Fine wine and architecture make for a nice pairing. Where to find it? Quixote Winery in Napa Valley, California. I recently had the opportunity to attend a tasting here and truly enjoyed their signature “screw cap” Petite Syrah. It seems most everyone does, including the staff at Food and Wine magazine who rated Quixote one of the twenty best new wineries in the world between 1999 and 2004.
However, even more amazing than the wine is the winery’s architecture. Quixote is the first, last and only building in North America ever designed by the legendary Viennese antimodernist architect Frederick Hundertwasser.
Hunderwasser Designed Winery
As you can tell from the winery’s architecture, Hundertwasser wasn’t a fan of straight lines, flat surfaces or right angles. In fact, none of his projects feature them. Quixote is no exception. From its onion-shaped dome covered in gold leaf to its rounded pillar columns and uneven lines – Quixote was one of Hundertwasseis’ last testaments to the ornate, curvaceous designs of Europe. The winery took 10 years to build, and the architect did not see it in its final state. Quixote with its Dr. Seuss -like décor, bright colorful mosaic tiles and delicious wines is a must stop destination when in the Napa Valley.
