Kistler Vineyards acquired the Trenton Roadhouse
property, originally constructed in 1920, with the intention of adaptively reusing the existing residence for a private wine tasting facility – the first in the 30 year-old winery’s history. The property is located amongst vineyards on an approximately 60 acre site in central Sonoma County. ARG, working collaboratively with the client and a full team of consulting engineers and landscape architects, prepared design and construction documents for the 2-story wood frame farm house. The project challenged the team to marry rehabilitation and programming goals with a reflection of Kistler’s unique identity and approach to vinification, to arrive at a design solution that is crisp, clean, honest, nuanced, and distinctive. Kistler Vineyards will host intimate, in-depth tastings for parties of 2 to 8 people in the first floor tasting room, with sweeping views of the surrounding vineyards. They will stage larger dinners for parties up to 22 people in the bright and airy second floor tasting room. The integration of extensive site and landscaping upgrades will allow Kistler Vineyards’ guests to relax among the vine covered hills, on the large stone-paved patio or under the wisteria-covered pergola located adjacent to the raised-bed vegetable garden. ARG also provided interior design and purchasing services, combining custom and manufactured pieces, including rustic furnishings and hand-crafted light fixtures throughout the public spaces.
The Roadhouse also required modifications to meet current life safety and accessibility standards, to integrate structural, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical improvements, and to add fire sprinklers.
This project was the first phase of a larger project. Later phases, anticipated to be completed in the coming years, include the adaptive reuse of the existing barn for barrel storage, the addition of a wine cave, and the addition of a public wine tasting facility In 2012, Kistler Vineyards embarked on a new venture, to create a tasting venue for the first time in the company’s 34-year history. They chose the Trenton Roadhouse site to showcase their brand in a turn-of-the-century farmhouse and barn situated in one of their established single vineyard sites in Forestville, California. Their overarching goal was to create a distinctive and personal tasting experience that would reflect their brand identity. While the initial project transformed the farmhouse and landscape to reflect Kistler’s unique approach to vinification and the clean, honest, nuanced single vineyard wines, the recent project celebrates the winemaking process and provides a more production-oriented setting in which to taste their wines. The original barn was reconstructed and expanded to become a small winemaking facility. Early conversations with the winemaker provided the inspiration for the design that features the winery’s unique fermentation techniques. The expansive central space provides the main tasting room. A series of glazed openings along the length of the flanking barrel room walls provide the visitors with views into the fermentation and barrel storage areas.
The design maintains the rustic aesthetic of the original barn, combined with contemporary elements that reflect the Kistler Vineyard brand:
● The original barn was dismantled. The new winery/barn was reconstructed in the same location and configuration with an expanded footprint to accommodate winery production.
● The dismantled barn siding was combined with salvaged wood from other local sources to provide the interior wall and ceiling finish.
● Custom designed steel and wood tables crafted from salvaged wood framing members from the original building. Inlaid solid surface provides a white background for winetasting, since the white tasting room in the Roadhouse is so popular with visitors. ● Metal chandeliers were inspired by the metal straps around the oak wine barrels.
● 14 foot tall metal doors are painted to match the color of the foil on the Pinot Noir bottles, as are the tasting room chairs, and provide views of both the Roadhouse to the west and vineyards to the east.
