Pearl Morissette Winery
This small specialty winery in the heart of Niagara's wine-growing area is designed for a client renowned for his small-batch pinot noir production, wishing to expand his business base by catering to an emerging high-end "agroturismo" client and their desire for an immersive experience of the winemaking process.
The design begins with master plan: new vineyards were located in response to exhaustive scientific testing procedures; the day to day business functions of a winery needed to be seamlessly accommodated and buildings had to be revitalized and intergrated. The building was strategically located to preserve the best land for farming while developing a campus of buildings that relate to each other and the surrounding vineyard.
Conceived as a formal object surrounded by vines, the building is divided into two volumes: the larger for wine production and public facilities, the smaller for a micro-hotel. a protected court is formed in the space between the two, flanked by retail and a restaurant on one side, the hotel on the other and opening to a spectacular view of the vines to the south. The zigzag massing of the two volumes optimizes the site's views and its sensory experience, fully surrounding the building with the vines used to make the vineyard's celebrated pinot. The building references its surroundings. The site, open to the public will expose visitors to the biodynamic farming and vineculture.
Environmental features include the simple expression of exposed materials, geothermal heat recovery systems, optimal envelope design, and low energy consumption. The seamless incorporation of these features mirrors the winemaker's high commitment to "terroir" and to quality, craft, and heightened sensory experience.
Client: Pearl Morissette Winery
Location: Jordan ON
Architects: gh3
Consultants: Jablonsky, Ast and Partners (structural)
gh3 Team: Pat Hanson, Raymond Chow, Joel Di Giacomo, Vivian Chin, Liza Stiff, Mani Tabrizi
