HAMEL FAMILY WINES

The architectural design of the winery is inspired by the picturesque 124-acre site, nestled into the Mayacamas Mountains. The 6,875 square-foot Estate House, 7,500 square-foot winery and 12,000 square-foot caves for barrel storage will be located along Sonoma Highway in the Sonoma Valley appellation. The winery will be located deep into the site, nestled up against an existing slope of oak woodland and manzanita chaparral that reaches into the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains. The production facility–which features among other things, a living, green roof–will be devoted primarily to fermentation and support spaces for the vintner’s team. Barrel storage will be housed within an adjacent wine cave east of the winery (built into the slope), which will substantially reduce the overall footprint of the winery and naturally provide a cool temperature, and an increased humidity level suitable for barrel storage.

​Located just west of the winery, the Estate House hospitality center sits on a stone plinth, which will provide guests with dramatic views over the gently rolling vineyards that are part of the beauty of the Sonoma Valley floor. Surrounded by a protective rainscreen of recycled cedar siding and incorporating state-of-the-art mechanical systems to reduce energy usage, the project reflects and enhances the Hamel family’s intent to be exemplary stewards of the land through their deep commitment to sustainable, organic farming.

Conceptually, the assembly of new structures is organized in two layers of horizontal planes that define massing, circulation, and enclosure, inspired by the horizontality of the adjacent Mayacamas Mountains. The two pavilions in the Estate House–the Tasting Room and Administrative Wing–slope upward toward the west and frame views of the undulating vineyard. The pavilions enclose a courtyard that extends the tasting room experience to the outdoors. The Library, a virtual gem placed between the two pavilions, provides a private oasis that is inward-focused to support VIP and Wine Club functions. The opportunity to experience the vineyard beyond the overlook of the courtyard is provided by a series of outdoor spaces that include a bosque of fruit trees, and a lower

terrace of ancient olive trees that will provide eye-level views of the vineyard.

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