undergo different ageing processes in the bottle. to increase the alcohol content of the resulting wine.
consumer preferences. To manage alcohol levels, winemakers Wines that have been bottled shortly after vinification can still
have various technical and microbiological processes at their taste slightly yeasty. A balance of tastes is achieved with château
disposal. Red wines often have a higher alcohol content than increasing age. Crisp wines ripen and age more quickly than The French term for a wine estate with its own vineyards. Origi-
white wines. Fortified wines, such as port oder Sherry, have do sweeter wines, and wines with low acidity age faster than nally simply the word for “castle”.
alcohol added to them during production, reaching an alcohol more acidic ones. Red wines that have a good balance of alco-
content of 16 to 22 per cent. hol and tannins, and that are made from varieties such as Cab- clarification
ernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Pinot Noir, may even be The removal of undesirable substances from the wine. Clarifica-
amphora suitable for laying down for ten years in ideal storage conditions. tion methods include filtration, racking and fining.
A ceramic vessel that was used to store liquids, such as wine,
in ancient times. bottling line cooperage
A mechanized production line that fills wine into bottles. A facility for the making of barrels and casks; also, the barrels
appellation produced at such a facility.
An indication of the geographic origin of the wine and of vari- bung
ous related quality criteria and restrictions. Official appellation A conical or cylindrical stopper for plugging up the opening of a cooperative
systems, all of them based on the French Appellation d’Origine barrel. See winemaking cooperative.
Contrôlée, have been set up in several wine-producing coun-
tries. They are a country’s laws for growing and making wine in bunghole cru
a certain region, and are attempts to impose a set of consistent An opening that has been bored into a barrel to enable removal French term that can refer to a particular style, origin or quality
quality criteria that are transparent for the consumer. or aeration of its contents. of a wine; the land on which the wine grows; or a particular
vineyard or estate that produced the wine. A grand cru wine is
barrel cantina one of the region’s best.
A staved vessel with flat ends and a bulge in the middle. An Italian term for a winery or wine cellar.
Thanks to their shape, barrels can be stored vertically or hori- crush
zontally. Small barrels can also be rolled easily. cap To gently break the skins of the harvested grapes, releasing
Before being bottled, wine is often aged in barrels. The dura- The solid matter, consisting mainly of grape skins and seeds, their juices, in preparation for the further steps in the winemak-
tion of the typical barrel ageing process ranges from just a few that rises to the top during the fermentation process of red ing process. The crushing process produces must.
months to five years, with some exceptional wines being aged wine. To increase the contact of the wine with the skins, and to
for up to ten years. Depending on the size of the barrel, the prevent the cap from drying out, winemakers use one of sev- crusher
type of wood used, and the length of time the wine is kept eral methods of pushing the cap back down into the must. A mechanical device through which the grapes pass after the
inside, the barrel imparts some aromas and flavours to the sorting process. The crusher breaks open the skins of the
wine. This effect is strongest when the barrel is new. capsule grapes to release the juices while leaving the seeds intact. This
Barrels permit a slow exposure of their contents to oxygen. The A metal or plastic wrapper covering the cork and the top of the prevents the tannins in the seeds from seeping into the must.
wine inside must be topped up continually to replace the quan- neck of a wine bottle. In addition to decorating the bottle, the
tities lost to evaporation. The maintenance of barrels involves a capsule keeps the cork from becoming dirty and drying out. cuve
thorough cleaning and treatment to prevent mould. The French term for a fermentation container.
The capacity of barrels ranges from 100 to 2,600 litres, with Cava
custom-built historical barrels boasting an even larger size. A Spanish sparkling wine made according to the méthode cuvée
Most wineries nowadays use small (ca. 225-litre) barrels called champenoise. The French term for a blend.
barriques, but these cannot completely replace large barrels.
Depending on its size, a wooden barrel costs between €300 cave cuverie
and €700. An underground cellar for storing wine. The French term for the fermenting cellar.

