Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/197178
n July 1, 2013, Sokol Blosser Winery opened a new tasting room at its 87-acre Dundee Hills property. Like the original tasting room, it's a trendsetter. The previous version was the first tasting room in Oregon when it opened in 1978, and like the new one, it was designed by a top local architect. But the new space, the winery principals say, is like no other. Brad Cloepfil of Portland's Allied Works Architecture, who designed the modern space, stated confi- dently that no other tasting room can compare in design and concept to Sokol Blosser's striated wood structure that seems to rise from the earth. Charles Humble, spokesman for the Oregon Wine Board, said he expects the design soon will be widely copied, perhaps not so much for the innovative design but in the manner that guests' needs are met with multiple options for personalized and more intimate wine experiences. The 5,000-square-foot structure has eight distinct areas where guests can taste wine, enjoy a meal and even avail themselves of cutting-edge technology to peruse online wine education media. Cloepfil said he wanted to avoid anything resembling a huge, cavernous space with a bar in the corner, the type of tasting room that's built chiefly to accommodate large numbers of people. Sokol Blosser's new tasting room has a striking, modern design. N ov - D ec 2013 | V INE YA RD & W INE RY M A NA G EM EN T 107