Cuvaison Winery said it will break ground this month on an ambitious new construction project to enhance the visitor experience at Cuvaison’s estate vineyard and winery in Napa Valley’s Los Carneros AVA.
The first part of the project will focus on the Cuvaison Tasting Room, where a floor-to-ceiling sliding glass wall will be added, along with an expanded terrace. The second phase of the project will include installing beautiful open-air pavilions for VIP tastings and special events, which will be cantilevered above the south shore of the property’s scenic pond and will offer idyllic views of the lower vineyard, as well as local flora and fauna surrounding the pond.
While the project was planned before the pandemic, President/CEO, Dan Zepponi not only greenlit moving forward with the construction, but he also worked closely with acclaimed wine country architect Douglas Thornley to integrate new elements into the project to create the most safe and welcoming environment possible for future guests.
This includes the installation of an upgraded ventilation system with hospital-grade filtration and unobtrusive hand-sanitizer stations elegantly built into the redesigned tasting room. As part of the overall project, Cuvaison will also be moving its powerlines underground to ensure unobstructed views for its guests and a fire-safe transfer of power to the winery. The first stage of construction is scheduled for completion in late summer of 2021, with the second phase in summer of 2022.
“Breaking ground during a pandemic may seem like a bold decision, but based on conversations with customers and club members around the country, we believe that wine lovers are eager and excited to return to Napa Valley,” says Zepponi. “When they do, we want to ensure that Cuvaison is ready and better than ever. This estate has been our home for more than 40 years. It’s a magical spot. Our goal with this project is to highlight the natural beauty of our sustainably managed estate, while creating thoughtful new venues that are every bit as engaging and exceptional as our wines.”
Since Zepponi was named CEO of Two Estates Wine Collective (formerly Cuvaison Estate Wines) in 2016, the famed 50+-year-old winery has been actively reinvesting in its estate, including replanting older blocks of its 200-acre vineyard.
As the culmination of these efforts, the new renovations and expansions are designed to create a seamless union between Cuvaison’s certified-sustainable estate vineyard and the guest experience at Cuvaison.