Wine tourism: Château La Croizille (Saint-Emilion) wins 2015 Best of Wine Tourism award

Château La Croizille, a five-hectare estate classed Saint-Emilion Grand Cru owned by the De Schepper-De Mour family, has won the 2015 International Best of Wine Tourism award released on November 6 in Mendoza, Argentina. It was competing against 50 other candidates, all winners of a Best of Wine Tourism award in their respective countries. The French château’s 2012-built winery, designed by the Philippe Cordier firm of architects and Art & Miss, tipped the balance in its favour. The winery’s design is particularly stunning because it uses the rolling countryside to reveal outstanding views of the surrounding landscape and vineyards. The tasting area appears to be suspended in mid-air above the vineyards.

The wine shop is pivotal to the building’s design and yet it is hidden away at first view. Visitors need to reach the top floor before they can admire it. “The setting uses the natural elements used to age wine: wood and stainless steel. The furniture is made out of stone,” explains Marie-Sylvie Gary-Delfaut of Art & Miss. The winery’s façade also conjures up a sense of movement: “Its base is black and seemingly emerges from the depths of the earth, with colours gradually becoming lighter towards the top of the building, finishing with cream.” Another distinctive feature is the bas-relief gracing the façade and the staircase. “The artist has done an amazing job with the render. He has sculpted a vine which, once coated and painted, looks identical to a real one,” marvels Marie-Sylvie Gary-Delfaut. The building cost 3.5 million euros, not including the equipment. 

[Source: Vitisphère ]