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Analysis of design criteria in authored wineries

Article  in  Scientific Research and Essays · September 2011

DOI: 10.5897/SRE11.393

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Scientific Research and Essays Vol. 6(19), pp. 4097-4103, 8 September, 2011
Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/SRE
ISSN 1992-2248 ©2011 Academic Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Analysis of design criteria in authored wineries

Carlos San-Antonio-Gómez1, Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro2* and José Ignacio Rojas-Sola3
1
Department of Cartographic Engineering, Geodesy and Photogrammetry, Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain.
2
Department of Rural Engineering, University of Almeria, Spain.
3
Department of Engineering Graphics, Design and Projects, University of Jaen, Spain.
Accepted 9 May, 2011

This article makes an analysis of 21 “authored wineries” which combine the most advanced wine-
making techniques in the production of quality wines with impressive architectural images which give
added value to the brand. A comparison is made between European countries and new wine-producing
countries. It takes into account two types of characteristic: functional (type and number of floors,
pumping, aging area and hygrothermic conditioning) and formal (materials used in the façade covering
and roof structure). The functional similarities found are a prevalence of a rectangular plant shape with
two floors, mixed pumping and aging area on the ground floor. From a formal point of view, there is a
diversity of materials used to cover facades and the use of wood as an element to differentiate from
other industrial buildings. The main functional differences are the more widespread use of two-storey
wineries in Europe, and a variety in aging areas, and a larger number of wineries with dug out
underground aging areas, which leads to natural and mixed hygrothermal conditioning being more
widespread in Europe than in new wine-producing countries. In terms of formal characteristics, in
Europe there is a more widespread use of concrete as a façade covering, in contrast to stone and metal
panels which are more common in other areas.

Key words: Authored wineries, formal design, functional design, construction material.

INTRODUCTION

The worldwide wine-growing sector is undergoing a
process of transformation, owing to increasingly strong
competition from countries such as Argentina, Chile,
Australia, USA and South Africa, and to the reaction of
traditional wine-producing countries such as Spain,
France and Italy. Lacayo and Morales (2007) highlight
that in countries such as Chile, wine is an important
factor in exports, while in the South of Brazil Miele et al.
(2007) note that wineries compete by considering
different criteria. Therefore, it is not enough to produce
exquisite wine to satisfy the most demanding palates, but
more creative marketing is necessary. Therefore, the
large-scale producers have developed a new strategy;
rather than concentrating on not losing market share
because of the appearance of these new wine-producing
countries, it is a question of opening up new markets,
*Corresponding author. E-mail: fmanzano@ual.es. Tel: +34 950
015693. Fax: +34 950 015491.
both those with a high purchasing power, and those with
millions of potential consumers. This is the strategy of
Australia and New Zealand with the new wine market in
China (Beverland, 2009).
According to Blouin and Peynaud (2003), the
architecture of wine cellars has evolved along with
human culture, both in their design and functioning
(based on knowledge of wine making) and in the
construction techniques and materials used. This
architecture has always been a result of the different
stages in wine production, as it must be appropriate for
different tasks such as the reception of the grapes,
fermentation and wine conservation. In the last century,
technological advances in wine production have led to a
markedly functional evolution of architectural design
(Asselot, 2003). Recent years have seen the inclusion of
other criteria as well as those which are purely functional
(Yravedra Soriano, 2003), with importance placed on
bioclimatic (Martin and Cañas, 2005), ecological
(Brugarolas and Rivera, 2001), economic and
commercial (Bernabéu et al., 2007), and aesthetic factors
4098 Sci. Res. Essays
Figure 1. Marqués de Riscal: Winery, views and label.
Figure 2. Ysios: Plant, working diagram, views.
(Webb, 2005). This last factor is today given significance,
as the architecture should transmit both technological
innovation and the traditional values of quality wine
(Webb, 2005). Examples of this are the new logo of
Herederos del Marqués de Riscal, which combines the
coat of arms symbolizing tradition with an image of the
hotel designed by Gehry, as a symbol of modernity
(Figure 1); and also the label of Ysios with an image of
the front of the winery (Figure 2).
The objective of this paper is to undertake a study of
 San-Antonio-Gomez et al. 4099

Table 1. Comparison of characteristics of authored wineries.

