An international collaboration

Already they are the sponsors of the World of Wearable Arts, an iconic artistic endeavor. But for the first time they are collaborating with an international designer to create an artistic masterpiece for the Brancott Vineyard.

The collaboration is with Dror Benshetrit, founder of Studio Dror in New York. Google his name and you will come up with a very long list of achievements, with reams of magazine space dedicated to his innovative designs. A graduate of the Design Academy Eindhoven, his work is among 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.

The brief from Brancott Estate was to translate the winery's innovation-driven spirit and winemaking process through a unique design. He spent time in Marlborough with Brancott Estate Chief Winemaker Patrick Materman, to get his own feel for the environment and the ethos of the company.

"Dror is an incredibly creative guy who works with some of the biggest international brands," Materman said. "But when he came over, it was about showing him the Estate, getting a feel for where we are and how we have got here. His appreciation for craftsmanship and holistic approach to design has a strong synergy with our brand values. Transformation underpins all of his work and this reflects our history and spirit in a way that is truly exiting and pioneering. I think he gained a real sense of not only our wines but Marlborough as a whole."

For Benshetrit, spending time on the ground and getting a feel for the wines helped in his design.

"The vocabulary Patrick used, body, expansion, volume, resonated with me," he said. "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."

The end result, to be known as Under/standing, will unfold from among the vines at Brancott Estate into a structure of aggregated triangulations. As it will be made of CorTen steel, it will weather naturally to blend into the environment. What's more it won't be easy to miss, given it will stand nine metres tall. It is expected to be unveiled late in 2016.

Materman says the installation will not only provide a visual highlight, it will also provide a unique venue for wine tastings and events, at the Brancott Estate Heritage Centre.

While the nine metre installation will provide fantastic photo opportunities, those intrigued by the design will be able to take a miniature version home, in the form of a unique wine rack. Utilising the same geometry used in Under/standing, the rack is being built by manufacturer Bengal Fierro, also based in New York.

Beginning as a flat pack, the wine rack will be able to store six bottles of wine.

A limited first run of 500 has already been produced and a small number of these will go on sale at the Brancott Estate Heritage Centre.