Lodi, CA, February 2, 2011 – When Tony Sarich set out to design his new home in the heart of California Wine Country, two things were certain: it would have a winery and it would be built with LEED Green Building Rating System certification in mind. After all, Sarich, a local grape grower, is also co-founder of Manteca-based American Modular Systems (AMS), the manufacturer of Gen7, an affordable line of high performance classrooms designed to meet and exceed the CHPS and LEED criteria for green schools.

“We learned a tremendous amount about green design a when developing Gen7,” Sarich said. “Our goal was to create a healthy, affordable, energy efficient learning environment using the cleanest materials and latest technology to provide a complete green solution, and we achieved that. I want to take what we’ve learned and apply it to my own home, creating an eco-friendly winery and living space that can be an inspiration to others.”

Construction began last December on phase one of the two-phase project, a 3,000-square-foot pre-fabricated winery called River Vine, complete with wine cellar and tasting room. The finished structures hope to become the Central Valley’s first LEED Gold home and the first prefab winery built offsite to LEED Gold standards. Assembling the winery at the enclosed 280,000-square-foot AMS manufacturing facility in Manteca contains costs, minimizes waste and preserves the integrity of the high-quality building materials. The 90%-completed winery will be delivered and installed on Sarich’s property, a fifty-acre site in the Lodi Wine Region, on Thursday, February 3^rd, between 10am and 1pm. 

The winery will be state-of-the-art, blending energy-efficient mechanical and electrical systems with the cutting-edge green technology perfected in Gen7 schools. Roof–mounted solar panels provide enough energy to power the winery, as well as the natural well and future house. To keep the space cool and dry, a super-tight building envelope uses 100% recycled blue jean insulation with an R-value of 50 on the roof and walls. Innovative smart lighting features LED lights throughout, coupled with natural daylight harvesting to reduce energy usage by 65%. 

Like the Gen7 classroom, both the winery and adjacent dwelling will be constructed from 100% recycled and recyclable materials. All wood is FSC certified and sourced from responsibly managed forests. The siding is 150-year-old reclaimed oak barn wood. Paints and finishes are low- and no-VOC (volatile organic compounds) to ensure the air stays clean and odor-free. 

Designed in partnership with renowned architect, Marmol Radziner, Sarich’s personal residence will be phase two of the River Vine project and is scheduled for fall 2011 delivery. Like the winery, it will be factory-built to LEED Gold standards at the AMS facility.

For directions to the River Vine Winery—or to learn more about AMS or Gen7—call (209) 825-1921 or visit www.gen7schools.com. Visitors are welcome to experience the latest in green technology at the Gen7 Green Learning Center in Manteca, California. Call to schedule a tour or follow us on Twitter or Facebook @Gen7Schools for more information.

About AMS and Gen7

American Modular Systems(www.americanmodular.com) is one of the nation’s leading modular manufacturers, designing and building quality commercial, institutional and educational facilities since 1983. With the launch of Gen7 state-of-the-art, eco-friendly classrooms in 2009, the California-based builder empowers communities to create safe, healthy, energy-efficient learning environments that will benefit students and educators for generations to come.