Winery 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Working characteristics
Rectangular Plant x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Plant with different shape x x x X x x x
Nº Floors 2 2 2 1 2 2 3 3 2 2 1 1 2 3 3 2 2 2 3 2
Nº buildings 1 5 7 4 2 1 2 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 5 1 1 1 1
Aging with artificial hygrothermic conditioning x x x x x x x x x
Aging with natural hygrothermic conditioning x x x x
Aging with mixed hygrothermic conditioning x x x x x x X x
Underground aging area dug into rock x x x x
Underground aging area with landfill x x x
Lower basement aging area x x x x x x x
Upper basement aging area x
Aging area on ground floor x x x x x x x x x
Other underground areas x x x
Transfer by pumping x x x x x x x x x x
Mixed transfer: gravity / pumping x x x x x x x x x x x

Formal characteristics
1. Facade covering
Wood x X x x x
Stone x x x x x x x
Plastics x
Concrete X x x x x x x x x
Metal panels x x x x
Brick x
Earthwork x x x x x

2.Roof structure
Wood x x x x x x x x x
Concrete x x x x x x x x x
Metallic x x x X x
Spain: 1 Ysios / 2 Viña Real / 3 Marqués de Riscal / 4 Señorío de Arinzano, Viña Chivite; France: 5 Chateau Haut-Selve / 6 Chateau Thuerry / 7 Les
Aurelles ; Italy: 8 Petra / 9 Badia a Coltibuono; Chile: 10 Viña Pérez Cruz / 11 Odfjell Vineyards / 12 Almaviva / 13 Las Niñas; ARGENTINA (ARG): 14
Séptima / 15 Catena Zapata; CANADA (CAN): 16Jackson-Triggs / 17 Le Clos Jordan; USA: 18 Artesa / 19 Dominus Winery; SOUTH AFRICA (SU):
20 Vergelegen; AUSTRALIA (AU): 21 Shadowfax..

the formal and functional aspects which, together with
new architectural trends, are currently being applied in
the construction of new wineries, so that these aspects
can serve as a reference in the design of the so-called
“author wineries”, that is, wineries designed by
prestigious architects which join advanced wine-
producing techniques with the most stunning architectural
images. Figures 1 and 2 show examples of two authored
wineries in Spain: Marques de Riscal, in El Ciego (Álava),
by the Canadian architect Frank Gehry and Ysios, in
Laguardia (Álava), by the Spanish architect Santiago
Calatrava.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A total of 21 wineries planned by prestigious architects for well-
known worldwide brands are analysed. Table 1 shows a
comparison of the characteristics of the wineries analysed. These
wineries were built with a dual purpose: to produce excellent wine,
and so they include the most up-to-date technical resources; and to
provide added value to the brand by associating it with an image of
modernity through its architecture. The analysis is carried out, in the
same way as other authors (Hartje and Perrier, 2004; Yravedra
Soriano, 2003), for each winery, establishing two levels of
characteristics which are studied concurrently:
Functional characteristics: The functional characteristics of a
winery refer to the particular aspects of the architectural design
which determine, as well as the shape of the building, the wine-
producing process, and which condition two fundamental stages:
the transport of the harvested grapes and the aging process. In
each winery we analyse the shape of the plant, making the
distinction between rectangular plants (Figure 4) and plants with
other shapes (Figure 5); the number of floors and buildings which
make up the winery; the type of hygrothermic conditioning and the
location of the wine aging area. Figure 5 shows a diagram of the
types of wine aging areas found in these wineries.
Formal Characteristics: Facade coverings and roof structure. The
formal characteristics of a winery are the elements which give an
exclusive profile to the image and to the architectural design of the
buildings, in order to distinguish them from others. Disregarding the
exterior form of the building, which is evidently different for each
winery, we study the materials used in the covering of facades and
4100 Sci. Res. Essays
the roof structure, as both these areas help to define the identity of
the building.
RESULTS
Functional characteristics
Once the types of plants of the wineries have been
analysed, it can be seen that both in Europe and in other
areas of the world, rectangular plants are more common
(66.6 %) than other possible forms (33.3%).
More than 80% of the wineries analysed have made
use of buildings with more than one floor to use gravity to
transport the harvested grapes at some points in the
production process. This is the case of over-pumping, in
red wine production, and the decanting of must or wine
from tanks on one floor to a lower floor. Therefore two- or
three-storey buildings are common for this type of winery
in cases where the aging area is located on a basement
floor. One-storey wineries are less common, as this
requires a larger land area for all the needs of the
building and also more wine pumping compared with the
use of gravity over different floors.
The increased trend to build three-storey plants in
Europe also reflects the way the wine is transferred; in
Europe, there is a higher tendency towards a mixed
system compared with a pumping system. This is not the
case in new wine-producing areas. On a functional level,
transferring the semi-finished or finished product by
gravity and not by pumping means that the wine does not
suffer friction or warming during its passage through the
pipes, and is not submitted to excessive pressure, which
may be the case in pressurized transfer. Transfer by
gravity implies a greater investment in technology
(specific machinery) or a very specific layout of the tanks,
as well as the fact that the winery needs to have at least
two floors; this explains why, despite the advantages of
transfer by gravity, half of the wineries transfer the wine
using pumping.
Figure 5 shows the different types of location of the
wine aging area in the wineries analysed, as well as their
layout according to the areas studied. In new wine-
producing areas, there is an equal distribution (38%) of
wine aging areas in lower basement and on ground floor;
there are no such areas either in upper basements or dug
out underground. However, in Europe there are more
different types of wine aging area, with a majority found in
lower basements and dug out underground (31% for
both).
In terms of the type of hygrothermic conditioning used
(natural, artificial, and mixed), in Europe there is more
diversification, although the mixed system is the most
common, while in new wine-growing areas the artificial
system is the most common, followed by the mixed
system. This is undoubtedly due to the type of location of
the wine aging area.
In general the wineries analysed tend to reproduce the
natural characteristics of a wine aging area, following the
tradition of wine production. The best way is to dig these
areas out of the earth, as has traditionally been done in
European countries; this is the reason for the higher
presence of natural hygrothermic conditioning in Europe
(22%) compared with new wine-producing countries
(8%). The advantage of this practice is that it leads to a
better use of energy in the winery and also gives
optimum and sustainable hygrothermic conditions for
wine aging. The problem is that the high level of
production of these wineries requires large aging areas,
and so the excavation of the land can be very costly.
Among the wineries analysed, only two have specially-
dug tunnels in the rock: Viña Real in Spain and Petra en
Italy.
A more economical solution, which also provides good
results, is to locate the underground wine aging area with
landfill in a previously-excavated zone, as is the case of
the Chateau Thuerry winery in France (Figure 3).
Acceptable results can also be obtained economically if
the wine aging area is situated in a lower basement, as is
the case of the Shadowfax winery in Australia (Figure 4),
as in this system the walls possess good thermal inertia,
as they are underground. Other wineries have their aging
area on the ground floor, which means they need artificial
conditioning to obtain the appropriate hygrothermic
conditions. However, in some cases, stone gabions are
placed on the walls to reinforce their thermal inertia; this
is the case of the Chilean winery Las Niñas or the
Dominus Winery in North America (Figure 3).
Formal characteristics: Facade coverings and roof
structure
In terms of the material used in the covering of the
facade, there is no uniformity in the use of a given
material. For the roof structure, the latest trend is towards
laminated wooden beams, which have excellent
construction and aesthetic qualities, as they add a
differentiating element from other industrial constructions.
The use of wood makes a link with tradition and helps to
visualize the quality of the wine by bringing to mind an
image of wine kegs (see the example structure with this
material in the Spanish wineries of Viña Real and Ysios
(Figure 2).
DISCUSSION
In this study we have seen the importance of a wineries
that was designed by a prestigious author, Sanchez
(2005) says that this may increase a 20% export capacity
of its wines.
This form is more widely-used because it allows for a
more simplified management of the wine-producing
process; the different stages of the process can be zoned
more simply, and the movement from one area to the

