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EXPLORING<br />
WINE COUNTRY<br />
Napa Valley<br />
Artesa Vineyard & Winery in Napa<br />
PHOTO: Jim Gateley<br />
beyond the wine:<br />
Winery Architecture<br />
and Unique Tasting Room<br />
Experiences<br />
I<br />
n Napa Valley, winery and tasting room structural<br />
designs vary tremendously, from sleekly blueprinted<br />
lines of glass and metal … to rustic 13th century-era<br />
fortresses. Here, we offer a selection of winery structures and tasting<br />
rooms to investigate, from historically rustic to sophisticated<br />
versions of a grownup’s erector set. Fun is the goal and we provide<br />
several recommendations from which to choose. Whether visiting<br />
one or all, we promise your experience will be unforgettable.<br />
The estate at Artesa Vineyards & Winery in Napa Valley is<br />
nothing short of visionary. Inside its winemaking facility, vintner<br />
Mark Beringer operates in a space that honors the grape as much<br />
as his visitors. The winery structure itself is a clever depiction of<br />
simplicity. Cleanly integrated into a hillside, it is a seamless blend<br />
of glass, metal, wood and water. In addition, Artesa’s resident artist<br />
Gordon Huether has designed a staircase bordered by waterfalls,<br />
spectacular contemporary sculptures, a fountain and serene reflecting<br />
pool. Rather than detract, the application of these cleanly designed<br />
elements underscores the landscape’s natural beauty.<br />
Artesa harvests its fruit from three distinct microclimates. In<br />
Carneros, delicate pinot and chardonnay grapes flourish under the<br />
influence of San Pablo Bay, while Bordeaux varietals cultivate well<br />
throughout more temperate conditions in Alexander Valley. Fifteen<br />
hundred feet above the fog, however, cabernet sauvignon develops<br />
a survivalist’s character in Napa’s volcanic soils of the Atlas Peak<br />
sub-region. The stunning wines combined with Artesa’s ingenious<br />
environs make for an exceptional tasting experience.<br />
Dominus Estate, owned by Christian Moueix, sources its<br />
Bordeaux grape varietals from 108-acres<br />
of gravelly volcanic, clay<br />
and loam soil in the<br />
historical Napanook<br />
Vineyard. The winery<br />
operation and offices<br />
are contained in a<br />
high, linear gabion<br />
structure, designed by<br />
Pritzker Prize-winning<br />
Castello di Amorosa, Calistoga<br />
PHOTO: Jim Gateley
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