You immediately feel the warmth of coming “home” as you amble through the shaded redwood grove and gardens.
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/flowers-summer-201930273-weblandscape-1600x1200.jpg)
The experience is at once transportive and utterly Californian. The design pays homage to the history of the land while elevating each element. Reimagining what was a series of simple industrial buildings, new pathways and expanded gardens provide the perfect setting to enjoy a particularly fine wine.
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/flowers-summer-201930259-v3-reflections-copy-webvertical2-1200x1600.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/flowers-summer-201930279-copy-webvertical2-1200x1600.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/flowers-summer-201930279-copy-webvertical2-1200x1600.jpg)
A grove of redwoods leads you to a dramatic entryway with a dark stained exterior. The contrast of light and shadow is reflected in the vertical lines of the wooden siding, establishing a theme that is echoed throughout the property, from the trellised vines to the slim rails of the staircase.
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/flowers-summer-201930114-v3-copy-weblandscape-e1675961114942-1600x1208.jpg)
Both wine and landscape have a rich complexity. The vineyards extend to the Sonoma ridge tops where the grapes grow in the summer sun. The result is restrained Burgundian-style wines that sing through the glass.
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/735-flowers-summer-201929769-01-01-webvertical2-1192x1600.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/735-flowers-summer-201929841-01-01-webvertical2-1238x1600.jpg)
“The desire was to create an environment where guests feel like they are entering our home, experiencing wines crafted without compromise and shared without pretension.”
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/flowers-summer-201929806-v3-copy-webvertical2-e1675751735271-1161x1600.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/735-flowers-summer-201929827-01-01-webvertical2-1204x1600.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/735-flowers-summer-201929827-01-01-webvertical2-1204x1600.jpg)
Guests are invited to slow down and take in their surroundings. While there are many inviting enclaves to discover indoors, the building acts as a portal to the garden, where rammed earth walls and entwining vines begin to speak to the terroir.
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/735-flowers-summer-201929943-02-02-weblandscape-1600x1201.jpg)
“The experience reveals itself slowly—each step is choreographed and builds upon the preceding movement to emphasize contrasts and connections.”
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/735-flowers-summer-201930217-02-02-webvertical2-1207x1600.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/735-flowers-summer-201930201-02-02-webvertical2-1296x1600.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/735-flowers-summer-201930201-02-02-webvertical2-1296x1600.jpg)
There’s a casual feeling of having food with friends, with an in-house chef serving small bites to enhance the flavors of the wine. The desire, noted the owners, was to create an environment that feels like home.
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/735-flowers-summer-201929930-02-02-weblandscape-1600x1201.jpg)
“Our approach was deceptively simple—let nature dominate and use architecture to frame the experience.”
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/flowers-summer-201929907-v3-copy-weblandscape-1600x1201.jpg)
Process & Details
Turning Old Into New
After acquiring the site, the owners looked to renovate the outdated structures with minimal intervention, while ensuring the venue became a modern destination for wine tasting.
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/flowers-vml-winery-bwa-117.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/flowers-process-24.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/735-flowers-summer-201930002-01-01-weblandscape-1600x1128.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/flowers-vml-winery-bwa-058.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/735-flowers-summer-201930095-02-02-weblandscape-1600x1248.jpg)
Enriching the Site
The existing buildings were largely disconnected from their rich landscape, so the strategy was to enrich the site by creating a new procession and orienting guests to the surroundings.
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/flowers-process-5.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/flowers-process-26.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/flowers-landscape-zones-copy-1600x884.jpg)
Clad in Shadow
The slatted exterior is an abstraction of the wood siding of the existing building. Painted a shadowy black to help the building recede into the background, the slats allow light and ventilation to subtly flow through.
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/flowers-process-6.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/flowers-process-36.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/a9438d16-ac80-4fd9-bab6-cf2dcf3ded87-weblandscape-1600x1067.jpg)
Take the Stairs
Up a dramatic stairway, guests are received into a light-filled hospitality area with residential-inspired spaces.
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/flowers-process-1.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/flowers-process-14.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/flowers-process-2.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/735-flowers-summer-201930282-01-01-webvertical2-1280x1600.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/img-2489.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/735-flowers-summer-201930072-01-01-webvertical2-1262x1600.jpg)
Stumped
Sustainability is further reinforced via functional wood installations made of salvaged logs by artist Evan Shively.
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/flowers-process-19-1200x1600.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/flowers-process-37.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/dsc09897.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/img-5046.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/dsc01433.jpg)