Figure 3. Authored wineries with a square plant.
next is made in a logical order, with minimum regress and
transport distance, according with the markedly functional
evolution of architectural design (Asselot, 2003) . Plants
with other forms, although they may provide important
aesthetic aspects for the building (Webb, 2005), almost
always make this management more difficult, with dead
spaces and a lower level of versatility in changing
production equipment and machinery.
Although wineries with two floors are the most
common, in Europe it is more common to build wineries
with three floors than with one floor, which is not the case
in new wine-producing areas.
In Europe, concrete is the most common material, while
in new wine-producing areas there is much more diversity
and no one material is more prevalent, although concrete
is the least used material in these areas.
Conclusions
Similarities and differences have been found between
traditional and new wine-producing areas in terms of both
the characteristics studied – functional and formal. From
the functional point of view, the similarities are the
San-Antonio-Gomez et al. 4101
rectangular plant shape with two floors, mixed transfer
and aging area on the ground floor. In terms of formal
characteristics, the diversity of materials used in façade
coverings and a preference towards wood as a material
for roof structure.
The main differences in function are: a greater
tendency in Europe for wineries with two floors; greater
variation in aging areas, with especially a number of
wineries with aging areas dug out underground, as
opposed to none in the rest of the world. These two
characteristics mean that in Europe the use of natural
and mixed hygrothermic conditioning is greater than in
the rest of the world. In terms of formal characteristics, in
Europe concrete is the preferred material for the facade
covering, whereas stone and metal panels are more
common in other areas of the world. European authored
wineries have a greater ratio in terms of their commercial
or tourist character.
From the analysis of functional and formal
characteristics of the 21 examples studied, various
recommendations can be inferred for the construction of
new authored wineries, with the objectives of producing
high quality wine and worldwide recognition. Important
factors are: plants should be simple and rectangular, to
4102 Sci. Res. Essays

Figure 4. Authored wineries with different shaped plants.

Figure 5. Types of aging areas and statistics.


allow the decanting by gravity; conditioning should be
mixed or if possible natural, with the aging area on a
lower basement level or if possible underground. Where
the design allows, wood should be used for the roof
structure. In sum, an authored winery should combine
functional and formal design, such that the winery itself
can serve as the brand image and that this is a synonym
of the quality of the wines produced.
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(Spain). Agrociencia, 41: 583-595.
Beverland M (2009) Boundary conditions to business relationships in
China: the case of selling wine in China. J. Bus. Ind. Market., 24: 27-
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