Waterkloof Scoops Award

Waterkloof scoops SA’s Best Architecture and Landscapes title

Published: 02 Nov 11

Bio-dynamic wine beauty, Waterkloof Estate, known for its sustainable wine farming on the elevated outskirts of the Helderberg Winelands, has clinched South Africa’s Best Architecture and Landscape title at the prestigious Great Wine Capitals (GWC) Best of Wine Tourism Awards 2012.

  

In addition, this magnificently appointed ‘cellar in the sky’, perched high on the slopes of the Schapenberg – where even the steep incline provides functional advantages in their winemaking process – also excelled with third place in the Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices and Wine Tourism Restaurants categories.

In 2009, Waterkloof Cellar, which also features a fine dining restaurant, gorgeously appointed, 10 meter high glass promontory flowing from a slick wine tasting lounge, triumphed as the first South African architectural feat for Castle Rock Design – an Australian based company that is internationally recognised for its innovation in the design and management of wineries, luxury resorts and hospitality related projects.

“Waterkloof is committed to making elegant wines in the most honest and authentic method possible. Clearly the building must be a reflection of this commitment. The whole principle of the design is based around honesty, transparency and authenticity. There is the absolute minimum of applied finishes. Rather we wanted the natural materials to be expressed, warts and all,” shares Waterkloof’s architect Mitch Hayhow, Director of Castle Rock Design.

From the first encounter with this aesthetic masterpiece it is clearly visible that unlocking nature’s true potential holds no secrets at Waterkloof Estate. Cocooned in a contemporary glass and concrete sphere, the deep, open barrel cellar becomes apparent immediately as you enter the building and make your way to the modern, unadorned tasting lounge which spills onto the ‘glass box’ restaurant.

Here massive walls of clear glass reveal an ultra-modern gravitational cellar with ranks of wooden, open top fermenters and create a majestic sense of space through the uninterrupted, outstretched views.

All these experiences are set against the unintimidating backdrop of sweeping views of Waterkloof’s amphitheatre of vineyards, the Hottentots Holland and Helderberg mountains and full expanse of False Bay to Cape Point in the distance.

For more information on Waterkloof Estate contact Tel: 021 858 1292 or
visit: www.waterkloofwines.co.za, Twitter: @WaterkloofWines and Facebook page: Waterkloof Wines.
 

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