138
destemming Kellerei racking (also soutirage)
The process of separating the grapes from the stems and German term for a winery with or without its own vineyards. The process of siphoning wine off the lees into another con-
leaves in preparation for crushing. tainer. Racking is repeated, sometimes several times, to help to
label clarify the wine during the ageing process and to prevent the
disgorgement (also dégorgement) A piece of printed paper stuck on to a wine bottle, providing development of bitter tastes. The process is particularly signifi-
A step in the production of sparkling wine according to the information about its contents. Some of this information is cant when dealing with wine ageing in barriques.
méthode champenoise, in which the sediment that has settled required and strictly regulated by law. Labels are usually fea-
to the neck of the upside-down bottle is removed by freezing tured on the front and back of the bottle and – along with the remontage (also pumping over)
the neck of the bottle and then pulling out the “plug” of frozen capsule – contribute significantly to its appearance. The process of pumping the juice or must back over the cap
wine and lees. (solid matter that has floated to the top during maceration) to
Landwein increase the wine’s exposure to the grapeskins.
domaine German wine classification indicating a wine regulated by less
Another word for château. stringent controls (similar to the French term vin de pays). A riddling rack (also pupitre)
classification one step up from Tafelwein (French: vin de table). A special rack that suspends bottles of sparkling wine at an
Domäne upside-down angle for the special bottle fermentation they
In Germany, a large wine estate, usually one owned by the lees require. Riddling racks enable the daily shaking and shifting of
state or by a member of the former nobility. Sediment consisting of dead and residual yeast. The lees are the bottles called for by the méthode champenoise.
removed before bottling, except in the making of sparkling wine
extraction according to the méthode champenoise. Second vin
The transfer of flavours, aromas and colour from the grapeskins The French term for a wine estate’s second-label wine, i.e. one
to the wine. Excessive extraction should be avoided, as it can maceration that does not meet the same exacting standards as its Grand
give the wine harsh tannins. The process that follows the crushing of the grapes in the mak- vin but is produced and sold in much larger quantities.
ing of red wine. In maceration, the must is left alone for a time
fermentation to let the tannins, colour and flavour compounds of the grape- soutirage
A biochemical process in which yeast breaks down the sugars skins, seeds and stem fragments leach into the wine. This See racking.
in grape juice into carbon dioxide and ethanol, producing wine. gives red wine its characteristic colour and flavour; rosé wines
The process takes place in fermentation containers such as are allowed to macerate only briefly. structure
vats, often under strictly temperature-controlled conditions. The composition of a wine; how its components such as acid-
malolactic fermentation (also secondary fermentation) ity, tannins and alcohol content combine with each other.
fermenting cellar A secondary fermentation of red wine, in which bacteria con-
The space in which the fermentation containers are located. vert the malic acid in the wine into the milder lactic acid. süssreserve
Unfermented grape must used to sweeten wine.
filtration marc
The process of removing impurities or particles from the wine see pomace tank
by passing it through a fine filter. A large vessel often used for the ageing of wines. Compared to
méthode champenoise barrels, tanks are more hygienic and easier to clean, more long-
fining A special method of making sparkling wine that was pioneered lived, permit less loss of wine due to evaporation, facilitate a
A method of removing impurities from a wine by adding a sub- in the Champagne region of France. better utilization of space, and are able to store a range of differ-
stance – traditionally egg white, now a fine clay – to the top ent wines in sequence. Drawbacks include a slower wine matu-
and letting it sink to the bottom, taking the impurities with it. must ration process and a lack of portability. In contrast to barrels,
The mixture of juice, pulp, grapeskins, seeds and stem frag- tanks impart no additional flavours to the wine.
finish ments that is produced by crushing the grapes.
The sensation left in one’s mouth after one has tasted a wine. tannins
nose Bitter, astringent chemical compounds found naturally in fruit.
fortified wine A wine-tasting term that describes a wine’s aroma or bouquet. They are a component of the structure of wine.
