Our client, an avid wine taster, with a deep knowledge of the tasting experience at fine wineries in Napa, Sonoma and beyond, knew that for his own new winery he wanted to create an experience that was very curated. Fire resilience was also a very important consideration, as the property is located on Napa Valley’s Mt. Veeder, an area previously affected by the 2017 fires.

The site is steep, surrounded by a forest and looks towards Atlas Peak across the valley in the distance. The nature of the site created an opportunity to set the production portion of the winery mostly below grade, while its exposed concrete facade defines one edge of the driveway. We designed the tasting area as a simple pure volume of concrete, which overhangs the entry of the winery and focuses the visitor towards the unique and dramatic views of the forest on one end and the vines on the other.