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8 6 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | M a y - J u n e 2 014 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m the public tasting room so they can be opened together or sepa- rately, depending on the number of visitors. Thornley said he has placed VIP spaces in wine caves, p r o d u c t i o n a r e a s a n d t u c k e d between the rows in secluded areas of vineyards. Food also plays a larger role in tasting rooms these days. "Wine been in use long before the Saffron Fields tasting room was conceived. His solution was to recognize the part the barn played in the prop- erty's history by incorporating the reclaimed wood into his modern design. "When you look up at the ceiling, when you look outside, all of that wood is from the barn that was on that site," Shugar said. Thornley noted that to be true to the "agrarian vernacular" of what are essentially grape farms, the design of wineries has moved away from one large building to a collec- tion of smaller buildings. "We find that to be very effective in terms of having the winery relate to its site," he said. Using natural wood and stone also contributes to that. Friedman said that in Ohio, where barns have long been part of the rural landscape, reclaimed wood from old structures reso- nates with visitors. "It just adds a talking point," she said. VIP SPACES Incorporating special spaces for wine club and VIP members is important to enhance their expe- rience and make them want to return. "The best way to provide that is through privacy," Thornley said. But as a practical measure, he situates private rooms next to and food pairing is a great way to sell wine," Chauncey said, and that translates into more or larger kitch- en facilities at wineries. They can be anything from "a tiny kitchen that's got convection hot plates, a service sink and a refrigerator, to full-on restaurant-style kitchens," he said. "I can't think of a winery that we're working on that doesn't have food related to it." Thornley agreed, saying, "We're putting commercial kitchens into almost all our projects." Another trend is offering multi- ple venues for tastings, both inside and out. Some wineries create a secret garden environment with- in the vineyard. Thornley said he works with landscape architects to create pathways among the vines that lead to special tasting areas. Friedman said a trend among Ohio wineries is to build an outdoor wedding pavilion that can double as a tasting space, such as at Gervasi Vineyards in Canton. At Saffron Fields, Shugar found several ways to take visitors out- doors, both physically and visu- ally. The tasting room, with glass on two sides, leads to an attrac- Cuvaison Estate Wines features a stylish private room for VIP tastings. An old barn was incorporated into the design of the Saffron Fields tasting room in the Willamette Valley.