Wine that has had alcohol added to it to stop the fermentation
process. Fortified wines have a higher alcohol content and a oenologist terroir
longer shelf life than non-fortified wines. They include Sherry, An expert in wine and winemaking. The specific soil and climate conditions of a region, including its
port, madeira and marsala. altitude and the amount of sunshine it receives. Certain terroirs
oenology are particularly suited to certain varieties of grape and wine.
Grand vin The science of wine and winemaking.
The French term for the top, or first-label, wine produced by a toasting
wine estate. palate The process of flaming the inside of barriques. Toasting imparts
A wine-tasting term that describes the feel and taste of a wine special aromas to the wood, and later to the wine it holds.
gravity-flow winery in one’s mouth.
A winery that uses gravity rather than pumps to move the varietal
grapes and wine gently from one step in the production pro- pomace (also marc) A wine made from a single grape variety.
cess to another. The solid remains of the grapes after pressing for juice. It is
sometimes used to produce pomace brandy, such as grappa. variety
green harvesting A type of grape.
The removal of immature and inferior bunches of grapes in the press
vineyard to decrease the yield and improve the quality of the The equipment for, or act of, releasing the grape juice from the vineyard
grapes remaining on the vine. solid matter of the fruit after crushing and maceration. A farm or plot of land where grapes are cultivated.

139
viniculture Holl, Steven 19, 121
The science that deals with grapes, wine and winemaking.
Index of names Holzbauer, Wilhelm 121
Architects / Designers Huertas Nava, Francisco Javier 133
vinification Abram & Schnabl Architekten 127 Ignacio Quemada Arquitectos 130
The making of wine. Angonese, Walter 94ff., 126 Irresberger, Dieter 121
Architects Collective 90ff. Jäcklein, Reinhold 119
vinify Architekten Tauber 123 Jean de Gastines Architects 128
To make wine from grapes. Architekturbüro Mertens 118 JMP y Asociados 132
Arnaudo, Giovanni 125 Laské, Joseph 16
vinothèque Atelier des Architectes Mazières 15, 128 Leibar & Segneurin 40ff.
French term for a shop selling wine and wine-related items. Bänzigers Architektur 125 Leinfellner, Kriso 121
Thanks to the growing popularity of wine, and the growth of BC Estudio 132 Martinell, Cèsar 16, 130
Bearth & Deplazes Architekten 98ff. Mateus, Pedro 134
wine tourism, such shops are playing an ever greater role in the
bergmeisterwolf architekten 38f., 52ff. mattes · sekiguchi partner 117
self-promotion of wineries.
Bò, Giovanni 126 Mayerhofer, Anton 121
Bofill, Ricardo 17, 19 Mayr, Manfred Alois 94
vintage
Bonatz, Paul 16 Mazières, Bernard 128
The year in which the grapes for a particular wine were har-
Bonet i Garí, Lluís 130 Mazières, Philippe 130
vested; also, the wine harvest itself.
Botta, Mario 19, 126., 129 Moneo, Rafael 131
Brochet, Olivier 128 Mori, Hikaru 126
vintner Neumann, Balthasar 14
Büro Reinhard May 119
A winemaker. Burelli, Augusto Romano 125 Palladio, Andrea 14
Burghardt, Andreas 68ff., 122 Perduzzi, Richard 128
viticulture Calatrava, Santiago 104f. Perraudin Architectes 50f., 76ff.
The science of the cultivation of grapes for winemaking. Castanheira & Bastai Architects 134 PLANT – Atelier Péter Kis 135
Cecchetto & Associati 127 Podrecca, Boris 135
Weingut creuz & quer 122 Portzamparc, Christian de 129
German word for wine estate. Dellagiacoma, Roland 52 propeller z 34ff., 110ff.
Dickinger, Raimund 121 Puig i Cadafalch, Josep 16
wine cellar Dillon, Patrick 18 Rauner, Rolf 124
A synonym for winery; also, a storage area for wines. Dold + Versbach 120 RCR Arquitectes 106ff.
