The Wiston Estate, New Winery

Project Summary

The Goring family has owned and managed the Wiston estate since 1743. Surrounded by sun-soaked limestone hills, they planted their first vines in 2006: a sprawling 16-acre plot of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier.

Following early success and a record harvest in 2020, it was clear the winery was destined for growth. The Gorings set two goals: first, to increase production capacity by over 100%; then, to become a sought-after tourist destination, welcoming guests for visits and wine tastings, supported by an array of café and retail offerings. To meet these ambitious goals, they needed space.

This multi-faceted development required the addition of attractive contemporary elements while preserving the Estate’s heritage features. After all, its history would be central to its charm.

MGAC's Role

This ambitious project required extensive public realm and large-scale commercial refurbishment works, including heritage refurbishment, steel frame building construction, civil works, and more.

MGAC provided cost management services, overseeing the costs of eight subcontractors across demolition, groundwork, structural engineering, mechanical and electrical engineering, demolition and groundwork, as well as crucial planning and heritage consultants. A handful of additional contractors were brought in, too; at the height of construction, there were as many as five contractors on the site at any given time. Throughout it all, MGAC coordinated a delicate dance, as teams worked deftly around the needs of the active winery.

Challenges

Coordinating such breadth of work was a challenge in itself, even before we mention our tight Christmas deadline. Yet it was a challenge we welcomed with open arms.

However, as for so many people, COVID-19 brought its own challenges. At the height of the pandemic, it was critical to manage risks related to contracts, while keeping everything moving on schedule and on budget.

A more benign challenge came in the form of an unexpected bumper harvest. This required the storage of hundreds of thousands of bottles of wine—and fast. To save the product and protect the client’s assets, we worked quickly to re-sequence the procurement strategy, ensuring a new building could be erected in time. Some 250,000 bottles later, you could say the team pulled it off.

Success Factors

The MGAC team was instrumental in ensuring the client achieved optimum value within the strict financial constraints of business requirements.

Our coordination was necessary to keep so many teams on the same page. We began each day with a discussion of strategy, and kept these going until the day’s end. This kept everyone on the same page. By taking the role of each subcontractor seriously, we delivered harmonious, efficient, and well-balanced work.