Design

From rocky and rough-hewn to sleek and chic, wine caves and cellars encourage designers to merge form and function in imaginative ways. There’s undeniable drama in a dark, underground space, and talented architects seize the opportunity to transform these utilitarian storage facilities into atmospheric venues for tours, tastings and even art exhibitions. Here are eight striking examples of wine caves and cellars with outstanding design, found in locations all around the world. Exterior of Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion cellar, honoring the region's maritime history / © phlabeguerie Bordeaux, France | Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion Design by Philippe Starck and Luc Arsène-Henry Clad in sleek panels of stainless steel, the Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion wine cellar plunges like an elegant and enormous knife into the Peugue river. An artful collaboration between renowned designer Philippe Starck and architect Luc Arsene-Henry, the blade-like shape also cleverly references a ship’s hull, in honor of the maritime history of Bordeaux. The structure is divided into four levels, including reception and winemaking spaces. The vat room features 23 stainless steel, oak and concrete vats, and the winery invited guest artists—including Ara Starck—to cover them in original paintings. Stainless steel and wood vats at Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion / © phlabeguerie Barrel room at Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion / © phlabeguerie The lowest level stores 300 barrels, which benefit from the cooling effect of the water that flows outside the cellar walls. The surrounding vineyards are planted to grape varieties including Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Guided tours and tastings are available by request. Into the caves at Champagne Pommery / Photo by Jean-Pierre Gabriel Reims, France | Domaine Pommery Concept by Louise Pommery Louise Pommery was a visionary in both Champagne and design. Based on her belief that extended periods of cellar-aging produced better Champagne, Madame Pommery set her sights on a piece of land that was being used as a dump and saw its potential. Hidden nearly 100 feet below the surface was a series of 60 abandoned Gallo-Roman pits (crayères), where chalk had been extracted to build the city’s early structures. In 1869, Madame Pommery sent miners down to start converting the forgotten spaces into wine cellars, connecting the chalk pits with a vast, 11-mile-long network of tunnels. Champagne Pommery Cellar / Photo by Fred Laures Sculptural relief by Gustave Navlet at Champagne Pommery / Photo by Fred Laures In 1880, she commissioned Gustave Navlet to create a series of sculptural relief panels based on bacchanalian themes to embellish the rough walls. That artistic tradition continues today, as Domaine Pommery uses these subterranean spaces as a gallery for contemporary art installations. Recognizing their historic significance, UNESCO has also declared the Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars of the region as a World Heritage Site. Pommery offers a variety of tours and tastings. Vaulted ceilings in in the Mission Hill cellar / Photo by Nic Lehoux Kelowna, British Columbia | Mission Hill Family Estate Design by Olson Kundig At firm Olson Kundig, designers created cellars for Mission Hill with an atmosphere of time-traveling grandeur. Rows of oak barrels age in two vaulted spaces with walls hewn from raw volcanic rock. Lighting is dim, with natural rays shining through a single oculus, and temperature and humidity are carefully controlled. Tasting table at Mission Hill / Photo by Paul Warchol Barrel room at Mission Hill / Image by Paul Warchol Behind an iron gate, the designers have created a private vault with the solemn mood of a chapel where a display of ancient wine vessels dating back 10,000 years accompanies a library of Mission Hill vintages. Wines produced at the estate include Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. The Behind Closed Doors tour includes a visit to the underground barrel cellar plus a wine tasting. Hotel Pacherhof Cellar / Photo by Gustav Willeit Neustift, Italy | Hotel Pacherhof Design by Bergmeisterwolf Architekten Built on a sloped site in the South Tyrol and capped by an angular shard of a tower clad in burnished bronze panels, the Hotel Pacherhof’s new wine cellar mimics the craggy shapes of the mountain peaks that surround it. Upstairs, the team from Bergmeisterwolf Architekten designed the office and tasting room spaces. Downstairs, they connected new spaces for grape harvesting and wine production with the hotel’s historic cellar. Exterior of Hotel Pacherhof wine cellar, meant to evoke the landscape's craggy peaks / Photo by