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52 W i n e s & V i n e s M AY 2 0 1 4 After looking for property for some time, Montgomery found fallow farmland on which he could build an estate winery. The winery was designed by John Vierra, who grew up in Lodi and is the son of Vernon Vierra, the winemaker and owner of nearby St. Jorge Winery. "I wanted a tasting room experience that was indoor/outdoor in the middle of a vineyard kind of thing," Montgomery said. "And I was thinking in the line of 12-foot ceilings and mall doors, but he came up with this, which I think is pretty spectacular." Indoor/outdoor tasting room The tasting room is surrounded on three sides by 20-foot by 20-foot metal-framed doors that are made of polycarbonate. When the weather is mild the doors can be opened all day, offering views of the planned vineyards and Sierra Nevada mountains far off on the horizon. "The polycarbonate is translucent and lets light in during the day without artificial light- ing," Vierra said. "The effect produces a uniform defused glow into the interior. At night the opposite occurs, becoming a beacon of light. LED multicolored light- ing is incorporated, allowing M2 the abil- ity to change color and relate it to a specific mood or event." Local firm Delta Buildings was the gen- eral contractor for the project. The winery is built on a metal frame that was fabricated by CBC Steel Buildings in Lathrop, Calif. Vierra said the winery is clad in metal- insulated panels made of weathering steel that will rust to a certain depth and stop. "That layer hardens and serves as a protec- tive layer that is maintenance free," he said. "The rustic cladding relates with the sur- rounding vineyard by picking up the rusted steel trellis supporting the vineyard." In late February, when Wines & Vines paid the winery a visit, M2 had been in its new home for about six weeks. The mod- ern winery stood in stark contrast to the unplanted fields surrounding it. Mont- S T R A T E G I C D E S I G N S T U D I O A R C H I T E C T U R E B R A N D D E V E L O P M E N T A P www.STRATAap.com S T R A T A D E S I G N P L A N N I N G M A N A G E M E N T WINERY PRODUCTION HOSPITALITY ESTATES A R C H I T E C T U R E B R A N D D E V E L O P M E N T www.strataap.com S O N O M A, C A L I F O R N I A 7 0 7. 9 3 5. 7 9 4 4 Winemaker and founder Layne Montgomery. G R A P E G R O W I N G W I N E M A K I N G TECHNICAL REVIEW