Seppeltsfield & Fino
As one of the first wineries in Australia, Seppeltsfield has a unique collection of historic buildings. A change of ownership has enabled a revitalization of the company including a substantial upgrade of the cellar door facility and the inclusion of the award winning restaurant, Fino.
The original bottling hall was a dramatic space with its stone walls, high trussed roof and high roof windows. In recent decades it was divided up for storage and cellar door facilities. The new work has focused on restoring the space to its original impressive character.
A mezzanine was added to facilitate access to the world famous 150 year old fortified wine collection. Inspiration for the mezzanine came from unrealised drawings by the original architect.
New steps were formed down to the old concrete and brick wine vats. Walls and vat lids were removed, the openings were left raw, creating a unique dining space.
Rather than a long bar for the cellar door tastings, five circular pods enable more visitors to be served conveniently and read as sculptural objects in the large vibrant space.
A restrained colour/material palette was selected: recycled slate, oak reflecting the wine barrel tradition, industrial black and white.
Year Completed
2015
Photography
Sam Noonan