Caves are rather common in Napa Valley, but they are of the man-made variety, created for many of the 350 wineries in the wine country. The purpose of going subterranean with the wine barrels is to afford the wine a cool and constant temperature, and going underground also has the side benefit of a cost savings as temperature is regulated naturally, and there is no need to utilize above ground space that should be used for vineyards. But there is one cave in Napa Valley that is unique: the Art Cave. Borne out of the owners’ love of modern art and having limited space in their nineteenth century farm house on the property, they created an art cave using the same sort of local cave drilling technology and expertise.
The 6,000 square foot Art Cave sits under a seventeen acre parcel of land which includes vineyards and outdoor art installations. The cave sits under a hill slope which was originally terraced for prune orchards. The main gallery runs parallel to the hillside, with smaller galleries running perpendicular to that and also house the exits to the surrounding landscape. The curved nature of the interior spaces allows for a sense of vastness and the lack of corners and angles concentrates the eye on the art.
While both the art and the building within which it is house are remarkable, neither will be witnessed on any wine country tours any time soon. The owners constructed the Art Cave not as a museum, but as a private gallery. However, the owners do intend to share the experience about once a month with various art associations, societies, groups, collectors, and donors to San Francisco art museums.
