Wine is the final product of an intimate interaction between human beings and nature. It is a process involving experience, commitment, hard labour and love. Every bottle has a story to tell. The more a person can understand about it, the more it will appreciate and enjoy the holy liquid, the more the producers’ work is appreciated.
The project wants to use its architecture to create a journey to the final awareness and appreciation of the monte D’Oiro products, an experience which it’s going to be developed step by step, from the initial understanding to the production, to the final product.
The existing unused terrace sits between the entrance area and the place where the new tasting room will be built, something which can be seen as a hurdle. We decided to turn this hindrance into an opportunity. The terrace has then become the entrance, via a ramp, the first step of the entire experience to the wine tasting. It is a route through the vines and a series of informative panels explaining the philosophy and the technical process of the production. The itinerary provides a set of benches where visitors can sit, chat, learn and relax on their way to the final destination.
A bridge links the existing terrace to the platform standing in front of the production building. We keep this platform at the same level as the existing terrace so the visitors can enjoy the direct view of the production area without interfering with the operations. On its south side, the platform is completely open on the surrounding vineyard, allowing the visitors to meet the beautiful landscape and make acquaintance with it.
On the edge of this terrace, it’s the tasting room. The building sits in a balance between the earth and the sky, it reaches out into the void like a trampoline. It is formed in two parts: the towerette, a solid geometry cladding in natural stone, house of the services and the upper terrace, a further step of the overall experience, and it’s the physical anchorage to the ground for the tasting room.
The tasting room is the final stage of the whole experience, an environment which keeps together the cosiness of the timber and the immateriality of the glass. Guests will find themselves wholly projected toward the surrounding vineyards; the room lives an intimate communion between the exteriors and the interiors. The visitors will taste their wines in a close togetherness with the place where the grapes come from. It’s like to link the origin and the end; the whole story flows through the architecture of the room.
We also want this room to be flexible in its uses so the furniture must be as well. The tables are hanged to the ceiling and can be pulled up to free the space. The room can, therefore, become a space for wine presentations, poetry reading, intimate gigs.
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