Solar de Samaniego

Commissioned by Solar de Samaniego winery in the wine producing region of La Rioja, Northern Spain, this work honours the human stories of wine production In the region through the creation a monumental interior piece within the walls of the Bodegas of Solar de Samaniego.

Inspiration was drawn from a photographic exploration of the wine making process in the region, the industrial early 1970’s architecture of the building and space as well as the famous Portico located at the Church of Santa María de los Reyes in the town of Laguardia where the winery is situated. While the Portico displays a decoration of alternate human figures (virgins, prophets, martyrs, kings and angels) with plant motifs, this work aims to honour the present-day workers from the wine producers, harvesting, packaging and factory processes.

These works form the basis for the design of 7 limited edition GUIDO VAN HELTEN COLLECTION bottles Magnum de Solar de Samaniego Crianza 2016 DOCa Rioja fermented in concrete.