Some of the oldest wineries in Europe resemble castles and stately homes. If you have ever been inside a palace, you may have noted art collections such as statuary, oil paintings and tapestries. Though business was surely transacted in palaces, and guides might show tourists the rooms where critical letters were written, mainly it is difficult to view them as places of work. Mind you, there was business in the slightest social gathering, made to look like a good time. Diplomacy and all that.
Castles and stately homes belonging to wineries therefore stand out. A winery is the site of much bustle and work. The business of wine makers is not in diplomacy (though sales are important); their business is the grape, the cellar, barrels and bottles.
Visitors might still see fine art collections inside these buildings,while their architecture constitutes an art form in itself.
Examples include Chateau Palmer in Bordeaux. Built in 1856 it represents a mix of styles: Baroque, Renaissance and Classical. Though lacking the columns familiar to late eighteenth century neo-classicism, the chateau still reflects balance in its overall appearance and arragement of windows, shutters etc. Blue shutters against white provide a sunny disposition to the facade, while two conical towers, one at either side, remind one of Cinderella’s castle. Park, topiaries, and flowerbeds indicate that precision on the outside is mimicked on the inside, where wine is discussed.
Chateau Giraud was first known as ‘La Maison Noble du Bayle’, taking the name Guirard after its new owner in 1766. It’s imposing facade is approached by a long, hedge-lined drive. This wide, three story building takes on that same symmetry of classical proportions, but is magnificent if flat and stern in the Baroque fashion. The photo I am looking at depicts the chateau on a sunny day, yet I could easily imagine this as a Gothic mansion of darkness were the sky black and threatening, nearby trees bending over against a strong wind.
Chateau Pape Clement takes its name from the future Pope Clement V, Bertrand de Goth, who gave the property to the Archbishop of Bordeaux in 1309. Different views show a number of qualities: turreted square tower with wide circular turreted tower above. A pointy peaked roof combines with these, adding yet another layer to a style perhaps influenced by one of the Gothic phases. Painted white and quite beautiful amid its grounds (pictured above), it suggests liveliness, welcome, being less foreboding than the angular Giraud.
The study of vineyards is not, after all, just about filling your wine rack with the best wines. This is a look at history, reminding me that this much loved drink has been popular for a long time and will continue to be.
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