Nine Suns Winery.

Designed to reflect its unique hilltop terroir and minimize the impact on views from the valley floor, the subtle architecture of this winery also tells the story of the Nine Suns brand, steeped in an ancient Chinese legend from the owners’ heritage.

The winery’s long, low profile mimics the horizontality of the mountaintop, and the structure’s dark charcoal color minimizes its presence when seen from afar. The production facility is sunken below grade, decreasing its visual impact and creating direct access to the caves. A living roof steps down to ground level, blurring the line between structure and landscape and providing passive cooling. Banks of clerestory windows draw natural light deep into the buildings, and lighten the long horizontal facades. A 30-kilowatt solar energy system provides 100% of the energy needed during non-harvest operation.

A sheltered terrace invites visitors to enjoy panoramic view, while offering protection from the heat and wind. The buildings’ deep charcoal color, along with the basalt plinth and low walls, reflect the rock atop Pritchard Hill which, when broken, displays a dark grey interior.

Curved elements throughout the design – the curve of the caves, wine library, nine pools of light illuminating the cave floor, and the circular terrace – are a subtle reference to the owner’s Chinese heritage and the legend of the Nine Suns. In a nod to the owner’s personal passions, the circular entry drive does double-duty as a helicopter pad, while the sinuous curves of the wine library subtly reference the curves of a guitar.