Possessing the largest vineyard of southeastern Europe, Nemea presents itself as an ideal site for designing a winery. Besides the vines, twenty-five centuries of history have left us a significant archaeological site, elements of which influence the creative process, connecting the ancient side of the area, that is the games with the modern which is the wine.

A winery is being suggested on the southwestern end of the valley. Placing it above the vineyard, the winery can supervise both theoretically and practically the crops. What define the design are the horizontal lines, which act as a border between the cropped acres of the valley and the wild nature of the mountain. The linearity of the building is a reference to the roads that connect the wineries of the network “wine roads”.

The winery uses 3 levels, taking advantage of the pitch. The entrance of the grapes is on one level, the exit of the finished wine on another and a third level in between is for the visitors. The visitor follows the path of the wine walking on a parallel corridor, separated from the production rooms by a transparent glass surface, that lets them watch but not interfere, protecting the quality of the final product. The wine-cellar is the only part of the winery, where the path of the visitor coincides with the production process.

The secret pathway in the archaeological area of Nemea that connected the stadium with the vestry triggered this study. Sheltered corridors to both directions are integrated into the design, connecting several spaces of the building. Two pathways intersect the building vertically, ending at the underground oblong wine-cellar and two horizontal pass through it as movement pathways.

The winery is a short stop in the grape’s route from the vine to the table.