15 Key Tips for Building a Winery (Wine, Olive Oil, or Craft Beer)

ARCHITECTURE

Oct 29

Written By Francisco Javier Muñoz Fuentes

If you are thinking of building a winery in Málaga, Almería, Jaén, or Ronda, it is essential to plan every detail. Whether it is a wine cellar, olive oil cellar, or craft beer cellar, these 15 tips will guide you to create an efficient, functional, and profitable space. Keep reading to discover them!

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1. LAND SELECTION AND ORIENTATION

Selecting the plot in Málaga, Almería, Jaén, or Ronda is key for a successful winery project. Consider orientation, slope, natural ventilation, and sunlight exposure. For wine, olive oil, or craft beer cellars, it is essential to maintain storage areas with stable temperature and humidity. Topography can protect walls from direct sun, as seen in traditional Andalusian wineries.

2. THERMAL MASS AND CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

To ensure proper preservation of the product (wine, olive oil, craft beer), a winery design must "breathe" thermally and have sufficient thermal mass to buffer daily temperature fluctuations typical of the Mediterranean climate. Thick walls, materials with good thermal insulation, concrete or brick in storage halls, and coatings to prevent overheating are crucial. This principle is fundamental in both underground wineries and modular cellar constructions.

3. CONTROL OF NATURAL LIGHT AND INDIRECT LIGHTING

Direct sunlight can affect both raw materials and equipment (wine, beer, oils) and causes overheating. Therefore, winery design uses skylights, high openings, and light filters to allow visibility without direct radiation. In areas like Málaga, Axarquía, or Vega de Antequera, it is important to provide solar protection, overhangs, shading elements, and roof designs that minimize sun exposure.

4. CROSS VENTILATION AND HUMIDITY CONTROL

Ventilation is crucial in any fermentation cellar, especially for wine cellars (and also in olive oil or craft beer production during certain stages). It helps remove excess humidity and control stale air. In regions like Ronda or Jaén, where temperatures rise during the day and cool at night, planning cross ventilation and mechanical ventilation when needed is essential. Winery architects consider patios, high windows, and shaded porches from the design phase.

5. INTEGRATION WITH LANDSCAPE AND CLIMATE

In Málaga, Almería, Jaén, or Ronda, the winery project should integrate into the Mediterranean landscape, taking advantage of views, slopes, and native vegetation to create favorable microclimates. This means that a craft winery renovation is not a generic container but responds to its context: orientation against prevailing winds, shading vegetation, heat-absorbing pavements, and reflective roof surfaces.

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6. DESIGN OF HALLS AND VOLUMES ADAPTED TO PRODUCTION

Whether a wine cellar, olive oil cellar, or craft beer cellar, it is important to plan halls with logical production flows: reception, storage, fermentation, bottling, and dispatch. A specialized winery architect ensures sufficient height, structural resistance, machinery access, and future expansion possibilities.

7. BASEMENTS OR SEMI-EMBODIED SPACES FOR THERMAL STABILITY

Many craft wineries use semi-underground construction or take advantage of slopes for cellar placement. This provides more stable temperatures, reducing the need for active climate control — ideal for fermentation or wine aging. In Málaga or Ronda, slopes can allow subterranean storage areas benefiting from the soil's thermal inertia and lowering conditioning costs.

8. ROOFS, SOLAR REFLECTION, AND THERMAL INSULATION

Roofs are highly exposed to the sun in southern Spain, so design must include good insulation, roof ventilation, and reflective/lightweight materials. In turnkey winery projects, one can choose flat or pitched roofs with tiles, plus insulating panels. In high-insolation regions like Málaga or Almería, ventilated roofs, sun protection, and designs that minimize summer heat gain are recommended.

9. FLOORS AND ADEQUATE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS

Hygiene is critical in any craft winery. Use resistant, non-slip flooring with slopes toward drains. This applies to olive oil cellars, craft beer cellars, and fermentation halls. In areas like Málaga or Ronda, planning solid exterior drainage prevents water from entering production halls.

10. MODULARITY AND FLEXIBLE SPACES

Even in long-term projects, it is advisable to anticipate future expansions and variable uses: fermentation rooms, microbreweries, olive oil presses, or storage spaces that can change function. Modular winery design allows spaces to be divided or combined as needed, with scalable electrical and climate control systems.

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11. STAFF COMFORT AND PRODUCTIVE DESIGN

A winery architect considers service areas (changing rooms, bathrooms, offices, rest areas) that are climate-controlled, well-lit, and connected. In hot areas like Almería or Jaén, creating comfortable microclimates for staff boosts productivity. Production areas must also connect efficiently with support spaces to reduce unnecessary movement and prevent cross-contamination.

12. ENERGY EFFICIENCY FROM THE DESIGN STAGE

Although the focus is on architecture, the design must incorporate energy efficiency: solar orientation for passive winter heating, summer shading, natural ventilation, thermal insulation, renewable energy (solar panels), and environmental control systems. A winery architect uses the Mediterranean climate to reduce conditioning costs and stabilize the environment.

13. INTEGRATION WITH THE LANDSCAPE AND VINEYARD/OLIVE GROVE

In wineries with vineyards or olive groves, the architecture must respect the agricultural landscape, especially in areas like Vega de Antequera, Jaén, or Almería. Winery architects ensure that tanks and structures integrate discreetly and harmoniously into the surroundings.

14. ACCESS, LOGISTICS, AND TRANSPORT CONSIDERATIONS

Winery construction must plan adequate access for trucks, tractors, raw material delivery, and loading/unloading areas. In Málaga, Almería, or Ronda, terrain and road layouts can complicate access: slopes, curves, distances to main roads. Therefore, access roads, ramps, loading docks, and internal vehicle circulation must be integrated from the early winery project design to avoid costly adaptations later.

15. REGULATIONS

Finally, when building in Málaga, Almería, Jaén, or Ronda, one must comply with construction regulations, industrial safety, food storage standards, and local climate factors (wind, intense sun, risk of frost at high altitudes like Ronda). A winery architect ensures that construction — whether a subterranean, climate-controlled, or modular winery — meets all environmental and regulatory requirements.

If you want to plan, design, and execute a winery project that meets all these requirements, contact us. At Munoz Barcia Architects, we would be delighted to help you build your winery.

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