Dierberg & Star Lane Vineyards
Carved into the sandstone at the base of a 1500-foot-high ridge looming above Star Lane Vineyard, this new winery serves as a home for both Star Lane and Dierberg Estate. It is modeled on a Bordelais design built around a classically conceived courtyard framed by stone windows and arches.
The building is a dream that has been more than a decade in coming for vintners Jim and Mary Dierberg, and it offers a blend of French aesthetics on the outside with serious, "no-frills" functionality on the inside. The interior represents Jim and Mary Dierberg's philosophy of winemaking, shared by winemaker Nick de Luca, who says, "The winery is our greatest winemaking tool."
Indeed, the ornate exterior leads to an almost industrial interior where concrete efficiency rules. There is artistry here as well, however, with exposed concrete columns and beams forging a massive latticework that gives strength to the structure. All building materials are specific to the environment. The 26,000 square feet of caves that extend deep into the hillside contain no wood (aside from the barrels) and are entirely encased in concrete for maximum temperature and humidity control.
Perhaps most extraordinary is the fact that from the crush pad to the caves three stories below, all grapes, juice and wine can be moved entirely by gravity, to ensure the most gentle handling possible. Destemmed grapes are trollied along the crush pad at level one and tipped into the fermentation tanks on level two. Later, the free run wine descends to the third and lowest level--the caves - for cellaring.
Dierberg Pinot Noir and Star Lane Cabernet are kept in separate tunnels, respecting the fact that the winery encompasses two distinct winemaking philosophies: Dierberg Estate's Burgundy-inspired Pinot Noir and
Chardonnay as well as Star Lane's mostly Bordeaux varietals. Walk into the "Grand Room" and you'll see Pinot Noir barrels that form a glorious circular pattern on the floor. Then cast your eyes up a level, and you will see 10 open-top wood fermenters, from which precious Pinot Noir free-drains down to the barrels. Far above it all, a 3-foot hole in the roof allows a visitor to view the crush pad. It's a visual feast as well as a minimalist's vision of winemaking efficiency.
Down in the caves, which are maintained at a constant 56 degrees F, Cabernet Sauvignon barrels rest snugly in 13-foot-wide tunnels, waiting for the optimum moment to be bottled. All in all, the winery is a showpiece for the art of fine winemaking and a vintner's dream come true.
Carved into the sandstone at the base of a 1500-foot-high ridge looming above Star Lane Vineyard, this new winery serves as a home for both Star Lane and Dierberg Estate. It is modeled on a Bordelais design built around a classically conceived courtyard framed by stone windows and arches.
The building is a dream that has been more than a decade in coming for vintners Jim and Mary Dierberg, and it offers a blend of French aesthetics on the outside with serious, "no-frills" functionality on the inside. The interior represents Jim and Mary Dierberg's philosophy of winemaking, shared by winemaker Nick de Luca, who says, "The winery is our greatest winemaking tool."
Indeed, the ornate exterior leads to an almost industrial interior where concrete efficiency rules. There is artistry here as well, however, with exposed concrete columns and beams forging a massive latticework that gives strength to the structure. All building materials are specific to the environment. The 26,000 square feet of caves that extend deep into the hillside contain no wood (aside from the barrels) and are entirely encased in concrete for maximum temperature and humidity control.
Perhaps most extraordinary is the fact that from the crush pad to the caves three stories below, all grapes, juice and wine can be moved entirely by gravity, to ensure the most gentle handling possible. Destemmed grapes are trollied along the crush pad at level one and tipped into the fermentation tanks on level two. Later, the free run wine descends to the third and lowest level--the caves - for cellaring.
Dierberg Pinot Noir and Star Lane Cabernet are kept in separate tunnels, respecting the fact that the winery encompasses two distinct winemaking philosophies: Dierberg Estate's Burgundy-inspired Pinot Noir and
Chardonnay as well as Star Lane's mostly Bordeaux varietals. Walk into the "Grand Room" and you'll see Pinot Noir barrels that form a glorious circular pattern on the floor. Then cast your eyes up a level, and you will see 10 open-top wood fermenters, from which precious Pinot Noir free-drains down to the barrels. Far above it all, a 3-foot hole in the roof allows a visitor to view the crush pad. It's a visual feast as well as a minimalist's vision of winemaking efficiency. Down in the caves, which are maintained at a constant 56 degrees F, Cabernet Sauvignon barrels rest snugly in 13-foot-wide tunnels, waiting for the optimum moment to be bottled. All in all, the winery is a showpiece for the art of fine winemaking and a vintner's dream come true.