Quartz Hill’s cellar door and winery has been handcrafted and built with locally grown and renewable straw bales. 

Strawbale buildings, as well as being environmentally sustainable, provide excellent thermal mass and provide an optimum environment for wine storage and maturation. Our winery remains at a constant 16 degrees temperature year-round.

The insulative and acoustic properties allow for a very comfortable cellar door setting and experience for our visitors as well.

To build out of straw, the bales are firstly stacked, then smashed into place with wooden mallets and fixed into place.  Tie-down straps are used to apply compression and create solidity.  Doorways, corners and any odd-shaped bales are sculptured (using whipper snippers and bread knives). Areas surrounding doors and windows are covered in chicken wire for additional sturdiness and everything is subsequently hand-rendered.  Several lime and sand mixture coats are applied to a total depth of approximately 5 to 7cm.  The render sets over time and creates a waterproof and fire-resistant building in natural earthy tones.

Building using strawbales has been a labour of love as it involved many processes and lots of hands-on work from both family and friends.  We hope you visit and enjoy the fruits of our labour!