Quixote Winery was created as a boutique winery by Carl Doumoni, the owner of the neighboring Stags Leap on the Silverado Trail in Napa, California. Doumoni persuaded “the delightfully witty Viennese artist, architect, philosopher and environmentalist Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928-2000)” to design the winery.
Hundertwasser and Doumani worked together from 1988 – 1998 on this marvelous creation.
Hundertwasser avoided straight lines, used bright colored ceramic tiles and columns, planted the roofs and capped buildings “with a golden turret to elevate man’s sense of himself.”
Our tour guide, a self-described Napakin, gave us our first tasting in the welcome room. We carried our glass throughout the tour and received additional pours of their various wines, all delicious.
The tastings continued in the tasting room, paired with sharp cheeses and crisp crackers.
After the guided tour we continued exploring outside the winery enjoying the gardens and quirky architecture. The guide said the owner has put Quixote on the market for $35 million. If you want to tour, make a reservation. They have been known to turn away people who think of themselves as VIPs.
Sep 072012