Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/580744
{ SOMMjournal.com } 55 In the golden light of early morning, a tractor bumps along a dusty path, towing a mound of freshly har- vested Tinto Fino grapes down the rugged slope of an ocher meseta. The landscape is severe, medieval, evoking images of Castilian kings and ancient stone castles. In a clearing, the sun sparks off glass accents in a tawny-colored structure that appears to seamlessly rise from the rough earth. Here, the tractor slips up a smooth ramp onto the flat roof of Bodegas Portia—a rising star winery in the heart of Spain's Ribera del Duero's region. Nestled in a hillside of the Burgos district, Bodegas Portia repre - sents an innovative new investment by the Martínez family, owners of Rioja's celebrated Bodegas Faustino. Opened in October 2010, the winery marks a major milestone in the rapid and dynamic development of Ribera del Duero. A marvel of style and functionality, Bodegas Portia was designed by British architect Sir Norman Foster of Foster+Partners in London. Lord Foster notes the project was his first-ever winery, so there were no preconceptions about how its design would manifest and develop. "This project presented us with an opportunity to start from basic principles, to examine the different stages of wine production and create the ideal conditions for them to unfold," he explained. The materials—steel, glass, wood and concrete—pay homage to winemaking traditions, and the sleek design incorporates open public spaces with views of the dramatic landscape to "enhance the visitor experience," he said. Carmen Oros, Bodegas Portia's General Manager, said the repu - tation of Lord Foster's work—"functionality with a sense of style, while also maintaining a healthy respect for the environment and nature"—was a crucial factor in choosing him as architect. Indeed, from a distance the weathered Corten steel– and glass- clad winery—recipient of the 2011 RIBA Award—appears molded into the earth with a design that promotes seamless interaction between the vineyard and winemaking operation. The harvested grapes are delivered via gravity-fed processes into the belly of the three-story, one-million-bottle-capacity, 135,000-square-foot cellar. The star-shaped structure boasts three wings radiatating out from a central hub, each extension housing a different stage of wine production: fermentation in steel vats; maturing in oak; and aging and storage in bottle. The fermentation zone is located above ground with open vents to the outside to release carbon dioxide, while the barrel room and the bottle storage wing are partially submerged in the hillside for temperature and humidity control. Production is monitored via a command console at the central core, which also includes a public viewing gallery, and other hospi - tality overlooking the vineyards. Despite wine-growing traditions dating back to Roman times, Ribera del Duero long dwelled in the shadow of Rioja, undiscov - ered and overlooked, with a reputation for extreme weather and thin table wines of dubious pedigree. In the 1990s, however, the soaring success of Vega Sicilia swept the region into the international spotlight and solidified its reputa - tion as a source of world-class red wine. Capital investment and technical assistance poured in, often from high-profile owners of prestigious Rioja estates. Suddenly "starchitect"-designed wineries and award-winning Tempranillo wines were stealing the spotlight from Rioja. Wine tourism boomed. Situated on an elevated plateau roughly 120 miles north of Madrid and 70 miles southwest of Rioja, the Ribera del Duero D.O. (Denominación de Origen) is a landscape of contradictions. Dusty, rock-strewn vineyards produce lush, opulent wines. Mule carts clatter along sleepy roads that lead to state-of-the-art, mul - timillion dollar wineries. Vineyards thrive at heights of 2,300–3,300 feet above sea level, yet the terrain seems shaved and flattened. The conditions are "ideal" for grape growing: desert-like conditions by day, and frigid temperatures at night. Climatic conditions are fierce and intense, with biting winters, sudden storms, and icy winds followed by scorching summers (temperatures regularly exceed 100 degrees) with limited rain - fall (average annual precipitation measures 450 millimeters, 17.7 inches). "Ribera del Duero is one of Spain's most intriguing, romanti - cally bleak landscapes," noted Oros, adding that its "highest average elevation in Europe for growing red wine grapes creates signifi- cant differences in diurnal temperatures and rapid cooling in the evening, which helps to preserve acidity, consolidate flavors, and prolong ripening." Author and wine authority Oz Clarke, in his Encyclopedia of Grapes, noted that to achieve "elegance and acidity" from GRUPO FAUSTINO'S NEWEST WINERY SHINES BRIGHT AND DELIVERS "WINES WITH ALTITUDE" by Cliff Rames