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TECHNICAL SPOTLIGHT WINEMAKING December 2016 WINES&VINES 69 winery's operating systems ensure an ambient temperature for fermentation. Once fermentation completes, Waukesha 30 pumps transfer the juice into French oak barrels. The position of the barrel room in the embankment, as well as natural ventilation that draws stagnant air out through the clere- stories above the tanks, keep temperatures ambient and within the natural range for the northern Willamette Valley. While the elevated air exchange might mean a greater angel's share that requires Etzel to top barrels once per week, he isn't worried. "I would rather top more because of this fresh air and air circulation than have stagnant air and have to top less frequently," he said. "I really don't like high, high humidity. For me, the high, high humidity is more conducive to microbiological growth. And one of my phi- losophies in the cellar is to use an extremely low amount of sulfur—and again that plays into why I wanted the air flow." Well-appointed, for appointments The production area wasn't designed just for making wine, however. It's also typically the first place guests visit after being handed a glass of sparkling wine at the entrance. "People love to be able to walk down and see the entirety of the project," says Etzel, who adds that the experience gives guests a greater appreciation for the finished product at the end of their visit. Upstairs, the welcome area and tasting room (there's no formal tasting bar) are highly flexible. Portions can be closed off, tables halved and rearranged, and break-out spaces created. Sliding doors serve as a sound barrier as well as shut off a small kitchen area from the rest of the facility. Etzel names wineries in California such as Futo, Ovid and Dana Estates when asked about models for Domaine Roy. Elements of these are fused with Waterleaf's design portfolio, which includes facilities for Penner-Ash Wine Cellars, Shea Wine Cellars and Domaine Serene. The mix has created a facility that is friendly to walk-in traffic during the early years, as the winery builds its reputation, but the vision is for Domaine Roy to become a private, by-ap- pointment winery for experiencing single- vineyard Pinot Noir. "I was working for smaller, high-end winer- ies that were by appointment," Etzel says of his experience in Napa. "I wanted the experi- ence to be very private for the visitor, and the long-term scope of the building is to be by- appointment and to host people as if they were coming into someone's home. To be a very slow pace, a place where you can really slow down and appreciate one another's company, ap- preciate the wine and take time for something that's an art, really." Hospitality areas are flexible and overlook the estate vineyard.