Domènech i Roura, Pere 130 Remensperger, Christine 64ff.
wine diamonds Dubuisson, Sylvain 128 Renzo Piano Building Workshop
An informal term for the white, crystalline deposits of tartaric EICHLER Architekten 117 19, 86ff., 126
acid, or potassium bitartrate, made by wine. Eiffel, Gustav 17, 19 Roccatagliata, Gianfranco 126
Eisele + Mattes 117 Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners 133
wine estate Épitesz Stúdió 135 Rubió i Bellver, Joan 130
A winery business with its own vineyards. Erhard, Konrad 124 Santomauro, Domenico 126
Espinet /Ubach Arquitectes i Associats 133 Sartago, Piero 126
winemaking cooperative Foster + Partners 30ff. Schwitter, Daniel 124
An association of vintners who have pooled their resources. Fournier-Maccagnan, seidel + wirth 118
The members (and joint owners) of a winemaking cooperative Atelier d’architectes 125 Siclis, Charles 15
usually own and harvest their own, often relatively small-scale, Friess + Moster 12 Siza, Álvaro 26ff., 80ff.
vineyards and deliver the grapes to the cooperative for vinifica- Galfetti, Aurelio 125 Soto López-Dóriga 17
tion and marketing. Garcia, Jaques 129 Stuflesser, David 127
Gasser, Dietmar 122 Triaud, Alain 128
winery Gastines, Jean de 18 Triay, Domingo 130
Any company, business or building that produces wine. Gaudí, Antonio 16 Tscholl, Werner 60ff.
Gaztelu Quijano, Jaime 131 VF arquitectos 132
yeast Gehbauer Helten Architekten 118 vi.vo architecture 133
A microorganism used to ferment wine by converting its sugars Gehry Partners 133 Vignoni, Marco 126
to alcohol. Although wild yeasts are present naturally on Gehry, Frank O. 19 Vitruv 10
grapes, winemakers often prefer to work with cultivated yeasts gerner°gerner plus 56ff., 123 Vizerie, Marie-Laurence 129
in order to control the fermentation process more closely. Grenon, Nathalie 126 Wemmers Skacel Forenbacher
Guedes + DeCampos 44ff. Architects 123
yield h.e.i.z.Haus Architektur.Stadtplanung 118 Wilmotte & Associés 129
The quantity of wine produced by a vineyard. This is usually Hadid, Zaha 18f., 133 ZITOMORI 127
measured in hectolitres per hectare, though it can also be Halbritter + Halbritter 122
measured in tons per acre. Hauenstein, Kurt 124 Wine estate / Project name
Hernandez, Patrick 128 Abbazia di Novacella 13
yield reduction Herzog & de Meuron 128 Adega Mayor 26ff.
A deliberate decrease of the yield attained by taking measures Hessel.Architekten 120 Alexanderkaserne 16
to improve the quality of the grapes at the expense of quantity, Hofmann Keicher Ring Architekten Alois Lageder 127
with the aim of producing a higher-quality wine. 72ff., 119 Altes Schloss Stuttgart 14

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Andechs Abbey 13 - Lynch Bages 128 López de Heredia 133 Villa
ARACHON ageing cellar 121 - Margaux 14f. Manincor 126 - Adriana 10
Azienda Umani Ronchi 126 - Mouton Rothschild 15 Marqués de Riscal 133 - Barbaro 14
Badia a Coultibuono 126 - Pétrus 128 Masía Bach 130 - di Diomede 10
Bazaltbor Winery 135 - Pichon Longueville 15, 18 Mas Rodó Vitivinícola 131 - Emo 14
Benedictine Abbey of St Gall 11 - Thuerry 40ff. Mastroberadino 126 Vincenz Richter 118
Benedictine Abbey of St Nicasius 10 - Villemaurine 129 Maximin Grünhaus Schlosskellerei C. von Vinothek Iphofen 116
“Bistrot” Elena Walch 127 Clos de Vougeot 13 Schubert 116 Wein & Schnaps Mariell 122
Bodega Codorníu 16, 130 Melk Abbey 13 Weingärtner Brackenheim 117
- Brugarol 106ff. Cultural Centre, Dettelbach 117 Melkerhof 13 Weingärtner Flein-Talheim 117
- Contador 131 DIVINO Nordheim 116 Millinary Benedictine Abbey of Weingärtnergenossenschaft
- Irius 132 Domaine Pannonhalma 134 - Eberstadt 117
- Martín Berdugo 133 - de Chevalier 128 Moët & Chandon 16 - Metzingen-Neuhausen 117
- Tandem 132 - Fantaxometocho 134 Mönchhof & Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben 116 Weingut
- Viña Real 130 - Henry Martin 128 Müller-Catoir 116 - Adank 124
- Waltraud 132 - Les Aurelles 76ff. Neues Schloss Meersburg 14 - am Stein 119
Bodegas - Perraudin 50f. Neumeister 121 - Brennfleck 120
- Antión 131 - Selladia 134 Pagos del Rey 133 - Bürgermeister Carl Koch Erben 118
- Baigorri 130f. Domain Zacharioudaki 134 Petra 126 - Claus Preisinger 34ff.