Gustav Willeit Underground at Hotel Pacherhof / Photo by Gustav Willeit Juxtaposition of Hotel Pacherhof cellar to surrounding mountains / Photo by Gustav Willeit The result has a timeless minimalism, with traditional oak barrels and stainless-steel tanks framed by vaulted ceilings and rough plaster walls. The Pacherhof vineyard—planted on land that the Pacher family has owned since the 12th century—produces wines including Müller Thurgau, Sylvaner, Grüner Veltliner, Pinot Grigio, Kerner, Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Sylvaner. Guided tours and tastings are available. Barrel room at Rocca di Frassinello / Photo by Matteo Serpi Gavorrano, Italy | Rocca di Frassinello Winery Design by Renzo Piano Building Workshop The impressive cellar at the heart of Tuscany’s Rocca di Frassinello winery was inspired by the form of an amphitheater. It’s a powerful, 131-by-131-foot space with echoes of antiquity, populated by row upon row of oak barrels—2,500 in all. Exterior of Rocca di Fassinello / Photo by Michel Denance By prioritizing the cellar in a central position beneath the winery, famed architect Renzo Piano emphasized the cellar’s crucial role in the overall winemaking process while also ensuring stable temperature and humidity in the space. Rocca di Frassinello is known for its Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Vermentino and Sangioveto wines, and also produces grappa. Guided tours are available by reservation, and include a stop at an Etruscan archaeological site located within the grounds of the estate. Underground waterfall at Jarvis, which increases humidity for barrel aging / Image Courtesy Jarvis Napa, California | Jarvis Estate Design by William and Leticia Jarvis with Sasaki Associates When William and Leticia Jarvis founded their winery in 1990, they made the decision to build the entire production facility in caves carved out of the Vaca Mountains. The concept, devised with the help of a team of engineers, took the shape of two concentric circles, allowing winemakers to always stay within 200 paces of the barrels, and providing room for the barrels to be stored in a single stack. Barrels places throughout the cave hallways at Jarvis / Image Courtesy Jarvis However, when the excavation began, builders discovered a natural subterranean waterflow that prevented them from completing the interior circle. But what could have been a problem actually became an advantage. Designers created a waterfall for a splash of underground flair, and the increased humidity now benefits the barrel aging process. The completed cave complex encompasses 45,000 square feet, and the estate is known for its Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Tempranillo wines. Tasting tours are available. Booker's Cave Portal and Wines lining the walls / Image Courtesy of Booker Wines Paso Robles, California | Booker Wines Design by Signum Architecture Booker Wines winemakers and Signum architects conceived this cave as a multi-purpose space. It features storage for 1,500 barrels, a 1,000-bottle wine library and cool hospitality area to escape the heat of Paso Robles. Designers played with exposed limestone, white plaster walls, rusted metal and cedar to create landscape-inspired, contemporary settings with comfortable, oversized seating. Contemporary design in Booker's underground tasting room / Image Courtesy of Booker Wines The certified organic vineyard is known for wines blending Rhône varieties, including Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah and Viognier. Tours of the winery are available, including a Cave Experience that offers guests a private tasting and time for subterranean lounging while listening to vinyl. Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi cave entrance / Image Courtesy of Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi Island, Maldives | Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi Design by Stickman Tribe In an island setting better known for its overwater villas than underground caves, the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi offers guests a taste of adventure in their wine cellar, known as “The Rock.” The Indiana Jones-worthy entrance designed by Stickman Tribe includes a circular seating area that’s warmed by a fire cauldron, and guests might imagine they’re discovering a secret lair as they descend into a cool, contemporary cave crafted from pale Jordanian limestone. Limestone-walled tasting room at Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi / Image Courtesy of Waldorf Astoria Maldives The resort offers special multi-course wine dinners for up to 12 guests, seated around a communal table fashioned from 200-year-old Jarrah wood. The cellar holds one of the most extensive wine collections in the Maldives, counting over 2,000 bottles.