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Lake Breeze Wines is an integral part of a long-time, family-run farm enterprise. The farm, based in the South Australian grape growing region of Langhorne Creek, has grown grapes since it was established in the 1880s. It wasn’t until one hundred years later that Lake Breeze Wines was established.
Each year Lake Breeze selects only the best 40% of the grapes from the older vines on the estate. The remaining harvest is sold to other wineries.
More recently, Lake Breeze almost reluctantly entered the wedding reception market.
Visitors fell in love with Lake Breeze’s barrel shed and booked it for receptions, but as Venue Manager Ashleigh Hocking shared, it was no small job to accommodate such requests.
“The barrel shed is a part of a working winery, not a reception area. It took days to get the shed ready and to bring in what we needed. Even then, the barrel shed has no climate control, no modern audiovisual capability,” Hocking stated. “It has charm and authenticity but not a level of comfort and amenity needed to reliably and comfortably accommodate a wedding reception.”
The Lake Breeze function space comfortably accommodates 160 guests banquet style. Although a large space, it still feels warm and inviting.
This is attributed to the design and vision of Lake Breeze Wines’ owner, Roger Follett. “We really wanted this space to be as flexible as possible,” Follet explained. “We have an operable wall to adjust the space to the desired size, but even without it smaller parties are comfortable, and it stills feel intimate.”
A big contributor to the intimate feel is the acoustics. Often ignored or minimized, the impact of acoustics in a large function space are profound. The high ceilings and heavy reliance on brick, stone, and timber all add up to an acoustic environment that, if left untreated, would be clamorous in a large event setting.
The winery awarded the project to AV integrators, Home Digital Systems, who thankfully understood how to best design the system needed. Directors Sam Pergoleto and Adam Andary, and the team worked meticulously to meet the exacting standards Lake Breeze envisioned, ensuring the best possible audio solution for their flexible venue space.
To reduce sound reverberation and increase clarity, they first installed sound absorption above the battens and behind perforated board in the pitched ceilings. Next, the team strategically placed DesignMax DM5 surface mount loudspeakers in the ceiling among the rafters and split the space into several audio zones — creating a high-end audio experience with the ultimate control.
“Even coverage was key for the best audio experience,” Pergoleto explained. “We knew we wanted the loudspeakers in the ceiling and the DesignMax range proved to be the best solutions for the space.”
For dancing and mingling, DesignMax DM8C flush mount subwoofers provided higher-energy volume while still allowing for a calmer, quieter zone for conversations. To ensure no one at the event misses a beat, Home Digital Systems installed the DesignMax DM5 loudspeakers in the outdoor area and DesignMax DM2 in-ceiling loudspeakers in the restrooms.
“It’s important that people can hear each other and any speeches, regardless of where they might be,” Andary noted. “Lake Breeze wanted top-quality audio regardless of where the guests were.”
Along with the requirement of superior sound, the winery desired a system that was intuitive and easy to use. The Digital Home Systems’ team could think of none other than the ControlSpace CC-64 Control Center.
“We’re big fans of the ControlSpace CC-64 Control Center. It’s just so easy to use,” Pergoleto raved. “Ashleigh and her team can simply call up a source or select a zone and change the volume. It’s all clearly labelled and straightforward for everyone.”
To finish, the team chose two PowerSpace P4300A amplifiers to power the system and added the ControlSpace Remote app for ultimate user control and ease of use.
“Providing an iPad with the control app to the master of ceremony during a wedding often helps everyone relax,” Hocking explained. “Our staff doesn’t feel under the pump, and our guests feel they have the level of control they need.”
The venue space went through quite the transformation architecturally, leading to an increase in functionality and business demand. Before the project completion, Lake Breeze Wines organized less than 10 weddings a year in the old barrel shed. Now, a venue complete with audiovisual on par with the venue’s prestige, the barrel shed is proud to host a wedding or function almost every weekend — serious scaling up for Lake Breeze Wines.
“There isn’t much we can’t accommodate here; it’s so flexible,” Follett exclaimed. “Weddings are such important celebration — and you will get a lot of interesting requests — and it means we can say ‘yes’ to a lot to our clients on just about everything. That ability stems from a well-designed space and a well-designed AV system. The flexibility and ease of use lowers the temperature all round when passions are high, and the pressure is on.”
“Even coverage was key for the best audio experience. We knew we wanted the loudspeakers in the ceiling and the DesignMax range proved to be the best solutions for the space.”
— Sam PergoletoDirector of Home Digital Systems
PARTNER:
Home Digital Systems
Specialists in AV and home theatre since 2004. Director, Sam Pergoleto, prefers Bose Professional products in home and commercial installations whenever superior audio is a requirement.
Lake Breeze Wines Case Study