- Bilbaínas 130 Domäne Wachau 120f. Ploder-Rosenberg 121 - Davaz 124
- Darien 131 Domecq 17 Pommery & Greno 10, 16 - Erich Sattler 90ff.
- Juan Alcorta 130 Dominio Do Bibei 131 Quinta - Forstmeister Geltz-Zilliken 116
- Laus 131 Dr. Bürklin-Wolf 116 - do Encontro 134 - Freiherrlich Langwerth von Simmern’sches
- Portia 30ff. Eberbach Abbey 12, 116 Rentamt 116
- do Napoles 68ff.
- Protos 133 El Pinell de Brai 130
- do Portal 80ff. - Gantenbein 98ff.
- Qumrán 131 Esterházy 120
- do Vallado 44ff. - Geheimer Rat Dr. von Bassermann-
Ferrer Bobet 133
- Regalía de Ollauri 131 Raïmat 130 Jordan 116
Feudi di San Gregorio 127
- Ysios 104f. Ravensburg Castle 11 - Grassl 121
Fitz-Ritter 116
Bründlmayer 120 Real Bodega de la Concha 17, 19 - Heid 64ff.
Füleky Pincészet 135
Bürgerspital zum Heiligen Geist 13 Regele 121 - Heinrich 110ff., 121
Fürst Hohenlohe-Öhringen 14
Cà Marcanda 126 Reichsrat von Buhl 116 - Hirsch 121
FX Pichler 123
Cantina Rocca di Frassinello 86ff., 126 - Holzapfel 121
Gandesa 16
- Colterenzio 52ff. Rondel 130 - Horst Sauer 119
Gesellmann 121
- Ghidossi 125 Sant Cugat del Vallès 130 - Julius 117
Gonzáles Byass 17
- Mezzacorona 127 Scadenagut 124 - Karthäuserhof 116
Göttweig Abbey 13
- Perusini 126 Schaubeck Castle 11 - Koppitsch 122
Graf Neipperg 14
- San Michele-Appiano 94ff. Schloss - Lackner-Tinnacher 124
Gut Hermannsberg 116
- Tramin 60ff. - Gobelsberg 13 - Leo Hillinger 56ff.
