Famous as the birthplace of a nation, and home to its founding father George Washington, Virginia is also renowned worldwide for its bluegrass music, its spectacular landscapes – and its wine.
Steeped in history, Virginia has over 400 years of viticultural tradition with its diverse terrain and mild climate making it ideal for the cultivation of popular grape varieties including Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon as well as Virginia’s native Norton grape.
The valleys of the state’s famous Blue Ridge mountains provide the ideal microclimate for wine production, and it’s here we find the breathtaking Primland Resort by Auberge – home to a stunning Renaissance wine cellar enclosure. Let’s explore this stunning venue and how our products proved the perfect fit.
Escape to the wild
Rated #1 in the southeast by Condé Nast Traveler, Primland Resort is a 12,000-acre estate boasting a mixture of beautifully-appointed hotel, chalet and cottage accommodation, with stunning views over the Dan River Gorge and the rolling pastoral landscape beyond.
But the venue’s true magic is its secluded location – it’s a 15-minute drive from the front gate to the heart of the resort itself, giving Primland the feeling of a real escape into the wilderness.
Visitors flock to the resort for the activities – Primland started its life as a golf course, opened in 2006 to instant acclaim and still esteemed by serious golfers to this day.
But as well as the more sedate activities like golf, treetop yoga, stargazing in the hotel observatory or indulging in the deluxe spa, there’s an almost limitless array of outdoor pursuits, from ATV tours to mountaineering, hunting, fishing, paddleboarding and horseback riding.
And when another busy but exhilarating day is done, guests can retreat to the supreme comfort of the Lodge with its inviting surroundings and collection of intimate dining spaces, designed to take them on a culinary journey through the tastes of Appalachia and offering everything from exquisite fine dining to comforting Southern fayre.
Promoting Virginia viticulture
The perfect complement to its gastronomic offering is Primland’s famous Schlumberger wine cellar, the venue for regular tasting events and often reserved for intimate, private functions.
Named after Primland’s sister property, Domaines Schlumberger in France’s Alsace region, this intimate space showcases the resort’s nearly 450 labels from over 18 countries and some of the world’s finest vineyards, with old and new world varietals to complement all of the exceptional fayre offered at Primland.
Seating 12 guests for dinner, the wine cellar features a softly vaulted ceiling with timber cladding throughout, creating a cocooning, underground feel that chimes perfectly with Appalachian vernacular style.
Down each side of the space, the wines are displayed within Renaissance Revival wine cellar enclosures – our most minimalist design, featuring ultra-slender, muntin-free doors with beautifully narrow sightlines that create a virtually frameless look, allowing the wines themselves to shine.
Ageing like a fine wine
Working alongside Michelle Murphy of Demi Ryan Home interior design and our distributor Wine Cellars of the Carolinas, this system was custom designed to include a mix of single and paired doors in two different widths, creating visual interest and adapting the available space for both storage and display of the venue’s most prestigious wines.
Our Revival wine cellar system comes with insulated, tempered glass and silicone bulb weather stripping as standard, ensuring the wines are maintained at the optimal temperature and humidity.
The doors were finished in our signature hand-rubbed charcoal patina, with solid bronze edge pulls and multi-point locks to keep this hugely valuable collection secure at all times.
With their natural corrosion resistance and living finish, the doors – much like the wines they contain – will continue to evolve and mature over time, playing their part in the story of a venue that will continue to delight and inspire its patrons for many generations to come.
Custom bronze wine cellar design
To find out more about this specific project, or to discuss your vision for an upcoming hospitality or residential wine cellar, simply get in touch with the Renaissance team. Alternatively, you can find your nearest Renaissance showroom here.
