A Wine Country Tour of Concreteworks
March 2, 2010
A few weeks ago our photographer Mariko Reed and I toured Napa County to capture some of our most notable winery projects for our new website. We took the entire day to explore the variety of concrete surfaces at five beautiful wineries from Napa to Yountville. We didn’t have a chance to do any wine tasting but we came back with a great collection of tasting surface images. Check out our mobile me gallery to view more.
Etude Winery designed by MH Architects. Concreteworks made the tasting surfaces with one of our most popular mixes using rice hulls.
The Solaris Kitchen at Stagsleap Wine Cellars, concrete surfaces used throughout the kitchen.
The Yountville tasting room for Girard Winery has a unique and elegant tasting bar.
Concreteworks made the panels for the wine tanks for Ovid Winery of St. Helena, inlaid with hand cut stones.
The Nido Oven is the newest venture by Nico Monday of Chez Panisse and Mark Rogero of Concreteworks. Located at Scribe Winery of Sonoma.
Food & Wine at Scribe Winery
January 6, 2010
Food and Wine Magazine hosted an editorial photo shoot at Scribe Winery in Sonoma on Tuesday, kicking off the new year with a party drawing Bay Area foodies, designers, farmers, musicians and wine industry folks. Scribe wine was served on the outdoor patio as well as delicious wood fired pizzas cooked open air by Chris Kronner of Bar Tartine and Nico Monday of Chez Panisse in the first ever Concreteworks Wood Burning Oven. The atmosphere at Scribe Winery is both breathtaking and fascinating. The property has a 100-year old Spanish Revival Hacienda, one of the oldest vineyards in California and is surrounded by preserved wilderness. Located on Napa Road, the Hacienda overlooks the vineyards below and the mountain ridge above. This harmonious balance between wild and cultivated is owner, Andrew Mariani’s vision for the future of Scribe. Currently work is being done to restore the vineyards to a thriving ecosystem and the land to it’s natural slope. Aidlin Darling Design has been hired to restore the Hacienda as well as build a new tasting room and production facility with a light footprint. For more information about upcoming food and wine events at Scribe Winery featuring our Wood Burning Oven, subscribe to our newsletter: requests@concreteworks.com.
Sexy Concrete Exists.
December 9, 2009
Yes, it’s surprising, we know. The ambience downstairs at Midi puts out a vibe that emanates from the bar itself, not the people around it. After being reassured by the hostess that it’s just concrete, you just have to investigate further. As you draw your face closer and closer to the thousands of softly glowing lights, squint your eyes and lightly touch the smooth concrete surface, you may ask yourself, how did this happen? Well, that’s our little secret. Order some cocktails and play a few rounds of connect the glowing dots before heading upstairs for some French Californian cuisine.
Check out Midi Restaurant at Sutter and Kearny next time you’re downtown, there’s nothing quite like it. View slideshow here.
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Twitter HQ Takes Flight
December 3, 2009
Excited Twitter employees moved into their new HQ office a few weeks ago designed by Sara Morishige Williams. Impressed by the bright colors, simple concept, and the sensation to take flight, our very own Mark Rogero describes the space as “fresh thinking.” Inspired by a photograph of hundreds of crows both huddled together on the ground and taking off over the landscape, Sara has incorporated the Twitter Mascot’s cousin, the crow into the design. Sara brings the outdoors in by using a less cartoon like graphic representation of the Twitter bird and ignites a flying frenzy on the walls and also the Concreteworks conference tables. It was a fun collaboration with Sara and also Mike Clark, who made the bases clad with reclaimed barn wood. The 20 foot long surface encases soaring white crows. We’ll be shooting the project soon but in the meantime check out our progress video and view more photos in Michelle Kaufmann’s blog.
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Bocanova
November 27, 2009
New on the block. Bocanova Restaurant is the most recent addition to Oakland’s Jack London Square District. This waterfront eatery is open for lunch and dinner serving exciting Pan-American flavors that honor the mostly Latino kitchen staff, lead by Chef/Owner Rick Hackett. Have a cocktail or a round of tapas at the bar and test out our contribution to the restaurant. The bartops were a unique project for us, mixing two colors of concrete to create a graphic texture that reminds us of the archipelago. Meredith the owner, loves the bar and it’s warm surface, “Concrete isn’t stone cold.”
Our website is coming soon….in the mean time check out our mobile me gallery.