Heidelberg Castle 14
Cantine del Notaio 126 - Johannisberg 12f., 15, 116 - Loimer 122
Heiligenkreuz Abbey 13
Casa da Torre 134 Henkell 16 - Johannisburg 14 - Künstler 116
Casalobos 131 Hoflössnitz 117 - Proschwitz 116 - Leo Fuchs 117
Castel Noarna 11 Hornberg Castle 11 - Staufenberg 11 - Markowitsch 121
Caves de Rocbère 10 Hospices de Beaune 13 - Vollrads 14, 116 - Marugg 124
Champagne Boizel 11 Institucional de la Grajera 131 - Wackerbarth 118 - Max Müller I 119
Château Jean Stodden 118 - Westerhaus 116 - Ott 121
- Branaire-Ducru 128 J. Heinrich 121 Señorío de Arínzano 131 - Pauser 117
- Cantenac Brown 15 Julius Kayser & Co. 116 Señorío Otazu 131 - Pittnauer 122
- Cheval Blanc 129 Juliusspital 13 Spitalkellerei 13 - Robert Weil 116
- Clerc Millon 128 Kellerschlössel 120 Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg 12, 14, 119 - Rudi Pichler 121
- Cos d’Estournel 15, 129 Klet Brič 135 Staatliche Weinbaudomäne - Sabathi 123
- d’Arsac 128 Klosterneuburg Monastery 13, 120 Oppenheim 116 - Schmidheiny 125
- d’Yquem 15 Königstein Fortress 14 Staatsweingut Weinsberg 117 - Schneider 116
- de Bachen 18 Kreutzenberger 117 Staufenberg Castle 11 Weinhaus Cottinelli 124
- de la Rivière 15 Krispel 121 Strofilia 134 Weinhaus Hans Wirsching 116
- du Glana 128 Kruger-Rumpf 116 Taittinger 10 Weinmanufaktur Montana 116
- Faugères 129 Ktima Pavlidis 134 Tenuta Peter Zemmer 38f. Weninger 121
- Gloria 128 Kühling-Gillot 117 Terra dei Re 126 Weritas Wagram 123
- Haut-Brion 14 Kupferberg 10, 16 TERRE DA VINO 125 Williams & Humbert 17
- Haut Selve 128 La Mezquita 17 Thallern 13 Winzergemeinschaft Franken (GWF) 117
- Gloria 128 Lavaux Vinorama 125 United Vineyards – Pfneisl 122 Winzergenossenschaft Oberbergen 117.
- Lafite Rothschild 17, 19, 130 L’Espluga de Francolí 130 Vereinigte Hospitien 13 Winzer Krems 121
- Lanessan 15 Lubentiushof 120 Vereinte Winzer Blaufränkischland 121 Winzer Sommerach 72ff.
- Léoville-Poyferré 128 Loisium Visitor Centre 121 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin 10 Winzerhof Gierer 117

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 • pp. 50/51 • p. 123 (right)
Index of Picture credits Serge Demailly, F – La Cadière-d’Azur Igor Skacel, A – Graz
wine regions • pp. 52 – 55
Günter Richard Wett, A–Innsbruck
• p. 124
Angelo Kaunat, A – Salzburg
Ahr 116, 118 The authors and publishers would like to • pp. 56 – 59 • p. 125
Alto Adige 13, 38f., 52ff., 60ff., 94ff., 126f. express their sincere gratitude to all those who Rupert Steiner, A – Vienna Magali Koenig, CH – Lausanne
Alto Alentejo 26ff. have assisted in the production of this book, • p. 60 • p. 126
Andalusia 16, 130 be it through providing photos or artwork or Alexa Rainer, I – Bolzano Gerhard Hagen /arturimages
Apulia 125f. granting permission to reproduce their docu- • p. 61 • p. 127 (left)
Bairrada 134 ments or providing other information. Photo- Markus Frohnmaier, D – Munich Günter Richard Wett, A – Innsbruck
Balaton 135 • p. 62 • p. 127 (right)
graphs not specifically credited are taken from
Richard Becker, D – Steinheim Luca Vignelli
Basilicata 126 the archives of architects or of the magazine
• p. 63 • p. 129 (left)
Bordeaux 7, 13ff., 18, 128f. “DETAIL Review of Architecture”. Despite
Gerhard Hagen /poolima Karin Hessmann /arturimages
Burgenland 18, 34ff., 56ff., 90ff., 110ff., 121f. intensive endeavours, we were unable to esta-
• pp. 64/65 • p. 129 (right)
Burgundy 11, 13, 40 blish copyright ownership in just a few cases;
Roland Halbe, D – Stuttgart Philippe Caumes, F – Paris
Catalonia 16, 106ff. however, copyright is assured. Please notify
• pp. 66 – 67 • p. 131 (left)
Champagne 10f., 15f. us accordingly in such instances.
