Hill Country Wine Cave
HILL COUNTRY WINE CAVE
Clayton Korte
ARCHITECTS
Clayton Korte
INTERIOR DESIGN
Clayton Korte
MANUFACTURERS
Lutron, 3G Lighting, B-K Lighting, Blum, Ecosense, Fantech, InSinkErator, Kohler, Miele, RAB Lighting, Rocky Mountain Hardware, SIMONSWERK North America, Sistemalux, Deltana, Dorma, Ghost, Knauff, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Perlick Signature Series, Rocky Mountain, Rubio Monocoat Plus, Sub Zero drawers, Tech, Watermark Designs, WhisperKOOL, Wolf E Series
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Monday Builders
MECHANICAL ENGINEER
Positive Energy
LIGHTING DESIGN
Studio Lumina
CIVIL ENGINEER
Intelligent Engineering Services
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
Ssg Structural Engineers
PRINCIPAL ARCHITECTS
Brian Korte Faia, Camden Greenlee Aia, Josh Nieves, Brandon Tharp, Nicole Corwin
LOCATION
Johnson City, United States
CATEGORY
Residential Architecture
Located at the eastern edge of the Texas Hill Country, this private wine cave serves as a destination along a secluded bend in the Blanco River.
Excavated into the north face of a solid limestone hillside, this shotcrete-lined tube is protected on the East and West by tall oak and elm trees, allowing it to nearly disappear within the native landscape.
The unassuming exterior entry court reveals a bit of mystery as it provides just a glimpse of what lies within.
Heavy limestone boulders, collected from the excavation, and lush vegetation further camouflage the entry as you descend into the mouth of the cave.
A tasting lounge, bar, wine cellar, and restroom are all tucked into an 18’ tall x 70’ deep existing tunnel.
The exterior opening of the cave is capped with a board-formed concrete portal that molds to the irregular surfaces of the limestone and structurally retains the mouth of the earth cut.
The concrete is meant to patina naturally over time as native moss and ivy clings to the face and climbs onto the flanking limestone walls to further blend the headwall into its surroundings.
Once inside, a study of White Oak, both raw and ebonized, mixes with vertical grain Douglas fir to panel the walls and dropped ceilings as a warm contrast to more rugged concrete and stone that surrounds.
Custom insulated and thermally broken steel and wood windows provide separation between the interior and exterior, as well as the entertaining lounge and the chilled cellar.
Reclaimed cedar was salvaged and milled for live-edged countertop surfaces for the tasting bar and the floating restroom vanity.
Sitting under the fully arched profile at the back of the cave, the private cellar is surrounded by casework providing storage for an ever-expanding private collection of +/-4,000 bottles.
This space is thermally controlled by the naturally colder subterranean temperatures with supplemental cooling to help maintain an optimal atmosphere of 55-60 degrees.
