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Land Rover Magazine Issue 39

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Icelandic surfing, enabled by the new Land Rover Defender | Artisanal globe-making in London with Bellerby & Co | Gallery of stunning drone photography | Author Helen Russell explores the meaning of happiness | Exclusive short story by Jean Macneil

Phifer Pavitt winery is

Phifer Pavitt winery is a masterclass in repurposing materials with style. Right: owner Suzanne Phifer Pavitt I ’m sitting in jeans made of plastic bottles, on a car seat made partly of plastic bottles. En route to Napa Valley to seek out a revolution in sustainable architecture, it seems only fitting I dress for the occasion. Momentum is building for the circular economy and California is at its vanguard. Silicon Valley tech entrepreneurs, government tsars and business visionaries are tipping the scales in favour of intelligent re-use of resources through design. And where Silicon Valley goes, the rest of the world follows – starting with Napa Valley. I’m headed out in a Range Rover Evoque to the Silverado Trail, 29 miles of idyllic country road linking the towns of Napa and Calistoga – a route infinitely prettier than its busier counterpart, Highway 29, and an impeccably smooth drive. As I leave San Francisco on the north side of the bay, the mist shrouding the Golden Gate Bridge dissipates, crisp sunlight dominates and the temperature soars. In the spirit of resource reduction, I reject icy aircon in favour of open windows. Within an hour the landscape ripens into rich greens and feathery grasses backlit by the sun. Wild rose bushes and cypress trees border the rolling vineyards, along with frequent penalty signs for littering and one that says ‘You had me at Merlot’. The air is earthy and sweet. The contrast from central San Francisco to this Arcadian dream within just an hour’s drive is striking, but also part of what makes Napa Valley so successful. This is the largest agricultural area close to a major city in the US; designated an Agricultural Preserve in the late ’60s, the land is protected from development. Its proximity to the resources, technology, values and fluid population of the Bay area make for a potent mix, and I’m curious to discover if this is behind the increasingly innovative approach being taken by Californian vintners. First stop, the Phifer Pavitt winery near Calistoga. Coasting beneath regal oaks, it’s hard to believe I’m less than 90 minutes from the urban clatter. The tasting room sits cosily in a shady hillside nook and I could not have been made to feel more welcome. Suzanne Phifer Pavitt, the eponymous proprietor and driving force behind the winery’s design, credits her simple farm upbringing in Georgia for her commitment to sustainability. “I hate waste,” she says. “I grew up being very resourceful, that’s how my parents were. But I also don’t want something new, I want something that’s had a life, that has a story.” Suzanne’s own previous life was in 61

 

Land Rover

Land Rover Magazine 39

 

Land Rover Magazine showcases stories from around the world that celebrate inner strength and the drive to go above and beyond

Land Rover stands for not only the most capable premium vehicles, but a state of mind where a sense of curiosity, exploration and wonder informs all of life’s adventures. Encounter this throughout the latest issue of Land Rover Magazine, from meeting a herd of Ice Age survivors on the Dutch coast with the Land Rover Discovery, to the most innovative sustainable architecture on a Californian journey with the Range Rover Evoque

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