Antje Quiram, D – Stuttgart Roland Halbe, D – Stuttgart
Douro 44ff., 68ff., 80ff.
• pp. 68 –71 • p. 131 (right)
Emilia-Romagna 125
Rita Burmester, P – Porto Duccio Malagamba, E – Barcelona
Franken/Fraconia 72ff., 116f., 119f.
• Cover: • pp. 72 –75 • p. 132 (left)
Friaul 125 Francisco Vieira de Campos, P – Porto Gerhard Hagen /poolima José Manuel Cutillas, E – Barañain
Galicia 131 • p. 76 • p. 132 (centre)
Graubünden 124 Domaine les Aurelles, F – Nizas Adriana Landaluce, E – Logroño
Graubündener Rheintal 98ff. Foreword/Introduction • pp. 77–79 • p. 132 (right)
Kampanien 127 • p. 6 Serge Demailly, F – La Cadière-d’Azur Faber & Partner, D – Düsseldorf
Kamptal 121f. Cosima Frohnmaier, D – Munich • pp. 80 – 85 • p. 135 (left)
La Mancha 130 Fernando e Sérgio Guerra, P–Lisbon Gyula Erhardt, H–Budapest
• pp. 8/ 9
Languedoc-Roussillion 76ff. • pp. 86 – 89 • p. 135 (centre)
Miran Kambič, SLO – Ljubljana
Loire Valley 10, 15 Michel Denancé, F – Paris Zsolt Batár, H – Budapest
Marche 126 • p. 11
Faber & Partner, D – Düsseldorf • pp. 90 – 93 • p. 135 (right)
Maremma 86ff. Wolfgang Thaler, A – Vienna Miran Kambič, SLO – Ljubljana
Mittelburgenland 120f., 122 • pp. 12, 13 (left), 13 (centre) , 14, 15
• pp. 94 – 97 • pp. 136 /137
Mittelrhein 15, 116 Heinz-Gerd Woschek, D – Mainz
Günter Richard Wett, A – Innsbruck Ralph Feiner, CH – Malans
Montsant 133 • p. 13 (right) • pp. 98 –103
Mosel 15, 116, 120 Dieter Leistner /arturimages Ralph Feiner, CH – Malans
Nahe 15, 116 • p. 16 • p. 104 (top) , 105
Navarra 130ff. Gabriele Röhle / wikipedia Roland Halbe /arturimages
Neusiedler See 120, 122 • pp. 17, 19 • p. 104 (bottom)
Neusiedler See /Hügelland 120 Robert Dieth, D – St. Johann Thomas Mayer/arturimages
Niederösterreich 19 • p. 18 • pp. 106 –109
Ostschweiz 125 Mick Rock /CEPHAS Eugeni Pons, E – Lloret
Penedès 131f. • p. 110
• p. 20
Pfalz/Palatinate 15, 116f. Weingut Heinrich, A – Gols
Domaine les Aurelles, F – Nizas
Piedmont 125 • pp. 111–113
Primorje /Istria 135 • p. 21
Hertha Hurnaus, A – Vienna
Provence – Cote d’Azur 40ff. Heinz-Gerd Woschek, D – Mainz
Rheingau 12ff. • p. 22
Rheinhessen 11f., 15, 17, 116ff. Roland Halbe, D – Stuttgart Country guide to wine and
Rhone Valley 50f. architecture
Ribera del Duero 30ff., 131, 133 • pp. 114 /115
Rioja 104f., 130f., 133 Projects Nigel Young /Foster + Partners
Rueda 133 • pp. 24 / 25 • p. 117
Sachsen/Saxony 14, 116ff. Günter Richard Wett, A – Innsbruck Dietmar Strauß, D – Besigheim
Sizilien 125 • pp. 26 – 29 • p. 118 (left)
Somontano 131f. Fernando e Sérgio Guerra, P – Lisbon Palladium Photodesign, D – Cologne
Styria 19, 120f. • pp. 30 – 33 • p. 118 (right)
Südburgenland 120f. Nigel Young / Foster + Partners Dieter Leistner, D – Würzburg
Südoststeiermark 120f. • pp. 34 – 37 • p. 119 (left)
Südsteiermark 120f., 123f. Hertha Hurnaus, A – Vienna Gerhard Hagen /arturimages
Ticino 125 • pp. 38/39 • p. 119 (right) Facility size
Tokaj 134f. Günter Richard Wett, A – Innsbruck Thomas Nutt, D – Hamburg
The symbols featured in the Projects section
Tuscany 125f. • pp. 40 – 43 • p. 121
Serge Demailly, F – La Cadière-d’Azur Margherita Spiluttini, A – Vienna denote the average annual gross output of the
Trentino 125, 127
