Pioneer of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Partners with Visionary Designer
Brancott Estate Announces Collaboration with Studio Dror
Brancott Estate Announces Collaboration with Studio Dror
NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The pioneer of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, Brancott Estate, today announced its first-ever design collaboration with Dror Benshetrit, founder of Studio Dror. The partnership will translate the winery's innovation-driven spirit and winemaking process through design.
Benshetrit's vision, informed by an immersive visit to New Zealand with Brancott Estate Chief Winemaker Patrick Materman, will come to life as a permanent, site-specific installation entitled Under/standing, as well as a small-scale interpretation in the form of a wine rack, Present.
"The vocabulary Patrick used -- body, expansion, volume -- resonated with me," says Benshetrit. "I envisioned an installation that appeared as if it grew from the ground in the same geometric orientation as the grapevines, while encapsulating the entire winemaking process with its static presence."
Since 1975, when Brancott Estate first introduced the Sauvignon Blanc grape to the Marlborough region, the winery has continued to push the boundaries of convention through different expressions of the now-iconic varietal as well as pioneering other varietals in the region. The award-winning wine company wanted to collaborate with a designer who could bring the Brancott Estate story to life, merging imagination and functionality in a way that also reflects Benshetrit's ethos.
"Dror's appreciation for craftsmanship and holistic approach to design has a strong synergy with our brand values," says Materman. "Transformation underpins all of his work and this reflects our history and spirit in a way that is truly exciting and pioneering."
The vineyard installation, which will be revealed in 2016, will unfold from among the vines into a structure of aggregated triangulations. Made of CorTen steel, which will weather naturally to blend into the environment, Under/standing will stand nine meters high when erect. Visitors to the Brancott Estate Heritage Centre will be able to visit the installation, which will provide a unique venue for wine tastings and events, and witness its complex geometric construction from all angles.
The wine rack, produced by New York manufacturer Bengal Fierro, utilizes the same geometry used in Under/standing but on a smaller scale, and is a nod to the in-the-moment nature of enjoying a bottle of wine. Unfolded from its flat-packed state, it can accommodate up to six bottles of Brancott Estate wine. It is a reflection of the transformative winemaking process, where grapes become wine through a number of interlinked processes. A limited first run of 500 wine racks have been produced; a small number of these will be available to purchase from the Brancott Estate Heritage Centre in Marlborough.
Based in New York, Benshetrit's ideas-driven, collaborative work is rooted in the notion of change. His work is included in the permanent collections of museums in North America, Europe and the Middle East. He currently serves on the board of the Museum of Arts and Design in New York.
Brancott Estate has received many international awards, including the Best of Nation award at the San Francisco International Wine Competition in 2015. Having created the first Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, Brancott Estate now exports to 50 countries globally and is recognized as one of the leading examples of this now iconic wine style.
To purchase a limited edition of the wine rack, Present, at a cost of US $325 (NZ $475), please contact the Brancott Estate Heritage Centre at [email protected] or +64 3520 6975.
About Brancott Estate™
Honoring its Marlborough heritage, Brancott Estate wines take their name from Brancott Vineyard, home of the original Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc; one of the world's favorite New Zealand wine styles. In 1973, Brancott Vineyard was planted with vines, a decision that went against the popular opinion of the time that the South Island was too cold to grow grapes. In 1975, Brancott Vineyard was planted with the first Sauvignon Blanc vines in Marlborough. This pioneering determination and skill of their winemakers and viticulturists continues to be evident in every bottle, as is the care and respect for the land that is integral to Brancott Estate.
Brancott Estate is committed to sustainable practices and is a founding member of New Zealand's original sustainable winegrowing initiative established in 1995. This program has since transformed into Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ). All vineyards and wineries are accredited under the scheme.
Wines within the Brancott Estate range include Brancott Estate classic, the purest expressions of our most popular varietals, including the original Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc; Brancott Estate Flight Song, naturally crafted to be 20 per cent lighter in alcohol and Brancott Estate Chosen Rows Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, a prestigious, age-worthy wine to rival the world's best Sauvignon Blanc.
Enjoy Brancott Estate wines responsibly. Brancott Estate is a trademark of Pernod Ricard Winemakers New Zealand Limited.
About Studio Dror
Dror creates ideas as a vehicle for change. Guided by a holistic core concept, each of its projects unleashes meaning through transformation where a structural, emotional, or metaphorical shift yields profound results. The studio's passion for ideas stems from more than a desire to disrupt: Ideas reflect its experimental spirit and boundless imagination, and allow the studio to initiate a radical alchemy across disciplines. The studio uses ideas as a medium to achieve value, integrity, and authentic connections.
The New York studio is led by Dror Benshetrit, a designer, thinker, dreamer, and futurist whose ingenuity informs a striking range of affecting, unconventional work. Together, they tackle ambitious pursuits by considering the big picture. The studio's intentionally cross-disciplinary work sharpens our larger understanding of the contemporary environment—built, aesthetic, or otherwise—fueling its ability to devise unexpected yet valuable ideas that lay at the intersection of art, architecture, and design. Rooted in the notion of change, a process in which an object is curiously indeterminate, Studio Dror's work effectively blurs and pushes boundaries.
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151020/278897
SOURCE Brancott Estate
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