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April 2015 WINES&VINES 55 WINEMAKING plicator will be added in 2015 for bottling all Sauvignon Blanc. New tasting room and office The new 2,160-square-foot tast- ing room is a pre-engineered metal building supported by steel beams, with outer walls covered with corrugated sheet metal and a roof covered with standing seam galvanized sheet metal. It is designed to resemble tradi- tional metal farm buildings char- acteristic of Yolo County while also being attractive, functional and economical to build. Ken Laz- zaroni, Crew's construction and facility manager who has worked with the Giguieres since R.H. Phillips, acted as project manager and describes the overall design as "a softer, more modern indus- trial look." Interior features include a steel countertop tasting bar supported by reused wood from a nearby barn crafted by a local cabinetmaker and polished concrete floors. Inte- rior walls are covered by a screen- like layer of corrugated, perforated sheet metal that helps reduce noise for better interior acoustics. Floor- to-ceiling windows look onto an outdoor covered patio with views of newly planted Tempranillo vine- yards and the Dunnigan Hills. One end of the building is set up for small meetings of up to 20 people. It can provide space for private and group tasting events as well as trade visits from distributors. Local businesses and groups may rent the space as well. Lane Giguiere said, "Our wines are now distributed in 46 states, and we're constantly get- ting requests from distributors to come out and visit." Although the location seems rural and remote once onsite, it's only three miles from Interstate 5 and about a 30-minute drive from Sacramento International Airport. Giguiere expects visits from the winery's 500-member wine club and others. Ted Rieger, CSW, is a wine journalist based in Sacramento, Calif. He has writ- ten for wine industry media since 1988. A new tasting room (above) opened for business in October 2014. Floor-to- ceiling windows (below) look out over newly planted Tempranillo vineyards.