Vaud /Lavaux 125 • pp. 44, 46 (top) , 47, 49 (right) • p. 122 respective facility in bottles:
Veneto 125 Alberto Plácido, P – Porto Angelo Kaunat, A – Salzburg
Wachau 123 • p. 46 (bottom), 48 • p. 123 (left)
up to 150,000 bottles
Wagram 123 Francisco Vieira de Campos, P – Porto gerner°gerner plus | matthias raiger
Weststeiermark 120f. • p. 49 (left) • p. 123 (centre) 150,000 – 500,000 bottles
Württemberg 116f., 64ff. Quinta do Vallado, P – Peso da Régua Bernd Tauber, A – Krems 500,000 bottles and above

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Author bios

Heinz-Gert Woschek Denis Duhme Katrin Friederichs

born in 1937 born in 1966 born in 1971
Born in one of the best vintage years, Heinz-Gert Studied forestry and economics at Freiburg; Studied German and English studies, pedagogy
Woschek was lucky enough to be exposed to the worked in the engineered-wood industry in a senior and philosophy in Duisburg; became a regional
world of wine at a very early point in his career. Ever capacity from 1994 to 2009; became a partner at sales manager for Zeter – Die Weinagentur GmbH
since, he has dedicated the larger part of his life to nolte Parkettmanufaktur GmbH, a maker of parquet & Co. KG, a wholesale distributor of wine in Neu-
the enthusiastic service of wine culture. flooring in Bielefeld, Germany, in 2010. stadt / Weinstrasse, in 2011.

Woschek has done public-relations work for Duhme’s great passion – aside from the hunt – is Ever since her student days, the Diploma Graduate
national agricultural and wine institutions in Ger- wine. To acquire an in-depth knowledge in the field, in Wines and Spirits has been passionately inter-
many, France, Italy and Austria; held trade fairs, he completed a multi-year training course at the ested in wine. In addition to her years of experience
seminars and workshops; and organized and mod- Austrian Wine Academy in cooperation with the in the wine industry, primarily in distribution and
erated symposia on wine and architecture in con- Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) in London. sales, Friederichs has enjoyed a long and successful
junction with the Rhineland-Palatinate Chamber of After getting his Diploma in Wines and Spirits, he track record as a provider of seminars and further
Architects. founded the weinintensiv wine school in Cologne. training.
In addition to producing various television and radio Duhme is the author of weinkompakt, a small wine The Ruhr native has spent the past two years in the
programmes, Woschek has written several special- guide aimed at wine novices as well as connois- Mosel and Palatine regions. In that time she began
ist books and guides on wine, gastronomy and seurs. He owns a vineyard near the Ruwer River, to write about the “most fascinating drink in the
tourism. He has also published and edited a num- where he has produced Rieslings for the past three world” and the people and landscapes that bring it
ber of books and magazines on the topics of wine years. to life.
and travel.

At left: Heinz-Gert Woschek; centre: Denis Duhme

interviewing Álvaro Siza Vieira; above: Katrin
Friederichs interviewing Jean-Louis Croquet
2