I didn’t taste any wine or walk through any vineyards at St. Innocent; instead, I had the rare honor of walking through the entire construction site with Mark as my guide. The new four-story winery located in Zenith Vineyard encompasses 7,500 square feet and will host a tasting room, barrel rooms, temperature-controlled crush floor, kitchen, an 800-guest wedding facility, to-die-for views of Zenith Vineyard, and an outdoor terrace.

Mark was able to explain in detail where every item will go in the soon-to-be industrial kitchen. He elaborated on how his design would make the most sense of the workstations for the catering staff: why the oven is where it is, the dishwasher, and so forth. He would know since he is a hands-on chef at home. So even though I was walking through a practically empty concrete space, thanks to Mark’s careful description and clear vision, it was as if I had been touring a fully furnished and operating winery. The tasting room is due to open by January of 2008. Stay tuned.