The Refinery Architecture Changing The Wine Business In Argentina

Illustration of a winery. (Wikimedia Commons / Wikieditor11221)

JAKARTA - Malbec red wine is known as one of the quality wines internationally, which is produced from the Province of Mendoza, Argentina.

Thanks to this wine, Argentina is able to attain the status of the fifth largest wine producer in the world. However, who would have thought that wine production in Tango Country only boomed after the mid-1990s?

Traditionally known as one of the countries with a long history of wine making. However, it was until the mid-1990s that Argentine wines were more commonly known as 'table grapes'.

In addition, until that period Argentinian wine was consumed more domestically. Not yet a quality export commodity to foreign countries.

This was all done thanks to the 'change' by presenting a winery and cellar. This positive growth in the wine business was followed by Argentina's exit as the global leader in winery and cellar architecture.

Illustration of a wine storage area. (Wikimedia Commons / Che)

In 1991, the then president of Argentina, the late Carlos Menem, tried to tie the value of the Argentine peso to the United States dollar. Indeed, this has not directly had a positive impact on the Argentine economy.

However, this policy helped to increase Argentina's international trade, making the country's interest rates competitive for the US market.

In the late 1990's, wine growers in Mendoza decided to produce quality wines that could compete in the international market. They enlisted the help of Bormida Yanzon, an architectural firm, to design and build wineries throughout the region.

A winery is a building or place where wine is produced. Don't be confused with a vineyard which is a place to grow grapes for wine. Many artisan wine producers like the one in Mendoza have wineries surrounded by their vineyards which make them great places to visit.

Twenty years later, Argentina's wine industry has boomed and the drama, style and scale of these majestic buildings, dedicated to all things wine, have earned them the nickname 'temple of wine'. This is thanks to the work of two well-known architects.

The Mendoza wine region is situated in a dry climate in the foothills of the Andes Mountains in western Argentina. The dramatic and unique landscape has inspired architects to develop, what they call, 'landscape architecture' which aims to create buildings that work in harmony with the landscape, without compromising the natural beauty of its surroundings.

Illustration of winery. (Wikimedia Commons / Sanjay Acharya)

One of the architects Mario Yanzón explained their design approach, saying, "In this landscape, the Andes stand out, like the 'prima donna' on the stage. So we try not to make our architecture compete with what you have. Look first, which is the mountains, "he said, launching Euronews.

Each design is unique to its location and manufacturer. The architects took inspiration from traditional building techniques, indigenous communities and the surrounding landscape.

Their project at Salentein Bodega, in the Uco Valley, connects a wine cellar, chapel and visitor center and is surrounded by 2,000 hectares of vineyards. It was built in the style of a Greek cross and the site looks like a temple inspired by renaissance churches.

The visitor center has been given the name 'Killka', which is a Quechan word meaning 'entrance', a language still widely spoken among the Andean people. For the façade, the architects used an ancient technique called cyclopean masonry, which used sand and stone extracted from the surrounding soil.