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Spanish Winemaker Sets New Sustainable Heights
By Richard Esling
Beronia’s new winery in La Rioja, Spain, is a peerless architectural milestone in the winemaking world, and demonstrates their non-negotiable commitment to sustainability and the environment.
Bodegas Beronia completed their new 100% sustainable winery last year in Rioja. The [Beronia] wineries have been holistically designed, ensuring they leave the lightest possible footprints on their environments. Considered a benchmark in winery design, Beronia is the first winery in Europe to have been certified by Leader in Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Design as well as the Wineries for Climate Protection. Energy comes from solar panels and structural thermos-activation using a passive heating and cooling system that minimizes energy transfer to and from the outside. Future proofing against climate change, the system can auto-correct if necessary, altering the average temperature of the barrel hall and bottle store to ensure perfect conditions. Nestling almost imperceptibly into the gently rolling landscape of the Rioja Alta, the green-roofed sustainable building is mostly below ground level, blending seamlessly into the hillside. Using gravity to minimize energy consumption throughout the winemaking process, it ends in the barrel hall deep underground, where the constant temperatures are ideal for aging.
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