Those of you who live in wine regions are probably used to seeing this kind of construction, but for a northerner like me, where we raise barnacles and enjoy great seafood, coming across these structures embedded into a hillside was more than surprising (my ignorance truly knows no bounds!). When I arrived in Valdevimbre and noticed those little chimneys poking out of the ground, I felt like I’d stumbled into Hobbiton. Granted, they don’t have the round doors of the friendly hobbits’ homes, but otherwise, they’re quite similar. Despite their simplicity and ruggedness, which reflect a purely functional, rather than aesthetic, purpose, they have a special charm.
Inside, you’ll find a series of rooms and caves where wine is left to rest, with the naturally low interior temperatures working their magic. It’s a tradition that, if not millennia old, is at least centuries old, many of these caves have been around for hundreds of years.
I took the photo at sunset, and it’s a pity that this time the warm and vivid colors of that moment aren’t visible; the contrast between the green grass and the rough walls looked spectacular under that light. But I’m a man of grayscale tastes when it comes to photography, and knowing when to sacrifice certain elements to highlight others is important. Maybe one day I’ll go crazy and switch to color, but for now, that day hasn’t come.
