The Appeal of Viticultural Architecture

The Appeal of Viticultural Architecture

Take a trip to explore both wine and architecture. They perfectly complement one another!

The Appeal of Viticultural Architecture
Wine goes hand in hand with family, friends, a wine cellar and a good atmosphere. Thanks to its accessibility, quality wine has become a beverage that everyone who wants to can enjoy, from the comfort of their own living room. And so, winemakers have come with an interesting concept on how to give wine back its uniqueness and emotions. With quality viticultural architecture. Vineyards are building wine-making premises that have everything under one roof: production and a meeting place for visitors. These are often futuristic structures that take the perception of viticulture to a higher level. At the same time, it is a great attraction for visitors, who do not only come to taste good wine, but to also revel in something unusual and enjoy the atmosphere in a wine-making setting. So, where to go in the Czech Republic if you want to enjoy some wine in the pleasant atmosphere of a vineyard?

Lahofer Winery

The Lahofer Winery opened a representative centre near Znojmo about two years ago. The building was designed by a famous Czech architectural studio and it is distilled into the traditional south Moravian countryside, covered with vineyards, above the village of Dobšice u Znojma. The premises include the production halls, a visitor centre and the administrative facilities of the winery. The main idea of the design is a motif of the rows of vine, recurring throughout the whole building. But the main unique feature is the walking roof, which is also used as a summer amphitheatre for various events, concerts or films. Visitors can also use the new space for up to a hundred people, used for public and private wine tasting events, and there is a wine shop and a presentation cellar with wooden barrels.

Sonberk Winery

The wine-growing region around Mikulov is one of the best ones in the Czech Republic. Wines from local vineyards used to be delivered to the royal table in Prague or the imperial table in Vienna as early as in the 16th century. We recommend visiting the Sonberk Winery. The local wine-making house in Popice is a wooden structure that offers an amazing view of the countryside. The building is sensitively set into the countryside, with corresponding materials and shapes. The dominant feature of the entire building is the unusual wavy roof made of twisted sheet metal, where grapes for the famous straw wine are dried in the autumn and winter, and a wide staircase that connects the building with the main access road and invites visitors to a glass of good wine. You can taste the local wine on the large terrace with a view of the smallest Czech mountain range, Pálava.

Starý vrch Winery

A bit further to the north, you will find Hustopeče. And there, a young winery called Starý vrch. It has not celebrated a decade of its existence yet and it has already become an etalon of modern winemaking. They pride themselves on modern technology and quality ingredients, which they consider fundamental in winemaking and a path to quality and honest Moravian wine. The winery building is made of a combination of concrete, wood and natural stone. All of that together provides a pleasant setting for tasting wine, sitting down with friends and relaxing. You can enjoy some high-quality wines with special attributes from traditional Moravian varieties.

Krásná hora Winery

Another unique viticultural building, this time near Hodonín, is the Krásná hora winery. It is a small, family-owned organic winery with bio-dynamic wines, which some visitors might find interesting. In addition to excellent wine, there is the winery building, a joint work of the owners and an architect. It is based on the typical village development, into which it is tastefully set. The building has won several architectural awards. The winery strives to make wine with the most resource-friendly approach with minimum intervention, and they especially excel in the dry, natural style of wines.

Obelisk Winery

The Obelisk Winery can be found near Valtice in the Lednice-Valtice Landscape Area and the construction of the winery house follows the legacy of the House of Liechtenstein. Despite being a modern building, it is inspired by ancient temples, of which the Lednice Valtice Landscape Area is full. Natural materials, such as stone, concrete and oak wood, are complemented with glass, steel and COR-TEN. And those materials will age beautifully. You can taste the Obelisk wine in several spaces that only highlight the quality of the local terroir.