Travel the narrow, wooded and windy road into the heart of the Stags Leap District and you will find a winery of similar character – no straight lines, a deep connection with its natural surroundings and bright bursts of color are all part of the charm of Quixote Winery. When owner Carl Doumani decided to build Quixote Winery, he found inspiration in famed Viennese architect and artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. The result is a whimsical winery that befits its legendary name.
Contrary to Don Quixote’s famous first line “In a place at La Mancha, which name I do not want to remember…”, Quixote winery is one that you definitely don’t want to forget. It took Hundertwasser ten years to design and build the winery. His philosophy of design centered around several rules that included among others, no straight lines and planting the roofs with grass and trees. Sadly, Hundertwasser did not get to see his completed work. He died in 2000, just before the completion of the winery.
Although you may visit Quixote Winery for the art, the wines are worth the visit themselves. The winery makes two wines under the Quixote label (which Hundertwasser designed for Doumani) and two wines under a second label called Panza. The wines are Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Syrah. All of the fruit is sourced from the family’s 27-acre, organically farmed estate vineyard. They Quixote Petite Syrah is my favorite – a rich, silky wine with deep and juicy flavors of blackberry, plum and blueberry.
Written by Linzi
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