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Concreteworks at SOEX
September 23, 2009
We are excited to announce our partnership with SOEX. Southern Exposure , the nearly 35 year community arts organization is well underway on the construction of their new home at Alabama Street in the Mission District of San Francisco. In collaboration with SOEX architect Rick Johnson and Executive Director Courtney Fink we designed and fabricated a custom sink for the new gallery. The official SOEX Public Grand Opening + Block Party + Bellwether Opening will be October 17th. Check out the details here and enjoy the artful sink.
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Penelope and Pyrite in Oakland
June 24, 2009
Penelope opened last week in Oakland, CA . Located near the corner of Clay and 12th near downtown, Penelope is the latest addition to the Bay Area boutique cocktail scene. Penelope , the unassuming, patient and cunning wife of Odysseus who weaves and misguides her suitors for nearly four years by promising to marry once the shroud she was making was complete. Meanwhile , busy at the loom by day and secretly unravelling her work by night she manged to fend them off until eventually being betrayed. Penelope, designed by Lauren Geremia , features a Concreteworks bar-top with inlaid Pyrite Suns. Formed over 350 million years ago in a thin seam of of slate above coal deposits in southern Illinois, you might mistake these concretions for petrified sand dollars. Displayed in contrast to their past in a bed of white dolomite sand , these specimens can now be admired and enjoyed for the next 350 million years. Be sure to check out this new bar and discover for yourself the connection between Penelope, the symbol of fidelity, recovered Pyrite , and great cocktails.
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Film : Rome Food Movie
June 17, 2009
Coming soon : Rome Food Movie . My good friend Zach Shapiro along with Robert Libetti are creating a short film about the Rome Sustainable Food Project, illustrating how Chef Mona Talbot, Sous Chef Chris Boswell and their staff connect the products of local farmers to the kitchen, feeding the people working and residing at the American Academy in Rome. The Academy awards the prestigious Rome Prize to a selected group of artists and scholars invited to Rome to pursue their creative goals in an atmosphere conducive to artistic innovation and progressive scholarship. Zach is back in New York editing after shooting for 6 weeks on location at the Academy and at the small organic farms outside Rome. Knowing Zach’s passion for food, where it comes from , how it’s prepared , how it’s consumed and how it relates to our health and well being, this film will be a creative window into the lives of the people who make the Rome Sustainable Food Project a success. If you’re a foodie and interested in supporting this exciting project, Zach has created a very clever, convenient and affordable fund raising structure to meet the cost needs which is based on 333 people each donating $33 . Each contributor will receive a DVD of the movie- what a deal! . Check out this 3 minute, made with a point and shoot camera, video snippet that was the inspiration to make the film. In Zach’s own words, ” I am inspired to share this experience by making a documentary that will demonstrate how farm, kitchen and consumer are bound together by the cycle of life. “ Donate here.
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Visiting Baker Lane Vineyards
June 16, 2009
I recently had the opportunity to visit with Stephen Singer at Baker Lane Vineyards in Sebastapol , CA. Stephen and his wife built a stunning modern house in the midst of their working 15 acre farm where they grow olives, and produce Syrah and Pinot Noir . The house, designed by SKA Architects and built by Fairweather Associates , includes Concreteworks fabricated kitchen countertops . We also provided the countertops next to the pizza oven in the outdoor kitchen as well as the Jenner Lounges out by the pool overlooking the vineyards. Touring the farm is truly a special experience. Kicking through the dirt and hearing the stories of the history of the property and the trials of farm life reminded me of a tour I had of a rural farm outside of Torino in Northern Italy. Seeing their meticulous approach to crafting the property including the many solar solutions, erosion management systems, selection of recycled and sustainable materials and organic farming practices was inspiring. The property is also the home of Stephen Singer ,Olio, a olive oil importing venture Stephen started over 10 years ago.
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Travel: Visiting Riviera Maya
June 15, 2009
I spent this past week in Tulum, Mexico on the Yucatan Peninsula. Although I noticed some changes since my first trip in ‘96 , it’s still as beautiful as the first time. The buildings are sparse, the beaches are nearly pristine, the food is simple , the Mayan people are peaceful and the water is unforgetable. The intention for the trip was to rest, to swim,to read and to learn more about and practice Mysore Ashtanga Yoga. Although I’ve practiced Yoga over the past 7 years or so I’ve never appreciated it as I do now after learning about the Mysore style. The week was organized by New Orleans based Melanie Fawer , one of the very few women to be certified to teach this style of Yoga which originated in the Southern Indian city of Mysore. What’s interesting about Mysore is that it’s not ” led” by an instructor. Instead, students use their breathing to move them through the series of sequential postures. I learned to appreciate not only the rigor of the discipline but also the beauty and the grace that comes with it.
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