Monte de Oro Winery

LocationTemecula, CA

ArchitectDZN Partners

Set on 72 acres of vineyards, Monte de Oro Winery is owned by a consortium of 67 families from South Africa, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States who share a passion for wine and the potential of the Temecula Valley American (AVA) viticultural area. This ground-up, collaborative-vision project consisted of a central 21,000-square-foot tasting room flanked by two single-story wings. The facility was designed to produce between 8,000 and 11,000 cases of wine annually.

Sophisticated yet inviting, Monte de Oro unites Old World, Tuscan-inspired architecture with modern elegance. Because the winery is sited atop a knoll, the expansive tasting terrace offers a 180-degree, panoramic view of the horizon, showcasing the serene, rectangular reflection pool and 10,500-square-foot patio below, expansive surrounding vineyards, and regional mountain ranges.

The soaring, double-height tasting room features cathedral ceilings, two tasting bars, and glass floor that reveals a sneak-peak of the 900 barrels of wine housed in the underground working cellar below. Setting the winery structure into the slope of the knoll allows the basement barrel storage to be conveniently accessible from the rear of the building.

A leading winery in Southern California, Monte de Oro was instrumental to the early growth of the Temecula wine region. Nordby Construction brought the investment group’s robust, multifaceted vision to life through responsive communication, adaptable implementation, and expert craftsmanship. Stakeholders’ philosophy of careful attention to detail, approachability, and well-planned structure is reflected throughout the design and execution of the winery buildings and grounds.