The IXSIR Winery: One of the world's most sustainable wineries

The IXSIR winery is well-known for its wine in Lebanon and is situated a short drive from the Lebanese coastal town Batroun. It was only founded in 2008 yet it has made itself a name already and won several awards. The name IXSIR derives from the word "Elixir" and stands for a pure substance granting eteternal youth and love. As we stayed in Batroun for two nights anysway it was self-evident tht we took the chance to visit IXSIR. Preparing myself for a wine tour and tasting I was very surprised to stumble unexpectedly on one of the worlds most sustainable buildings. And as you might know by now this of course caught my immediate attention. So I thought I'd tell you a bit more about the winery and why its sustainable status is justified.

The winery is located within a traditional house dating back to the 17th century. When you climb down the spiral staircase however you unexpectedly find yourself surrounded by finest modern architecture. The artists behind this are the Lebanese Raed Abillama Architects. They mastered to combine modern architecture and harmoniously blend it with traditional architecture. But there is more to it.
The IXSIR winery namely has sustainability at the core of its operation. By using innovative methods they manage to use 75% less energy than other wineries. For one this is due to the system of so called gravity fermentation. The building has different levels allowing the fermented wine to move with only little help of pumping from one level to the next while gravity does the rest. This is one efficient way of saving energy. Further, by storing the wine 12m below ground the soil naturally keeps the wine at an ideal temperature and only little extra mechanical warmth is necessary. In addition, the planted roof on top of the winery helps to keep temperatures cool during the hotter summer months. Generally speaking, the way the building is constructed also makes it possible to make us of natural sunlight diminishing the need for electrical lighting. This practice of bringing in natural light into a building is also coined zenithal lighting.

Considering all those facts justifies why the building has won so many awards for its green architecture. But the sustainability doesn't stop there. The sustainability expands into the farming practices: The winery works on building long and trustful relationships with family winefarmers and reimburses them appropriately. The efforts also go on to support sustainable farming practices.

This building is a perfect example that aesthetics don't have to compromise ethics and that sustainability should always be a driver for more innovative solutions. I urge anyone planning a trip to Lebanon to have a stop at the IXSIR winery, partipate in the free wine tour, the tasting and explore this fascinating building.

Source:
http://ixsir.com/about/sustainability-and-community/